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Correspondence with your child

We encourage sponsors to communicate regularly with their child. Following are some rules to remember:

  • All mail to the child should be directed to the Territorial Director Child Sponsorship.

  • Please write the child's code on all correspondence.

    Suggested address format for envelopes:

Child's Name and Code
Territorial Director Child Sponsorship
The Salvation Army
PO Box 479,
BLACKBURN, VIC 3130

  • Please do not write your personal address on mail to the child. Postage is paid by The Salvation Army.

  • Monetary gifts for birthdays and other events must be indicated on the appropriate place on the sponsorship pay-in slip. 

  • If you feel you are unable to write a long letter, an Australian postcard with a few lines of greeting is all that is necessary. Photos of yourself or your family are a good way to communicate (no language barrier) 

  • douglas.jpgAs of 1 June 2004, we can no longer accept small gifts and parcels for your sponsored child. Postage costs have escalated, and the parcels are attracting a customs duty on arrival which The Salvation Army in developing countries cannot afford to pay. Instead, you can send flat items, such as cards, photos, stickers and ribbons, that will fit in a STANDARD envelope.

  • Monetary gifts for birthdays and Christmas are spent at the discretion of the staff overseas. Because the need is often so great, gift money sometimes needs to be spent on essentials such as toothpaste, soap, school books or clothing etc. 

  • We suggest to sponsors with children in Myanmar (Burma) to only give monetary gifts because of the almost non existent mail/parcel service. Due to the extreme poverty of the country the risk of the parcel being opened by postal staff is very high. Cards should be OK.

  • Correspondence from your child may be irregular in view of costs and difficulty of mail service in many countries. If the child is young, institutional staff maintain correspondence. The Home/Institutions are understaffed and regular correspondence is not always possible. We appreciate your understanding in this matter.