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Families In Vietnam
FAMILY SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

Families generally fall under more than one of the following guidelines to be accepted into our Family Sponsorship Program:

• parents are illiterate
• unwed birthmother has placed the child in the care of grandparents
• parents are unable to afford the school fees for one or more children
• children are at risk of being placed in an orphanage
• children are under-nourished
• extenuating circumstances (e.g. father is in prison)

Goals
The primary goal of our Family Sponsorship Program is to equip the next generation to be self-sufficient. The children who are now in sponsored families will find jobs, maintain faithful family commitments of their own, and empower other Vietnamese to live with dignity. We respect the Vietnamese culture, heritage and beliefs.

Once accepted into the program, we commit to:

• schooling the children up to the age of 18
• assisting parents in finding employment
• discouraging child labor
• providing alternatives to begging and the illegal activity of selling postcards
• paying for medical care
• assisting with housing
• addressing any needs with flexibility and individualized solutions

Results

• 78 children completed the 2009 school year
• 9 children are currently in foster care as an alternative to living on the streets or orphanage placement
• several children who missed the first few years of elementary school in order to sell postcards or beg to support their families are now in school with excellent attendance records
• 3 former prostitutes and their children are finding hope for the future through access to education

ABOUT US

Our programs are administered locally by two Vietnamese nationals who manage the relationship with the schools and provide needed assistance to the families. The only paid staff are these Vietnamese nationals, living in Hanoi.

Board members are Valerie Lehner, Anita Falcone, Janet Whitehead, Christen Buchert and Bonnie Lockwood. Families In Vietnam is a 501(c)(3) public charity incorporated in the state of New York. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. For more information, please contact Valerie Lehner at val_lehner@yahoo.com .

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