Distance adoption: beware of scams and how to do it right.

The butterfly effect, or butterfly effect in Italian, theorizes that small changes in initial conditions produce large changes in the long-term behavior of a system. Similarly, child adoption is a small gesture for those who do it, but it can lead to long-term life changes. How do you choose an association?

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It's important, however, that anyone who wants to do good, regardless of their noble intentions, do so in the "right" way. It's important to learn to distinguish between organizations that truly do good from fraudulent and abusive ones that are only interested in profit and don't deliver on their promises. Fortunately, charities themselves are self-regulated, and they operate primarily in compliance with Italian law. Since March 2, 2012, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies has been responsible for overseeing nonprofit organizations and promoting social initiatives. To ensure order and clarity on the issue, the SAD Observatory was established in 2000, and a "Charter of Principles" has been drawn up, setting out the guidelines for the distance support of minors, which many organizations have adopted. It's therefore important to understand how a nonprofit organization operates, reading its bylaws and verifying that it has signed the Charter. This helps you avoid potential scams and deceptions and allows you to choose one that operates exclusively for cooperation, solidarity, and the protection of children's rights . What is it and how does it work?

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Distance adoption is a form of periodic and ongoing financial donation for a specific solidarity project, allowing you to become a sort of long-distance sponsor for a specific child, chosen by the organization we rely on. Be careful not to confuse it with international adoptions , which are quite different. These initiate a couple's desire to adopt a child and welcome him or her into their family, literally becoming parents. In distance adoption, however, the children remain where they were born and continue to grow up with their families and within their community. In most cases, our donation for distance adoption can be used not only for the adopted child's upbringing, but also to fund broader projects for the entire community in which the children live. The activation process is simple…

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• We choose a humanitarian organization we trust
• We contact the organization by filling out a distance adoption activation form (on their website)
• As soon as it receives it, the organization chooses the child to assign to us and sends us home the photo and information about his or her life and community.
• At this point we choose the frequency with which we want to donate: monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, etc. We also choose the method: direct debit (direct debit), postal order or any other payment method available.
• Once this is done, the distance adoption is active. All we have to do is pay our agreed-upon amount on a regular basis, and we'll be sent regular updates on the child. We'll also receive drawings, messages, and any other correspondence from the child, updating us on their life and studies. We can also write to the child (obviously in the language of the child's community).

Who manages adoptions?

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Humanitarian organizations , nonprofit organizations , NGOs , and all the nonprofit sectors that work in poor areas around the world (including Italy) where humanitarian projects are implemented. Typically, these organizations, due to their status, can operate according to the rules of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with their own solidarity projects. To give some examples of nonprofits with which it is possible to activate long-distance adoptions: Actionaid, Amref, SOS Children's Villages, Avis, Aiutare i Bambini, Coopi, L'Albero della Vita, Save the Children, and the Community of Sant'Egidio . And many others.

What types of distance adoption are there?

There may be different types of distance adoptions, for example:

• Support for the child
• Support for the child's families
• Support for the child's community

Final Considerations and General Information…

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It's possible to visit the child. Many organizations offer this option. Obviously, we'll need to notify the organization, indicate the period in which we want to organize the trip, and pay for everything out of our own pockets. The children we sponsor are all part of a sponsorship program established by the organizations. Upon reaching the age of majority (which may coincide with the legal age of majority in that country), the child doesn't necessarily leave the sponsorship program. If they remain in the program, we can continue to support them. If, however, they leave, the organization will notify us and assign us (with our consent) another child. When we initiate a sponsorship program , we don't enter into any contract with clauses or penalties . For any financial or other issues, we have the right to contact the organization and terminate the sponsorship program, just as we could terminate any other ongoing donation. By investing a little time in finding the right organization, and a little money to contribute effectively, you can truly do a lot of good.