FAQ

You have questions?  We have answers! Here are some of our most frequently asked questions.  If you don’t find the answer to your question here, feel free to contact us.

Can I visit?
Do you accept volunteers?
How can I support your work?
Is your organization legally registered?
Where does your funding come from? Do you receive government funding?
Is my donation tax deductible?
Where do your children come from?
How do you choose which children to accept?
Do you help children who aren’t orphans?
How can I adopt one of your babies?
Do you take children abroad for medical care?
How long does a child stay with you?
Where do they go when they leave?

Can I visit?
Yes, we welcome visitors!  We are happy to show you around and answer your questions in person.  Please keep in mind that for the protection of the children, all visitors must bring their passport or ID card.  We’ll keep a photocopy your ID as well as a completed and signed Visitor Form.  You can download the form here or contact us for more information.

Do you accept volunteers?
Yes, we do accept volunteers who are able to make a serious ongoing commitment to our work. The important point about volunteers is what we call the “Get Real” principle.  What we need is help, not someone seeking something interesting to do once in a while whenever convenient for them. You can learn more about our volunteer program here. 

How can I support your work?
The success of our work is dependent on our generous financial supporters.  You can find more information about donating, volunteering, sponsorship, our current needs list, and more on our SUPPORT US page.

Is your organization legally registered?
Yes, we are legally registered in both China and the United States.

Where does your funding come from? Do you receive government funding?
All of our funding comes from our generous financial supporters; we do not receive government funding directly.  The government is spending vast sums on orphan care and government finances pay for many aspects of the care that orphans receive, but the part that we provide (i.e. intensive, specialized programs) is not government funded.  Roughly half of our funds come from within China and half from around the world.     

Is my donation tax deductible?
Yes, donations are tax deductible in both China and the USA and in some other countries.   Contact us if you have specific questions about your situation of tax deduction.

Where do your children come from?
The children in our care come from government run social welfare institutions. Legal guardianship remains with the sending institution; our role is to provide specialized nursing care, surgery, therapy and education.

How do you choose which children to accept?
We accept children into our programs based on their individual needs. We evaluate how well our staff and programs would be able to meet those needs and provide the specialized care and/or education they require.  We work with children who have an incredibly diverse range of special needs, illnesses and birth defects.

Do you help children who aren’t orphans?
Yes, we do occasionally accept children who are not orphans into our programs.  Usually this is on a short term basis, for a child in need of specialized medical or hospice care that the family is unable to provide.

How can I adopt one of your babies?
Little Flower is not an adoption agency, so we are unable to facilitate adoptions.  However, many of the children in our care are or will be available for adoption.  You can learn more about adoption here.

Do you take children abroad for medical care?
Whenever possible, we strive to provide needed surgeries and medical treatments in cooperation with local pediatric specialists.  In very rare circumstances when the medical care that a child needs is not available in China we will consider going abroad for treatment.  Each case is decided on an individual basis, balancing the cost in time and resources, the child’s long term prognosis and the wishes of each child’s legal guardian.

How long does a child stay with you? 
Some of our projects (group homes and long term care) care for children long term, so those children are accepted with the understanding that they will remain with us for an extended period. Some of our programs (hospice and specialized infant care) accept children for a shorter time period, usually until their condition is stabilized, their treatment is completed, or they pass away.

Where do they go when they leave?
The children who leave us generally do so to join a family. Some are adopted domestically or internationally. Others are placed in local Chinese foster families, usually while they await adoption.