As rescue and recovery crews clear rubble in Chile’s quake-ravaged communities, Children International staff have begun the process of surveying sponsorship areas and identifying the status of sponsored children and families directly affected by the disaster.

Our staff on the ground stresses that it could take a week or more before they are able to submit a thorough and detailed assessment of the disaster given the extensive damage to infrastructure.

Rest assured that we will contact all sponsors whose children have been directly affected by the disaster once our staff in Chile can provide us with a full report. And we will continue to post any and all developments to our site as they arise.

Current reports indicate that as many as two dozen families have incurred damage to their homes, but there have been no reports of significant injuries to sponsored children.

Marcia Ligüeño, the mother of a sponsored child, told staff that the supports of her house are on the verge of collapse. “My home is almost in the air,” she said about the upheaval.

Some sponsored families’ homes in Valparaíso have been inspected by structural engineers to verify whether or not they are safe for habitation. So far, initial reports from our agency staff suggest there is no total loss in the area.

Chile’s Department of Education also postponed the start of the school year, which was scheduled to begin today, March 3, until March 8. However, Children International’s community centers are resuming operations and many volunteers and youth are joining efforts to deliver help to those in need.

Note: We will post updates to our website, www.children.org, as they become available. Please check back frequently.