Dominican Republic: Where Hosting Becomes Hope
Five Seasons. Dozens of Children. One Goal: Hope.
Host Orphans Worldwide has welcomed children from the Dominican Republic into the homes of carefully selected U.S. families.
What began as hosting has become something deeper.
In a safe, loving family, children are seen, known, heard, and reminded that they matter.
Our hope is that each stay creates a lasting impact.
Hosting Can Change What a Child Believes Is Possible
For a child who has wondered what it feels like to belong, hosting offers a glimpse of family life—and an opportunity for advocacy.
When children are welcomed into American homes, others can see their personalities, gifts, needs, and potential. They become more than a name or photograph. Their story becomes personal.
And personal changes everything.
Hosting Is Not Adoption—But It Can Open Doors
Host Orphans Worldwide does not present hosting as a pathway or guarantee to adoption.
We see it as an opportunity to build relationships, raise awareness, and advocate for children who need families. Increased visibility may help some children move closer to finding an adoptive family.
Sometimes a child needs someone to tell their story, recognize their potential, and say:
“This child deserves a family.”
More Than Hosting: Serving Through Mission Trips
Our work in the Dominican Republic extends beyond hosting. Mission teams visit the orphanage to build relationships, understand current needs, and provide practical support.
Depending on the facility’s needs, volunteers may help with medical care, construction, maintenance, education, counseling, administration, child development, or other professional skills.
We call hosting a reverse mission trip because, instead of traveling to serve children in their home country, we welcome them into our homes and communities. Both forms of service matter.
Whether we open our homes or travel to the Dominican Republic, our purpose is the same:
To build relationships, meet real needs, strengthen care, and help create a brighter future.
The Impact Goes Home With Them
Hosting can give children confidence, connection, encouragement, new experiences, and the knowledge that people far away care about them.
Host families are changed, too. Siblings learn compassion, parents gain understanding, and communities become more aware of children in need.
Mission teams experience a similar exchange. They offer time, skills, and resources, then return with a deeper understanding of the children, caregivers, and community they served.
Seasons of Saying Yes
Families have said yes to opening their homes, learning a child’s story, stepping outside their comfort zones, and believing that one child is worth the effort.
Mission teams have said yes to traveling, serving, sharing their skills, and building lasting partnerships.
That is the heart of Host Orphans Worldwide.
We are not simply hosting children for a few weeks or traveling for a short-term project.
We are creating opportunities for children to be known, loved, advocated for, supported, and reminded that their future matters.
Your Next Step Can Make a Difference
There is a place for you in this work.
Host a child. Contact Host Orphans Worldwide to learn about upcoming opportunities, eligibility requirements, deadlines, and available support.
Join a mission trip. Serve at the orphanage, build relationships, and respond to current needs.
Offer your skills. Medical professionals, teachers, counselors, contractors, administrators, translators, and other skilled volunteers may be able to provide valuable support.
Give or gather resources. Financial gifts, supplies, transportation, medical care, and other donations help meet immediate needs and strengthen long-term care.
Spread the word. Share this mission with your church, workplace, family, or community. One conversation may lead to a host family, volunteer, mission team member, or donor.
You do not have to change a child’s entire life in a few weeks. You simply have to choose a way to say yes: open your home, join a team, offer your skills, give what you can, or help someone else get involved.
A hosting experience, mission trip, or donation may be brief, but lasting commitment can create lasting impact.
Contact Host Orphans Worldwide to learn about hosting, mission trips, volunteer opportunities, or current needs at the Dominican Republic orphanage.
Somewhere in the Dominican Republic, a child may be waiting for someone to say:
“Yes. There is room at our table.”
“Yes. I will go and help.”
“Yes. I will use what I have to support this child and this orphanage.”