, /PRNewswire/ -- As International Children's Day approaches , a leading child development organization, is excited to announce the release of a new study showing the positive impacts on alumni who have participated in Compassion programs in partnership with local churches. The pilot research project titled " ," was conducted to gain insights on the long-term effects of Compassion's programming. The self-reported research focused on 99 alumni in the who participated in a Compassion sponsored program with local church partners at some point during their childhood/young adulthood.
International Children's Day is celebrated in many countries each year on . In , Children's Day is typically celebrated on the second Sunday in June. The tradition dates back to 1856 when the Reverend Dr.
, pastor of the Universalist Church of the Redeemer in , held a special service focused on children. Through its child development program and in partnership with local churches, Compassion provides support to more than 2 million children in 29 countries. According to , Ph.
D., a child development expert, Compassion behavioral scientist and Principal Research Analyst for the study, the purpose of the research is to assess the longer term, broader difference intervention makes in the life of a program participant, their family and/or community. "The findings of this study illustrate the powerful impact the local church and a sponsor can have on a child in poverty," she said.
"We are excited to have res.