The Holy Childhood Association (HCA) concentrates on awakening the missionary spirit in young people and helping children help other children both within the Church and beyond. Many programs have been designed and are used in parish schools and religious education programs to help youngsters be aware of the needs of other children and show how they can help in age-appropriate ways.

HCA has its origins in the missionary calling of its founder, the French Bishop Charles de Forbin-Janson. As a young man, Charles dreamed of missionary work in China, but upon his ordination in 1811, he was instead appointed to a succession of administrative duties. Moved by the suffering of children in his own country, he began to envision an apostolate for children that had one mission "but no geographic limits."

What sets HCA apart from other organizations that are providing relief to those in difficult or desperate circumstances is its emphasis on children helping children and its commitment to providing aid for both body and spirit. HCA does not wait for a crisis to occur – the organization's response to children's needs is ongoing and long-term. HCA's educational materials foster in children a sense of kinship with children of all nations, encouraging solidarity with peers they've come to understand. Beyond this humanitarian outreach, the children are motivated to pray for their young counterparts in the universal Church.