Inspired by our faith, Bethany has been serving children and families for over 75 years.

In 1982, Bethany extended its mission internationally, working with vulnerable children in South Korea. In 1991, Bethany first partnered with the Romanian government to build a child welfare system from the ground up. Soon after in 1998, Bethany provided services in Sarajevo to children and families who had fled the war in Kosovo.

The future can feel overwhelming for women facing an unexpected pregnancy. Our global Genesis project provides resources and support for single women who are pregnant or nursing, giving them the option to parent their children rather than surrender them to an orphanage. We offer individual and group counseling, life skills and parenting courses, access to education and financial support, and connection to community partners. 

Active in: Colombia, Ethiopia

Bethany works to remove children from institutions and reunify them with their families, helping their families address the challenges that may have caused them to surrender their children to orphanages. When reunification isn’t possible, we find loving families the children can call their own. Through strong collaboration with churches, governments, and other community groups, Bethany is building and strengthening adoption and foster care programs. With family-based care and support, we believe children deserve a chance to grow into healthy members of their families and communities.

Active in: Ethiopia , Ghana, South Africa 

The youth resilience program provides support to at-risk youth of all ages. In Colombia, we use sports, art, and music with Venezuelan migrants and refugees to instill inspirational goals, build resilience, and promote social integration with the host community. In Haiti and Ethiopia, youth ages 17-22 receive emotional, entrepreneurial, and financial skills they need to overcome generational poverty.

Active in: Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa 

An estimated 152 million children around the world are enslaved in forced labor. Bethany’s anti-trafficking program in Ethiopia aims to create cultural, political, and legal changes so that children are less likely to be trafficked into modern-day slavery. We work with families experiencing financial distress to address the underlying conditions that often lead families to give their children to traffickers. We also provide safe houses for adolescents who have been rescued from forced labor, giving them vocational training to help them become thriving, independent adults.

Active in: Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana

We believe that building partnerships with local communities, churches, and governments is critical to the success of our global programs. In the countries we serve, Bethany staff provides guidance and training on the importance of protecting vulnerable adults and children. These strong collaborations help raise the standard of care and protection for families, refugees, orphans, and others in need.

Active in: Albania, Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa 

Bethany is increasingly recognized as a global leader in the shift to family-based care instead of orphanages for vulnerable children. In more than 14 countries, we advise churches, organizations, and governments about the best way to build foster care and adoption programs, drawing from more than 75 years of experience serving children in the U.S. and around the world.