ASHEVILLE, NC, April 2, 2018 – The Asheville office of Bethany Christian Services, a global non-profit organization committed to bringing and keeping families together, has been working to expand foster care adoptions, infant adoptions, international adoptions and pregnancy support services. Through a partnership with Thompson Child & Family Focus, Bethany will provide the Asheville area with the essential foster care support that is desperately needed. Thompson was founded in 1886 as an orphanage to focus on the well-being of children and their families. Today, Thompson functions as a non-profit organization operating across the Carolinas to provide comprehensive education, treatment and care for children, families, and communities in need. “Bethany’s Asheville office has been aware of the need for foster care services in the area, and we are thankful to be working with Thompson to finally make this happen,” said Terri Bowles, director of Bethany’s Asheville branch. “Vulnerable children in the Asheville area deserve programs that will support the whole child and care for their emotional well-being by placing them with loving and nurturing families.” Thompson has had many successes within Charlotte and currently boasts a 98 percent client satisfaction rate, a 100 percent foster home retention rate and a home placement stability rate of 97 percent. Thompson defines placement stability as children who did not have disruptions causing the child to have to leave their foster home placement.

“After working for years in Charlotte, Thompson has been able to see positive results from the children we serve,” said Jenn Stout, Thompson Director of Family Support Services. “By caring for the whole child and providing critical support, we have seen improvements for foster care throughout Charlotte. We are eager to partner with Bethany in Asheville to bring these services to the west side of the state.” For more information on Bethany’s services, visit https://www.bethany.org/asheville. To learn more about Thompson Child & Family Focus, visit https://www.thompsoncff.org/about-us.

About Bethany Christian Services Founded in 1944, Bethany Christian Services has grown to 120 locations in 35 states. The agency’s top priority is strengthening families for the well-being of children. Services include adoption, foster care, and pregnancy counseling. Bethany also provides family counseling, assists refugees and immigrants resettling in the U.S., and partners with more than 15 countries to help keep families together. Bethany’s mission is to find a loving, permanent home for every child, work to reunite children with their biological families or place children in permanent adoptive homes. For more information, call 1-800-BETHANY or visit bethany.org.

#