DETROIT, Mich., January 2018 – Bethany Christian Services, a global nonprofit committed to bringing and keeping families together, is extending its foster care services in Detroit to provide critical services to vulnerable children in the city. To support children in crisis, Bethany is opening a new westside Detroit location within the Life Remodeled facility. “Bethany’s primary objective is to place vulnerable children with loving families who can provide the care and nurturing environment they so desperately need,” said Starr Allen-Pettway, branch director for Bethany Christian Services of Southeast Michigan. “Currently, there are so few families in the city registered to provide foster care. As a result, children are being placed with families outside of Detroit – away from their friends and their schools.”

Having received a $240,000 three-year grant from the Johnson Foundation, Bethany is working with local organizations to recruit families in Detroit willing to open their hearts and homes to children requiring foster care services. Greater access to local families will help decrease trauma experienced by children in foster care.
“We want Detroit kids to stay in their own communities so they can thrive and flourish where they’re comfortable,” said Chris Palusky, president and CEO for Bethany Christian Services. “While nearly 75 percent of local children requiring foster care services come from the city of Detroit, of our 141 licensed homes in the area, only two homes are in Detroit proper.”

Bethany’s presence demonstrates intentional support for the community of Detroit and dedication to the children looking to remain in the city they call home. Bethany will be moving into the second floor of the Life Remodeled Building, located on the westside of Detroit in the Boston Edison district. For more information, visit https://www.bethany.org/detroit.

About Bethany Christian Services Bethany Christian Services was founded in 1944 and has grown to 120 branch locations in 25 states. The agency serves approximately 1,200 children annually nationwide in foster care programs and provides services across a continuum of care. Bethany’s mission is to find a loving, permanent home for every child, working 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.

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