Riverside, Cal., 2017 – There are currently more than 58,000 children in the California foster care system who need a safe place to call home. To help these vulnerable children in need of loving families, Bethany Christian Services, a global non-profit organization committed to bringing and keeping families together, is offering foster care services in Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties in hopes of reducing the area’s reliance on long-term institutionalized group homes for vulnerable children.

With the opening of its Riverside office, Bethany seeks to provide children with the opportunity to know loving families who can support them throughout their journey – whether through foster care or adoption.

“Here in Southern California, children aging out of long-term group homes are left on their own and, as a result, are ill-equipped to succeed,” said Jeff Carlson, Bethany’s regional director. “We desperately want to help these children and young adults, and are now able to do so by matching them with families committed to providing a nurturing environment filled with love and compassion.”

One unique aspect of Bethany is that it offers licensing for foster care and adoption services, making it easier for local families who initially begin their journey as foster parents to move forward with adoption, should they choose. This capability is in direct alignment with California’s new standards and puts Bethany ahead of other local agencies.

“We moved into our new location to ensure we have enough space for the anticipated growth we expect to see with foster care and foster-to-adopt in our area,” said Carlson. “We have added foster care to our list of services in hopes of reducing the number of children in the system by increasing the number of families willing and able to provide homes. Many families begin the foster care process not knowing if adoption is right for them. Our licensing abilities allow that door to remain open without having to recommend them to another agency.”

To officially welcome the branch and new services to the area, Bethany is hosting an open house and ribbon cutting at 1700 Iowa Ave. Ste. 200 from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on November 15. All members of the community are welcome and local families who have been involved with Bethany will be in attendance.

For more information on foster care services in Southern California, visit bethany.org/LaMirada.

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.

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