 Bethany’s primary goal in Ukraine is to provide permanent homes for children living in institutions. This occurs by reuniting children with their biological families, uniting them with extended family, or by placing them with foster families.
Many Ukrainian families are very poor and unable to adequately provide for their children. This financial crisis has resulted in families relying on the government system to care for their children. Unfortunately, some orphanages can have up to 200 children! Not an environment that is able to provide the warmth, love and care found in a family.
Many family members visit their children in the orphanages. With your support, we can work towards reuniting these children with their families. Other children are either dropped off at the orphanage and have no contact with their family or come from families in which a return would not be safe. These children need your support as well. In this case, your support will go towards creating a safe environment within the orphanage and towards finding a foster family with whom the child can live.
Bethany has several programs for sponsorship in Ukraine
(in Gnivan, Kiev, Tulchyn, and Vinnitsa):
Prevention of Abandonment
Bethany's social workers are working with needy families to prevent children from being placed in institutions and are supporting biological families to care for their children. Bethany's social workers are working with local state administration and orphanage personnel to identify "at risk" families within the community.
Family Reunification
Bethany believes that each child should be raised by his/her family. Considerable efforts are being made to enable needy families to resolve their problems. Once problems are resolved and families are functional, there is greater potential for safe reunification of children.
 Foster Care
Many of the children living in institutions cannot be reunited with their biological families. To respond to this need, Bethany has developed a foster care project where children are placed with loving foster families. These families rely on Bethany's support to survive the harsh economic conditions and be able to properly care for the children.
Domestic Adoption
Domestic adoption is a new concept in Ukraine. Bethany is actively working to advocate for this form of permanency planning by encouraging the community to become involved in the lives of children within the institutions. Families frequently need Bethany's support after taking a child into their home.
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