Children are being matched with forever families through the These 400 campaign! Since 2013, Bethany Christian Services has matched 100 children and completed 30 placements.
As more countries develop and strengthen their child welfare programs, including in-country adoption and foster care, the face of international adoption is changing. Many children eligible for international adoption today are older (5+) and/or children with special placement needs. Because these children are traditionally more difficult to place, Bethany launched These 400, a national campaign, to spotlight a critical need for adoptive families. The 400 children featured in this campaign have been waiting the longest for a family, and we wanted to do something big to change that.
We continue to recruit families who are open to parenting a child who has a medical or developmental need or older children who are part of a sibling group. We equip interested families with specialized training and post-adoption resources, and we offer support including counseling and connection with other families who have adopted children with special needs.
These 400 is Changing Lives
- 100 matches since 2013
- 25 matches in 2015 to date
- 30 placements
The top 3 countries for matches
- China (37)
- Ethiopia (20)
- South Africa (12)
6% increase in international special needs adoptions since the campaign began
- In 2013, 79% of Bethany’s international adoptions were children with special needs.
- In 2014, that number has increased to 85%.
320 individuals and 17 churches have signed on as These 400 advocates
Advocates choose one child in the campaign to pray for and share information about to their communities and networks.
$100,000+ raised to financially assist families across the United States who are adopting a These 400 child.
3 additional funding sources can help defray costs
- LifeSong: www.lifesongfororphans.org
- Show Hope: www.showhope.org
- Bethany’s Caring Connection: www.bethany.org/caringconnection
Bethany is leading the way to find families for children with special needs. What could you do for a waiting child?
- Pray that more matches will be made.
- Give to Bethany’s Caring Connection.
- Adopt a waiting child.
- Support a family that has adopted a child.
