Sponsoring a child in Albania

I was looking at Bethany Christian Services' website today and came across this article about sponsoring a child in Albania.  Bethany is a Christian adoption and foster care organization.  I just now saw that they also allow you to sponsor a child.  I clicked on Albania just to see what it's about and this is the article.  I encourage you to check out their website to see if you would be willing to sponsor an international child or even look into foster care or adoption.  Here is Bethany's website... http://www.bethany.org/

Albania Sponsorship Facts


Being the hands and feet of Christ to children and to pregnant women at risk of human trafficking
Sponsor a child living in a Transitional Group Home

Bethany began its Albanian Sponsorship program in 1998. Children involved in the program live in Transitional Group Homes (TGHs) built in 1994 and 2000 by Bethany and Bethany supporters. The TGHs are located in Tirana, the capital city of Albania.

Although Bethany built the TGHs, they are owned and run in partnership with the Albanian government. Bethany Albania's home office is located in the TGHs, promoting direct involvement in childcare and program consultation. American volunteers live in the TGHs, applying their professional skills to further enhance child care and provision. Direct childcare is provided by Albanian government staff.



Each child living in the TGHs is waiting for his/her forever family. For some, this comes through domestic or intercountry adoption. Others are reunited with their biological families or are placed with extended family members. Unfortunately, when such options are not possible, some children will "age out" of the TGHs when they are 4 years old and will move to a home for older children.



Bethany is actively involved in a foster care pilot project through a partnership with the Albanian government and UNICEF. Our dream is for the children living in the TGHs and other institutional care locations to be matched with loving foster families. When this occurs, your International Sponsorship support will "move" with the child, helping the foster family meet his/her needs.



Sponsor a woman in Bethany's Shepherding Home Program

In the fall of 2005, we introduced the Shepherding Home Program (SHP) as part of Bethany's Albanian Sponsorship program. The pregnant women and their children involved in this program are primary targets of human trafficking, a danger that is sweeping through Albania at an alarming rate.



The SHP is designed to provide shelter, protection, and counseling to women as they live with local Shepherding Home families through the duration of their pregnancy. Our objective is to help these women avoid trafficking, abandonment, abuse, mistreatment, and abortion, while they work toward a life of hope and independence.



Thank you for considering sponsorship in Albania.