Bethany Christian Services will no longer provide international adoptions for residents of the United States.

In 2021, Bethany will be stopping all international adoptions through their agency.

The biggest Christian adoption agency in the United States began facilitating international adoptions in 1982. The agency began its work in South Korea and expanded all across Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central America, places where there were high orphan rates. Bethany was able to find safe homes for children in need. 

After nearly 40 years of placing children in American homes, the program is shutting down. Many countries around the globe have made it harder or even illegal for children to immigrate on the basis of adoption.

"Bethany began serving children in South Korea because orphanages were overwhelmed with vast numbers of healthy infants. Today, many children who can’t be cared for by their own families are being adopted into loving homes in their country of birth," Says Kristi Gleason in a press release.

Over the years, Bethany has also been partnering with countries where international adoption rates are highest to put child welfare systems in place.

"We look forward to building on the foundation and relationships made by Bethany’s international adoption programs to help those same kids and many more within their home countries," Gleason says.

Bethany will continue the international adoption program until March 31, 2021.