It’s a cold morning, with some of the mist that gathers in the valleys of the Palani Hills of South India at 7000 ft. still lingering. Parents of young children, if they can find work, are day laborers who look for work every day, often earning less than $1 per day. Poverty, unemployment, alcoholism, abandonment and abuse are major hardships these children and families confront.

Most families in the villages served by The Bethania Foundation India ^TM Care Centres are extremely poor, living in substandard housing with no electricity or plumbing facilities. An inadequate supply of clean water especially impacts the youngest children and the threat of infectious disease is always present. Malnutrition and upper respiratory infections are common, as cooking is done on fires inside the houses with little ventilation. There is a high incidence of single parent families, often with the woman of the household the only family support. Additionally, alcohol addiction prevalent among men causes family dysfunction and trauma. When the parents go to work, if it were not for The Bethania Foundation India ^TM care centres, the children would be left unsupervised to wander the streets and get into trouble, often going without food or fundamental guidance and care.

Children served are provided academic assistance, Christian nurturing, nutritious meals, health care, clothing, uniforms, and a safe refuge in which to learn and receive the love of Christ. The staff provide the children a nutritious lunch and healthy snacks. Children flourish in an atmosphere of love and joy while learning through Bible songs and nursery rhymes, hearing stories about Jesus’ love for them, and learning to read and write. The staff monitor their growth and health and provide them with nutritional supplements and additional health care as needed. While at the centre, the children are taught appropriate social skills and basic hygiene. We accept children with the greatest need into our Care Centres.