About Bethany
Our Mission
At Bethany for Children & Families, our mission is simple but powerful: keep children safe, strengthen families, and build healthy communities.
Who We Are
Bethany is here for children and families across western Illinois and eastern Iowa. Our team includes nearly 100 social workers, case managers, and educators backed by a dedicated volunteer Board of Directors. Together, we walk alongside more than 15,000 children and families every year, offering support when it’s needed most.
Our Story
Bethany has been part of this community since 1899. We began as an orphanage, but over time our work has grown and evolved. In 1938, we expanded into foster care and child welfare services. By the 1980s, we were reaching even further and tackling the challenges facing children, teens, and families with prevention and early-intervention programs designed to strengthen families before crises take hold.
Today
​Now, Bethany provides a wide range of services throughout Iowa’s Scott, Clinton, Jackson, Cedar, and Muscatine counties, as well as Illinois’ Rock Island, Henry, Mercer, Whiteside, Knox, Warren, Lee, Carroll, and Henderson counties. Wherever families need support, we’re there to offer care, guidance, and hope.
