The goal of the ReNew program is to help families stay together by supporting expectant mothers with a history of opioid and/or methamphetamine use and preparing them to care for their child. The program provides specialized case management and peer-to-peer support services for expectant mothers, allowing them to develop positive, life-changing behaviors in a sustainable way. ReNew also aims to keep more children out of the foster care system, by preventing situations that require intervention from Child Protection Services.
Bethany first established the ReNew program in 2019 in Pennsylvania. Fifteen mothers enrolled in the program, some whose children had been placed in foster care. By September 2020, there was a 67 percent decrease in the number of mothers whose children were in foster care without a plan for reunification. DSS and Bethany’s South Dakota locations hope for similar, positive results from the program.
More information about the ReNew program is available here.
