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Foster Care / Adoption, Hi-Lites, Ministry News

Care Portal Meets Urgent Needs During Crisis

July 2020 · Foster Care / Adoption, Hi-Lites, Ministry News

Headed for an appointment across town with two little children in the back seat, the last thing Carolyn needed was car trouble. Yet, that’s what she got. Ever since she volunteered to provide kinship care to her 3- and 4-year-old relatives, she’d relied on that car to transport them to doctor appointments, visitations, and case management meetings. Now she had no vehicle. And though she works full-time, the repair costs were way beyond her means. She relayed her predicament to her Saint Francis case worker, who submitted a needs request to CarePortal, and within hours a local church stepped up to pay for Carolyn’s car repairs.

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crisis response fund

Support for Urgent Services Needed

July 2020 · Coronavirus, Foster Care / Adoption, Hi-Lites, Ministry News

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented shift in how Saint Francis Ministries approaches the services we provide for children and families. Impacts from the pandemic unfolded over several months in the communities where Saint Francis works, and the organization expects to see long-term challenges. With an initial focus on supporting staff and clients in staying safe and healthy, Saint Francis has begun to develop new ways of serving children and families.

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Being a military family means material, spiritual support for foster family

September 2019 · Foster Care / Adoption, Foster Family Features

Military families posted far from home often must rely on each other for support. This is especially true for those who serve children in need, along with serving their country. Nicole Berry knows this firsthand. She considers her Army friends and neighbors as much of a family as any connected genetically. The same goes for her spiritual family at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.

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Bigger Than Our Fears

April 2019 · Foster Care / Adoption, Foster Family Features, Ministry News

At first, Silas Pederson believed the task too big. The idea that he and Micah, fresh from college and newly married, could capably care for a blind and deaf child facing a mountain of medical issues seemed ludicrous. The prospect of disruption and trials frightened and overwhelmed him. So, he did what he typically does when the path is uncertain - he prayed.

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Fostering Is a Family Affair

November 2018 · Foster Care / Adoption, Ministry News

Lydia Lund prayed for eight years that her husband, Tyler, would share in her desire for them to become foster parents. Thanks to a career in social work, she knew firsthand the effect a good foster parent can have on the life of a child. Although not completely opposed to the idea, Tyler just wasn’t sure if it was a good option for them. He and Lydia had recently started their own family and already had two little girls, ages five and two. Then one day, following a conversation with friends who are foster parents, something clicked with Tyler. Three weeks later the Salina couple were in a foster parent training course. “I knew that once he decided, we would go all in,” said Lydia.

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‘if you help them, if you care for them, you will grow to love them’

June 2018 · Foster Care / Adoption, Ministry News

Lately, we've been celebrating Saint Francis foster parents who provide security, care, and love every day to children in need. Foster parents see firsthand the remarkable ways children respond to structure and acceptance. They know well the transformative power of love to heal broken lives and families. Today, we share the story of Gabriel and Christ, who were recently named Saint Francis' Kansas Foster Family of the Year for 2017. Once you hear their story, you'll know why.

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Adoption, when children change everything

November 2017 · Foster Care / Adoption

Ricardo and Sonja Torres tried to have their own children for years. Yet, when friends told them about fostering to adopt, they didn’t jump right in. They discussed it. Again and again. They also prayed. They had lived so long together, just the two of them, that they wanted to be sure this was exactly what God intended for them. Finally, they took the leap. Licensed with Saint Francis Community Services in 2016, the Wichita couple began taking care of children in police protective custody (PPC). By Shane Schneider

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How a Garden City couple fosters with just two rules

June 2017 · Foster Care / Adoption

“We’ve been lucky,” says Patsy. “By the time they leave, I’d say at least 50 percent of our kids have paid their fines and saved enough money to go out on their own. They’re not perfect, they make mistakes. But you can say the same about any kid. They become like our own, and we celebrate their success. Most of ours have also graduated from high school. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like seeing a kid walk down that aisle to get that diploma. If that’s the only reason I do this, it’s worth every minute.”

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