Congressional champions for the Family First Prevention Services Act, who are working in a bi-partisan and bi-cameral manner, this week continued to demonstrate support of a successful FFPSA implementation. On Nov. 5, 2019, the House and the Senate introduced the Family First Transition Act, which has provisions designed to help states and stakeholders ease the transition to the federal child welfare financing structure in the FFPSA.
Saint Francis Ministries and Grutza Consulting are teaming up to deliver technical assistance and consultation to public and private child welfare systems. System leaders are working to swiftly and effectively address myriad changes and opportunities to operate successfully in alignment with the Family First Prevention Services Act.
Saint Francis Ministries leader Rachel Marsh testified this week before a Kansas legislative committee to ask them to strengthen the intersections between juvenile justice and the child welfare system.
Saint Francis Ministries is excited to announce the receipt of two grants that will help Kansas work toward stabilizing vulnerable families and keeping children out of foster care. The Kansas Department for Children and Families on Oct. 1 announced the award recipients of its grants in support of the Family First Prevention Services Act. Saint Francis, based in Salina, Kansas, received awards of $729,267 for a Seeking Safety initiative and $2,871,371 to begin offering Family Centered Treatment in the state. The DHHS grant period for these awards is Oct. 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020.
Community support and involvement are crucial elements necessary to meet the needs of children and families in Omaha and throughout Nebraska. Those words from Jodie Austin, who joins Saint Francis Ministries as the regional vice president in the Omaha, Nebraska, area, come from the heart of a leader who has worked in child welfare for more than 20 years. Her vision – to work herself out of a job – is a bold one.
On July 15, 2019, Garcia joined Saint Francis Ministries as a Regional Vice President, serving in the West Texas area where the organization recently received a new contract to implement Community-Based Care in 41 counties. Although Garcia began his career in finance, he quickly followed his calling to work with children from “hard places,” he said. For the past 11 years, he’s worked in a variety of positions in the foster care system.
Creative and competitive, Timothy, 13, has an engaging sense of humor and an infectious enthusiasm for learning. The creative side of him loves to draw, while his competitive side enjoys mastering video games that require skill and intelligence.
The gift of a ukulele and hand-painted backpacks to Kansas foster children in the past week was a tangible reminder that generous hearts can make a difference. On Tuesday, the Society of Decorative Painters donated more than 25 hand-painted backpacks to Saint Francis Ministries to be given to children on their first night in foster care.
