We may be winding down our month-long celebration of child welfare workers, but we’ll never tire of thanking those who work so hard to secure the safety of children and to help families heal and regain wholeness. Child Welfare Workforce Development Month may come once a year, but the mission continues year-round.
Among the many programs and services Saint Francis provides are those that support mental and behavioral health for young people and adults. That support is especially important because some of the people we serve might be at risk of self-harm.
September is National Child Welfare Workforce Development Month, so throughout the month, we plan to celebrate our employees and the vital work they do every day.
Saint Francis turns 77 years old today, which speaks to the extraordinary resilience and purpose of this ministry and the people who have dedicated themselves to the protection of children and families for more than seven decades.
The Saint Francis Ministries vision consists of five impactful words. To transform lives and systems.
People come to Saint Francis Residential treatment facilities for lots of reasons.
The first goal of foster care, after ensuring the children are safe and cared for, is to reunite them with their family. We call it reintegration, and it is one of the joys of our work – seeing a family work toward becoming healthy, begin the process of healing from trauma, change long-term patterns, maybe start the journey to sobriety, learn to communicate. . . the list of changes we see occur is long.
Most people think of foster care when they hear “Saint Francis Ministries.” And that makes sense, especially since it’s one of our most recognizable programs. Yet, with this recognition, comes misperceptions.
Supporting leadership development is a critical part of the Saint Francis Ministries culture. Through our work at the Kansas Leadership Center and the experience of our leaders, we embrace the idea that everyone is a leader – that it is an action, and not a position.
Commitment to children and families doesn’t end with the work that's detailed in a Saint Francis job description – especially for many of our employees. When you help vulnerable kids and families, your heart and mind don't turn off when you leave the office. Many of our employees use their talents to give extra, taking time out from their personal lives to make a difference for kids.
Kansas DCF Newsroom
Nebraska DHHS Newsroom
Oklahoma DHS Newsroom
The Joint Commission Press Room
United States HHS Newsroom