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It took an empty nest and a baby girl to show Lynda Cantu her life’s vocation. Four years ago, her mother called and asked her to take in Lynda’s six-months-old niece for a while. The child was about to be placed in foster care, and Lynda was the only family member qualified to keep her. She agreed, little realizing how that decision would affect her family and her life.

An 18-bed secure care facility for juveniles judged to be chronic runaways has opened in Sedgwick County. It is licensed by the State and operated under the direction of Saint Francis.

About 220 foster and kinship families from across the state traveled to Hutchinson Saturday to spend a free family day at the Kansas State Fair and to be honored for the work they do on behalf of children.

Gage was left with a sense of abandonment. That’s why this energetic, eager, and affectionate 7-year-old desperately needs a family to love and accept him unconditionally.

Nearly 100 young people gathered in Lindsborg, Kansas, a few days ago for the Kansas Youth Advisory Council’s (KYAC) annual Summer Youth Conference, No Place Like Home … Make Yours. Hosted this year at Bethany College, the conference is for current youth in foster care, as well as those who have “aged out” and are receiving Independent Living services.

Saint Francis provides foster care services in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Texas. Here's a story about Otis and Sheryl McHenry, two of our excellent Oklahoma foster parents.

Nearly 70 kids had a blast last weekend during three fun-filled days at the 2018 KidzKamp in Salina, Kansas. Once again, Saint Francis staff and volunteers hosted children from all over the state at the Webster Conference Center, bringing smiles to the faces of children in need of a few days of carefree summer fun.

Saint Francis Migration Ministries (SFMM) hosted a celebration yesterday in Wichita to commemorate World Refugee Day, a day set aside each year to honor the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of refugees around the world.

This spring, at Schlagle High School in Kansas City, Kansas, Debra McKenzie gathered a small group of students around her to discuss the health risks of cigarette and marijuana smoke on their lungs. One 18-year-old student moved in close to McKenzie and whispered that he had already quit smoking marijuana because he’s on probation. When she asked why he started using it in the first place, he said he had been depressed ever since his cousin was shot and killed. He just wanted the pain to go away.

In honor of World Refugee Day 2018, Saint Francis Migration Ministries, Saint Francis Community Services’ Wichita-based Refugee Resettlement program, will host a free celebration featuring live music and dancing, food, crafts, family-friendly activities, children’s soccer games and more on Wednesday, June 20, from 4 – 8 p.m. at Saint Christopher’s Episcopal Church, 2211 S. Bluff St.