April 1, 2022 – Salina, Kansas – Saint Francis Ministries today is expanding its services as a Child Placing Agency in the Omaha area, where they will continue to deliver agency-supported foster care services in the Eastern Services Area as a contractor for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

As a CPA in Sarpy and Douglas counties, Saint Francis will serve relative, kinship and traditional foster parents, said Doug Kreifels, director of Foster Care Homes in Omaha. The organization has been successfully transitioning its Case Management work as a lead agency in the area to DHHS, a process expected to be completed by July 1, 2022.

“We will recruit, train, license and support relative, kinship and traditional foster parents in preparation for receiving referrals from DHHS for placement of foster children,” he said. “We’re excited to continue the work we began in Omaha, encouraging and creating a supportive environment for foster families and, of course, most importantly for the children and families in our care.”

Kreifels said Saint Francis currently serves about 223 families who have opened their homes and their hearts as kinship, relative or traditional foster homes for about 350 children in care. That number changes daily.

“My favorite part of this work is educating people about the importance of foster care and how foster care can positively impact children’s lives, especially when foster parents are committed not only to ensuring the safety of the children they’re caring for but also are willing to serve as mentors and coaches to their children’s biological parents. Our goal is always to reunite families whenever it is safe to do so, and to otherwise work for permanency for children.”

As a CPA, Saint Francis Ministries employees will make regular visits to foster homes and ensure that all services are in place to best support the foster parents so that they are able to meet the individual and unique needs of the children in their homes. The organization will recruit new foster homes, and like much of the country, the Omaha area is especially in need of foster homes for teenagers and for sibling groups, Kreifels said.