True North prepares a home for foster care boys in Haviland – Kiowa County Signal

By Josanna Henry Special to the Signal

True North is a foster care group in Kiowa County that is aiming to provide the gold standard in foster care homes for kids. Executive director Brad Lingafelter said he is aiming to be able to provide a place for teenage boys who are a part of the foster care system that are in need of housing. Recently, this program closed a purchase on a home that is going to be a place for these kids to call home.

Located in Haviland, the future home for boys is currently the home office of Truth North’s operation. Once some inspections and other steps have been taken, the residence can be transformed into the home that these young men need.

This program is the vision of Lingafelter who has numerous years of experience working with at-risk youths. During his time working with and fostering children he said he often asked him self the question “How can residential foster care be done differently?”

The need for foster homes for teenage boys is great, this is because many people are far more willing to foster young babies than they are willing to foster older teens who are aging out of the foster system, he said. This age group without proper care and guidance is prone to higher dropout rates, lower chances of employment and sometimes substance abuse issues.

By instituting this program which will give these adolescent boys a safe place to grow up and find upward paths in life, Lingafelter hopes to build a system that can help young men become productive and healthy members of society.

Kiowa County citizens seem to support the endeavor wholeheartedly, especially in the town of Haviland.

One of the neighbors of the future foster house in Haviland is Mallory Scott. She is a mother of four chil dren and married to her husband Micheal Scott.

“I love living in a small town and I love my kids having other kids to play with,” she said. “I love the neighborhood aspect of a small town, and know that these boys will probably be a little bit older than my kids so it might be different in terms of playmates. We have really come to appreciate foster care and some of the families who are doing that in town and just learning their stories. We’re very supportive of what they’re trying to do and the way they are trying to love kids. Brad has a heart for a certain age and there is such a need for that age group. We’re excited to get to see how it works and get to know some of the kids that live there and hopefully get a chance to interact with them as their neighbors. We’re glad that the house is being used, it’s a big space and we’re excited to get to love these kids and be able to be good neighbors.”