About
How It All Began
True North is a non-profit founded in Kiowa County, Kansas aiming to set the gold standard in foster care.
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History: Twenty-three years ago, Brad Lingafelter began asking “can residential foster care be done better?” Over the next 20 years working with at-risk youth in and out of residential facilities, Brad began to form a vision of what residential care could look like and accomplish for youth in foster care.
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In early 2019, the City of Mullinville held a series of special meetings to discuss the possibility of a foster group home in the former Mullinville elementary school. Brad, along with Julie Keeton and a few other members of the True North board met following the Mullinville meetings to figure out if this project was something in which they wanted to be involved. Ultimately, they concluded that, although there was a huge need in the foster system and the surrounding community would be a wonderful “village” for foster youth, the project needed a local director to flourish in Kiowa County.
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Eighteen months later, Brad met with Julie and presented an idea to find a local director and open a residential care facility in Greensburg. They recruited 10 more local residents to form a board of directors and founded True North in November 2020.
Our first project is a residential care facility based on a multi-level approach to provide support and a foundation for youth to successfully transition into adulthood. Our program is a continuum of care for boys between the ages of 14-18 with step-down services until the age of 21. True North aims to step in the gap and provide not just a home, but educational and community support to provide a direction for life.
“Give me a firm place to stand, and I will move the earth.”
Archimedes
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide structure, stability, mentoring, and career direction to foster youth so they can develop a foundation of skills that prepares them for life.
Our Vision
Our goal is for each youth in our care to graduate with a high school diploma AND career technical training in an area well suited for that individual. We will provide stable, compassionate care and create opportunities for kids to find the purpose of their giftedness and equip them for a successful transition into independent adulthood.