St. Francis Community Services will offer a free course for individuals interested in becoming foster parents.  The course begins Oct. 9 and will be held every Tuesday for 10 weeks from 6-9 p.m. at Saint Francis Community Services, 1508 Main, Great Bend.
St. Francis is a community-based provider of foster care, adoption and family preservation services. The course, Partnering for Safety and Permanence - Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (PS-MAPP), provided training required by the State of Kansas to become a foster parent.  It helps potential foster parents gain a better understanding of the needs of children in foster care, helps families make informed decisions about fostering, and provides information on resources, parenting techniques, and support services available for individuals interested in becoming foster parents, sponsors said.  
 To register for the PS-MAPP foster parent training course or to learn more, call Emily Durr at 620-793-7454, ext. 132, or visit www.st-francis.org.