Barbara Baldovin – Director of Resource Development
Barbara Baldovin began her career with A World for Children in 2015 as Area Director of the Houston office. In 2019 she was offered the position of Director of Resource Development for all AWFC offices State wide. She continues to office out of Houston. Barbara has served children and families for over 20 years. She has worked in all areas of child welfare to include child abuse/neglect investigations, coordination of foster and adoptive placements, foster home monitoring, case management, foster home development, home study assessments, and advocacy in the civil and criminal courts on child abuse cases/neglect cases. Barbara earned her Bachelor of Psychology with a minor in Sociology at the University of Houston. She also holds a Licensed Child Placing Agency Administrators (LCPAA) license. Barbara was the recipient of the “Foster Home Specialist of the Year” award by the Texas State Foster Parents Association. Barbara is committed to the goal of ensuring that a foster child’s physical, emotional, social, and academic needs are met while in foster care. She also holds a high degree of respect and admiration for those individuals that come forward volunteering to open up their hearts and their homes to this most vulnerable population. In her spare time, Barbara volunteers her services as a consultant for a National Child Advocacy organization providing guidance on child welfare cases.
Gilbert Garcia – Clinical Director
Gilbert Garcia has been serving children and families for over 30 years. For the last 11 years, he has served as treatment director for A World For Children in Corpus Christi, El Paso, and Houston. He is passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and has a deep appreciation for those who open their hearts and homes to traumatized children. “All kids need a sense of belonging and know that someone cares; one of the greatest joys is knowing you made a difference in the life of a child. That is what we are all about.”
A World For Children (AWFC) is committed to meeting the needs of Houston’s most vulnerable members of society through our foster care and adoption programs. A World For Children is a Christian, state-licensed, non-profit, foster care agency in Houston dedicated to meeting the needs of the entire family through ongoing support and training provided by our dedicated team. We believe that all children deserve to live in a safe and caring environment.
Our mission is to serve at-risk children and families by providing quality services focusing on prevention, support, assessment, therapeutic intervention, and permanency. As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, AWFC works with over 1,000 children each year to provide each child with a quality of life unmatched by another. We provide ongoing monitoring and evaluation of agency processes to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of our services. Respect, dignity, and excellence form the cornerstone from which all services at A World For Children operate.
Becoming a Foster Parent
The first step in becoming a foster parent in Houston is to review qualifications. These often include but are not limited to:
- 21 years or older
- Employment status (source of income)
- No criminal history
Once you’ve verified that you meet these expectations, you’ll want to send applications to foster care agencies in Houston. If you’re chosen as a potential candidate, you’ll be asked to undergo a background check and attend an orientation. Your chosen foster care agency will go over all the information you’ll need to know and their specific fostering process. You’ll also need to complete CPR and first-aid training if you haven’t recently done so.
After you’ve completed the required training and passed background checks, a home inspection will be done to confirm that your home is a safe location for foster children. From there, you’ll be contacted when a child is in need of a temporary home.
Get started with your foster care application at A World For Children’s foster care Houston location found below.
Adopting a Child in Houston
The process of adopting a child in Houston is a bit more complex. Similar to the foster care process, you’ll need to meet specific requirements to become an adoptive parent. You may be asked to share the following information on your application:
- Age (you must be 21 years or older)
- Employment status (source of income)
- Relationship status
- Lifestyle information (for matching purposes)
- Background information
- Medical information
- Adoption preference (open, semi-open, or closed)
If you’re fostering to adopt, much of this information will be needed to start the fostering process.
If you’re choosing to adopt before fostering, you’ll be contacted by the chosen adoption agency, such as Texas Adoption Center, in Houston to ensure you meet the criteria. You’ll be paired with an adoption specialist that will walk you through the process and answer any questions you have along the way. From there, you’ll need to complete a background check, at least one interview, and a home study to ensure that you can provide a child a safe and stable home.
Meet the Houston Management Team
Upcoming Events
May 2023
Human Trafficking (ZOOM) - Round Rock – 05/30/2023 at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pmJun 2023
Disaster Preparedness/Serious Incident Reporting (ZOOM) - McAllen – 06/01/2023 at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pmEmergency Behavior Intervention 1(ZOOM) Gilbert – 06/03/2023 at 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Cultural Diversity (ZOOM) - Amarillo – 06/05/2023 at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Infant Toddler - (ZOOM) Brownwood – 06/06/2023 at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Cyber Security/Conflict of Interest (ZOOM) Houston – 06/08/2023 at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
AWFC Medication Policy (ZOOM) -Corpus Christi – 06/12/2023 at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Respite (ZOOM) - Tyler – 06/13/2023 at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Emergency Behavior Intervention 2(ZOOM) - Gilbert – 06/17/2023 at 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Water Safety (ZOOM) - Victoria – 06/19/2023 at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Recreation Program