A Heart for Children, A Life of Service

Some people choose social work as a career. Kendra says social work chose her.

Kendra King is the Case Manager Supervisor for PCHAS's Foster Care & Adoption program in Wichita Falls, Texas. She taps into her wealth of knowledge and experience as she guides her team, but she doesn't just understand the foster care journey professionally; she has lived it personally.

A Path That Started with Purpose

Kendra earned her Bachelor of Social Work degree from Midwestern State University and got her license shortly after graduating. Her first role was as a Facility Investigator for Adult Protective Services. She says it was important, meaningful work, but her heart kept pulling her toward children.

That pull led her to an Early Childhood Intervention program, where she spent about 15 years working with children under the age of three and their families. Those years gave her a deep understanding of how babies and toddlers grow and develop, and how much early experiences shape a child's life.

She joined the PCHAS team in 2016 as a Case Manager. Almost immediately, a relative reached out asking if she could provide placement for their baby. Kendra said yes.

"As I learned about my job, I had personal experience in fostering my now daughter," Kendra shares. "This gave me a personal perspective on how to work with foster families and an ability to understand and empathize with the families I worked with."

After two years of fostering, Kendra adopted her daughter.

Growing as a Leader

Kendra's path at PCHAS reflects both her dedication and her skill. She moved from case manager to Senior Case Manager, and then into her current role as Case Manager Supervisor. Today, she leads a team of two Senior Case Managers and five Case Managers — and she is proud of every one of them.

"All of the case managers are amazing and very experienced in what they do," she says. "It is rewarding to work closely with all of these ladies and provide whatever support is needed."

For Kendra, leadership means being present. She makes herself available every day, because she knows that emergencies and difficult situations don't follow a schedule. Her team meets twice a month to review all active cases together, keeping communication strong and families well-supported.

She has also grown her own skills along the way — becoming certified to teach Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) and certified as a Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) Practitioner. These tools allow her to offer direct, hands-on training to foster and adoptive parents, equipping them to better understand and support the children in their care.

What the Children Have Taught Her

Years of working alongside children who have experienced abuse and neglect have shaped Kendra's view of what kids are truly capable of.

"I have learned that children possess an incredible capacity for forgiveness and resilience," she says. "They are capable of navigating confusing and scary life changes. I have learned how trauma can affect a child and the importance of meeting them where they are."

That phrase — meeting them where they are — captures the heart of trauma-informed care. It means seeing each child as a whole person, not just a case file. It means patience, consistency, and showing up.

Why Social Work Matters

Kendra believes her social work foundation is essential to everything she does.

"A background in social work is so important in this field," she says. "A degree in social work provides a basis for every aspect of the job — from ethical practice to clinical assessment, and cultural competence."

We are grateful for Kendra and every social worker who chooses this calling. Their work changes lives — one child, one family, one community at a time.

To learn more about the Foster Care & Adoption Program at PCHAS and find out how you can help kids in foster care, visit pchas.org/FosterAdopt.