Kendall Goodwin
Executive Director
Inspired by her experiences fostering nine children (and adopting five) over the past three years, Kendall brought her vision to life when she founded Refuge Waco in early 2017. Her goal is to close the gaps in the system so that every child can have a loving home with permanency and that all foster and adoptive parents have the support and resources they need to help their children thrive. At Refuge Waco, we believe there is no such thing as other people’s children—that we as a community have a responsibility to all children, regardless of whether they are biologically ours. “Our community must serve and protect the vulnerable among us.” Kendall is a Native Wacoan and she and her husband Cody have six children.
To contact Kendall,
email kendallgoodwin@refugewaco.org
Kara Beth Wagstaff
Director of family and community services
Kara is a proud native Wacoan. She and Kyle, her husband of 3 years, have one child, and look forward to expanding their family through adoption in the near future. She is passionate about many things in life: her role as a mom, community service, and social justice, to name a few. Kara’s interest in the foster care system grew through years of service as a respite caregiver, which led her to co-found Refuge Waco Ministries. Her goal is to normalize foster care, recruit and support foster families , and create opportunities for at risk youth.
To contact Kara,
email karawagstaff@refugewaco.org.
Danielle Patton
Program Director
Originally from the Lubbock area, Danielle has been a foster parent since 2015. She and Kyle, her husband of 13 years, have 6 children (5 adopted through the foster care system). Danielle is currently working on her degree in psychology, and plans to continue her education in a masters program. She has a drive and passion for serving children in the foster care system. Her personal experience has given her insight and compassion for those involved with foster care. She believes that educating the community and showing love to the children in care has immense impact on their futures, and that together, we can create a culture that supports and cares for those in need.
To contact Danielle,
email daniellepatton@refugewaco.org