Our Mission Statement
Kids First is a Child Placing Agency (Therapeutic Foster Care & Adoption) that purposes to mentor families giving them the tools for therapeutic interventions in order to help traumatized children move through their pain to a place of healing.
Our Vision
Engaging families in breaking the cycle of abuse and victimization.
Our Values
Respect
We aim to demonstrate respect for each other providing a safe, supportive environment.
Communication
We aim to communicate with our families answering questions and providing feedback.
Integrity
We aim to operate with integrity by matching the children’s needs with the family strengths.
Education
We aim to provide our caregivers with quality training giving them the tools and therapeutic interventions, in order to help children manage their losses and help heal their pain.
Safety
We aim to provide the children a safe place to live without taking any chances of undo harm so that healing is inevitable.
Employment
Kids First, Inc. is looking for committed professionals. Click here to contact us about employment opportunities.
Our Staff
Dr. Carla Johnson
Executive Director
Mary Arias
Home Development Director
Ida Hathman
Book Keeper
Tonia Turner
Office Manager
Dr. Carla Johnson
Our Founder
A kid at heart! Never quit! Work hard! Leadership! These are phrases that explain the heart of Dr. Carla Johnson. These beliefs have driven her to stretch her boundaries to help kids in Guatemala, Mexico, Mainland China, Korea, Africa and our own USA. Her past experiences include driving a van of inner city youth to a nearby church, knocking on doors in the projects completing surveys, dressing up like a clown for kids in the projects using sidewalk chalk to tell them about Jesus. Summers included being the YMCA Summer Camp Director for kids offering various activities. Later, she ministered to kids by partnering with an inner-city church and opened an Outreach Center offering a wide-range of programs and activities. The Outreach Center was eventually funded by a United Way grant directed by Dr. Carla. Carla has held positions of a Children’s Pastor for four years for Korean kids and a Children’s Pastor/Education Director for African American kids for 18 years.
In 2008 Carla started Kids First, Inc., a Child Placing Agency. Kids First, Inc. has a contract with the State of Texas for Foster Care and Adoption. The purpose of Kids First is to screen and train families to care for abused and neglected children who have been removed from their homes. Kids First exists to put families back together again and to offer safe, loving families for kids who do not get the opportunity to reunite with their families.
Carla has worked in the foster care and adoption industry since year 2000, however she has well over 30 years of experience with at-risk youth. The foster and adoptive experience has included holding positions of Case Manager and Director and now the Owner and Executive Director of Kids First, Inc. Since 2006, in her spare time, Carla teaches Business Administration classes at a local college. She had the privilege of receiving the Teacher of the Year in 2010.
In 2006, Carla received her Doctorate of Strategic Leadership and Organizational Development from Regent University from Virginia Beach, VA. Carla is an advocate of education because she holds other degrees, including a Masters of Science in Social Work from University of Texas in Arlington; a Masters in Church Social Services from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth; and a Bachelors of Recreation from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri.
Dr. Carla is a results driven leader who desires to see others excel, and most of all KIDS!