Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie McClurkin.
Hi Maggie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Foster Village Houston began out of a simple but urgent need: families navigating the child welfare system were doing it largely alone, and the community around them—people who wanted to help—didn’t always know how. Our founders experienced this firsthand as foster parents. When a child arrives with little more than the clothes on their back, caregivers are left scrambling for essentials, support, and guidance at a time when they’re already overwhelmed. They knew there had to be a better way.
In 2019, they launched Foster Village Houston to bridge that divide. What started as a small effort to provide brand-new essentials like beds, car seats, diapers, and clothing quickly grew into something much more relational and long-term. Families weren’t just asking for items—they were asking for connection, encouragement, and a village that understood the unique challenges of caring for kids from hard places.
In 2022, I began my role as Executive Director, and over the past three and a half years, our mission has expanded alongside the need. Today, we support thousands of children and caregivers across Houston each year through three core pillars: providing critical necessities during placements, offering ongoing support through programs like Project SOOTHe, and building community through events and hands-on volunteer engagement.
We’ve grown from a grassroots effort into a trusted nonprofit partner in the Houston child welfare community, and that growth has been fueled by one thing: people showing up for families who often feel unseen. Every volunteer, donor, and partner helps ensure that no child enters foster care without the dignity of clean clothes and a safe bed, and no caregiver has to shoulder the hard work alone.
Our story is still unfolding, but our goal remains the same as the day we began—making sure that every family knows they are not alone, and that there is a village ready to walk beside them, every step of the way.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has been meaningful, but definitely not always smooth. When your work centers on children entering foster care and the families who care for them, you’re stepping into situations shaped by trauma, crisis, and constant change—and that naturally brings challenges.
In the early days, one of the biggest struggles was simply keeping up with the need. Calls for beds, car seats, clothing, and emergency essentials came in faster than we ever imagined, and we had to quickly scale our operations, volunteer base, and physical space to meet those needs without sacrificing dignity or quality.
Another challenge has been navigating the complexities of the child welfare system itself. Every family’s situation looks different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Balancing urgent, practical support with ongoing relational care requires flexibility, creativity, and a lot of listening. We’ve learned to adapt constantly—whether it’s responding to placement surges, expanding programs like Project SOOTHe, or adjusting our hours and processes to better serve caregivers.
Funding and sustainability have also been real hurdles. As a growing nonprofit serving a rapidly expanding city, we’ve had to be intentional about building reliable support, developing partnerships, and educating the community about the realities of foster care. Many people want to help but don’t know where to start, so creating awareness has been an important (and sometimes slow) part of our journey.
And of course, the emotional weight of this work can be heavy. Our team sees families on some of their hardest days, and compassion fatigue is a very real risk. Ensuring that our staff and volunteers feel supported, valued, and cared for has become a priority for us.
Despite the challenges, each struggle has shaped the organization for the better. They’ve pushed us to grow, to innovate, and to stay rooted in our mission. And every time we see a child sleep in a safe bed, a caregiver take a deep breath knowing help is on the way, or a family feel truly seen and supported—that’s the reminder that the road may not always be smooth, but it’s absolutely worth it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have had the privilege of serving as the Executive Director of Foster Village Houston for the past three and a half years. With a strong background in operations and community outreach, I have led Foster Village Houston’s efforts to build a network of care, resources, and practical support for foster, kinship, and adoptive families.
I take a collaborative approach, working closely with staff, volunteers, caregivers, and agency partners to ensure that no child or family walks their journey alone. I try to make my leadership reflect our mission of creating purposeful opportunities for the community to show up around some of the city’s most vulnerable children and those caring for them.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
First and foremost, our founders: Katie and Michael Ringer. Not only did they pave the way for us here at Foster Village Houston, but as my older sister and brother-in-law, they have paved the way for me personally my entire life.
My parents who have supported my sister and I in everything that we do. We couldn’t have done this without them constantly cheering us on in every one of our endeavors.
Our small, but mighty, staff: Claudia Milian and Amy Lund. These women are some of the most selfless, steady, behind-the-scenes heroes I’ve ever met. They work tirelessly to make sure we can keep serving more and more families each year.
Finally, the heart of our organization—our volunteers. We simply could not do what we do without them. Their generosity, their time, and their willingness to serve never stops inspiring me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fostervillagehouston.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fostervillagehouston/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FosterVillageHouston
