Kim Holtzclaw
Regional Consultant
Kim’s wide variety of experiences that add to her role as a Trainer for Fostering Hope. Throughout college, she worked as a Youth Pastor and mentored a teen in the foster care system. After gaining her Bachelor’s in Human Sciences from Tarleton State University, she became a High School Family and Community Sciences teacher. After struggling with infertility, she and her husband, Brian, adopted a 2 ½-year-old and a newborn within 6 months of each other. Walking through that process alone without much support gave Kim the motivation to begin working with a newly formed foster care ministry at her church. During those 9 years serving families on their foster care, adoption, and kinship journeys, she and Brian fostered twice. She has also served as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in the Highland Lakes area for the last three years. Kim strongly believes her work in foster care and adoption is a calling to help others find their place as God has called us all to care for children from hard places.
Patty Madden and her husband, Jason, became licensed foster parents in 2013, beginning a journey of deep involvement in the foster care community. Over the years, Patty has worked with various nonprofit organizations, dedicating her efforts to equipping and supporting foster families. Now, as the Babysitting Program Administrator at Fostering Hope, she is passionate about strengthening the network of care around foster families. Patty believes wholeheartedly in the transformative power of these connections, having seen firsthand how they positively impact the well-being of both foster parents and the children they nurture. She and Jason live in Austin with their three wonderful adopted children, and together they remain committed to fostering a culture of care and support for others.
Kathryn Desforges
Marketing & Communications Manager
Kathryn brings a deep passion for storytelling and connection to her role as Marketing & Communications Manager at Fostering Hope. With over five years of communications, public relations, and marketing experience, she has spent her career helping brands and organizations share their message in meaningful and impactful ways. As someone who was adopted, Kathryn feels a personal connection to Fostering Hope’s mission and is honored to help amplify the stories of foster, adoptive, and kinship families.
Raised in McKinney, Texas, Kathryn now calls Austin home. Outside of work you can find her trying new restaurants, exploring local farmers markets, and hanging out with friends and family.
Joshua Owen
Director of Ministry Development and Programs
Joshua is a Texas Christian University Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) Practitioner in the Austin area. He has a passion for equipping and empowering local churches to meet the needs in and around foster care. He was adopted from foster care, and he has served as a foster parent since 2017. He and his wife have five children ages 7 to 19. Joshua has over ten years of church leadership experience and most recently worked as a special education teacher and middle school coach. Outside of work, you can find Josh fly fishing, hiking, enjoying cold brew coffee, and rooting for Austin FC.
Joe Strychalski
Executive Director
Joe has nearly 20 years of leadership experience in child welfare and youth-serving organizations. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Programs for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas, overseeing the agency’s programs, finances, operations, and human resources. Joe earned his MBA from the University of Dayton in Ohio, where he and his wife, Carol, lived before moving to Texas. Carol, a seasoned social worker with over 20 years of experience in private foster and adoption organizations, shares Joe’s passion for child advocacy.
After relocating to Texas, Joe and Carol expanded their family through foster care and adoption. In 2018, they welcomed Avery and Zendaya into their lives, finalizing their adoption in 2020. The Strychalski family enjoys discovering new foods, exploring state and national parks, and spending time with their two large Goldendoodles, Murray and Marvin.
Jordan Hope is a Texas Christian University Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) Practitioner in the Austin area. She officially began her professional journey in the foster care system through direct care positions at an emergency shelter and residential treatment center (RTC). After over 5 years, she completed her time as a houseparent with the intention to carry her trauma informed care into other social services spheres of influence in the Austin area. She has implemented trauma informed care into her work with aged out foster care youth who are court involved, experiencing homelessness, and/or are survivors of trafficking. In early 2020, Jordan completed the single parent adoption of her 17 year old daughter, Lizzy. Jordan Hope has been a fan and advocate for the mission of Fostering Hope as a foster to adopt parent, church member and professional.
Board of Directors
William Franke
William is a father of four (three boys and one girl), and adopted his oldest son through foster care. After attending the A Future and A Hope conference, William and his wife were exposes to the need in the community, understood the tangible actions they could take to help, and knew where to get the resources needed to make it a reality. This eye-opening experience was the spark they needed to fall in love with foster and adoption. With a Masters in Accounting, William serves on the board of directors for Fostering Hope to assist with accounting needs.
Julie Kouri
Julie has been leading and supporting foster and adoption ministries across Central Texas for more than a decade. Julie is an approved Educator in Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) and an Empowered to Connect Trainer. Her experience includes working directly with Dr. Karyn Purvis and Texas Christian University to develop trauma-informed church ministries in Central Texas. As an adoptive parent to her own three children, Julie has mentored and trained hundreds of foster and adoptive families.
Matt Kouri
Matt is a co-founder of Fostering Hope and works as a strategic advisor to nonprofit boards and leaders across the nation. He and Julie are proud parents of three adopted children. He also served for six years as a gubernatorial appointee to the DFPS Council, the body that provides oversight and guidance to the Texas foster care system.
Shannon Norton
Shannon Norton is a pharmacist at 38th Street Pharmacy in Austin and developed a passion for foster care when she and her husband became foster parents in 2017. She has three children (one boy and two girls), one of which is adopted through foster care. She feels strongly that the training, resources, and support she received as a foster parent were invaluable to ensuring her family continues to thrive to this day and wants to ensure others have the same access. She loves to help others navigate the pharmaceutical side of healthcare and has a passion for marriage ministry.
Justin Stinus
Justin Stinus joined the Board in February, 2025 and has been a long time supporter and advocate of Fostering Hope. Justin runs a family office in the oil and gas industry. He has previously worked in the tech industry, developed residential real estate, and served in a variety of capacities on nonprofit committees and boards. He and his wife, Elizabeth, enjoy singing in their church choir, volunteering, and playing pickleball.
Rex White
