In the News

A Shreveport woman's dedication to helping children is earning her recognition in the nation's capital.  On Tuesday, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, along with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, recognized K.C. Kilpatrick, as an “Angel in Adoption” for generously and selflessly dedicating her time and efforts to bettering the foster care system.

Every year, members of Congress nominate an individual, family or organization to be recognized for demonstrating a commitment to improving the lives of children in need of permanent, loving homes.

Johnson nominated Kilpatrick for founding the non-profit Geaux 4 Kids to support foster parents, specifically in cases of emergency placement, with “Geaux Bags” and other support services to ease the transition for both the child and the foster parents. K.C. Kilpatrick has been a foster parent since 2013.

“Entering the foster care system can be incredibly frightening for a child, and the often abrupt change can be challenging. Fortunately, there are many good people working to ensure these children and their new families have the resources they need to be successful. K.C. is an all-star in this area and created Geaux 4 Kids to help address the critical needs children in foster care have in our community. It was an honor to recognize K.C. for her tireless support of those in the foster care system,” Rep. Johnson said.

Currently, Geaux 4 Kids’ largest project is distributing “Geaux Bags,” which help children in crisis get through that first difficult day and night of foster care by providing basic necessities inside these bags. The aim is to change how children enter foster care - from crisis to comfort - and ease the transition for the foster parent and child.

Geaux 4 Kids began serving only two cities in Louisiana, but it now serves many areas in Northwest Louisiana. As the coverage area has expanded, so has the number of children that have been helped by Geaux for Kids. Since 2013, Kilpatrick has served over 3,000 foster children in need and dedicated over 4,500 volunteer hours to “Geaux Bags.”

Kilpatrick, who is also a social media content provider for KTBS 3 News, is creatively partnering with the Department of Child and Family Services to expand the concept to all of Louisiana and envisions making “Geaux Bags” a nationwide endeavor. Kilpatrick’s daily mission is to bring awareness to children in foster care and bring these children a sense of dignity for today and hope for the future.