Joanna Barton and Son

A Healthy Foundation for Life

Joanna Barton has always loved children’s spontaneity and passion for life. So when she first entered the workforce, she got a job as a preschool teacher’s assistant.

“I want to give children the same happy, healthy foundation for life my mother gave me,” said Joanna. “My mother is the most selfless, caring person I know, and her support made me who I am today.”

After earning a master’s degree in social work, Joanna left her home state of Massachusetts for California with big dreams of changing the world. She responded to Walden’s employment ad for a social worker, working with foster children and youth, and their families.

Joanna is especially drawn to Walden’s focus on providing safe, loving homes for children who have experienced trauma, grief and loss. Through Walden’s programs, children are reunified with their birth families, connected with foster families or guardians, or adopted. Joanna is also part of the team who provide training and weekly in-home support to Walden foster and adoptive parents.

“I love teaching families how to form a positive attachment and bond with the foster children and youth in their care,” added Joanna. She regards each moment she spends with the children and families on her caseload as meaningful, and acknowledges that her experiences create valuable learning opportunities that allow her to grow as a social worker.

And it’s clear that Joanna inherited her mother’s nurturing personality. “Getting to know the children and youth, sharing in their success, and watching them thrive in loving homes gives me joy.”