Deidra Baines

While growing up, Deidra was in 14 foster care placements. But she has no regrets about her past. “I thank God for my troubled days, because without them I wouldn’t be the woman I am today,”

Like the repeating refrain of a Billboard chart-topping hit song, the compelling life story of Deidra Baines will stay with you for a long time.  This talented artist has been singing R&B for more than 10 years.  Her simmering, mighty vocals and gritty live performances have gained her the respect of fans and critics alike.

Behind the raw, emotional authenticity that Deidra’s enthusiasts admire is an inspirational tale of redemption.  She was born into a working-class single-parent family in Kansas City, Missouri.  At the age of two, Deidra and her mother and older sister moved to Houston, Texas where they resided in a Salvation Army homeless shelter until they were able to move into a modest apartment.  It was a tough childhood as the family often struggled to make ends meet on her mother’s minimum wage salary.

The bleak situation took a turn for the worse when her mother could no longer afford the cost of daycare and had to leave her two daughters alone during the day while she worked.  After the girls experienced several home accidents—Deidra suffered a severe skin burn from an unattended candle flame—a neighbor reported her mother to Child Protective Services (CPS).  Deidra was only four years old when she and her sister were taken into custody of CPS on grounds of neglect.  The girls were then moved to DePelchin Children’s Center, a comprehensive provider of children's social and mental health services in the Houston area, where they waited to be placed into foster care.  

By the time Deidra had her ninth birthday, she had been through several foster care family placements and separated from her sister along the way.  Deidra remembers her bouts of anger and misbehavior during this time:  “Whenever I would go to a foster home I would act out on purpose thinking that bad behavior would make CPS send me to my mother.  Instead, I was taken back to DePelchin where I remained on campus until a new placement was found for me.” After what she calls a “moment of clarity,” Deidra settled down when placed with the White family.  During the five years she lived with them, Deidra learned the value of responsibility, hard work and giving back to the community.  Although she recalls the time she shared with the Whites fondly, it was her next foster care placement that would have a profound effect on her life.

Through her next placement with the Martin family, Deidra really came into her own.  The structured and loving home was the environment Deidra needed in order to thrive and excel.  She became involved in high school sports including basketball, volleyball and track and enrolled in the school’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program.  Most important, Deidra joined the school choir.  Her singing talent was quickly noticed and at the suggestion of her foster mother Shirley, she entered and won several choir competitions and even performed at a foster parent convention. 

Although this musical awakening would become an essential part of her future success, the trials of her young life would continue.  When Deidra was 16 years old, she ran away from the Martin home after a verbal argument with one of her foster siblings.  She was living with her high school boyfriend when a CPS caseworker found her and temporarily placed her in an orphanage to be re-placed once again in the foster care system.  It was at the orphanage when Deidra discovered she was pregnant.  CPS placed Deidra in her last foster home for the duration of her pregnancy, and then released her to the custody of her biological mother after the birth of her son.

For Deidra, moving back in with her mother after years of separation wasn’t easy and proved to be short-lived.  After a few disagreements, Deidra and her infant son moved out of her mother’s home and went to live with her best friend’s family.  Her goal was to enroll in and complete high school, but the odds were against her.  By the time Deidra went back to school, she had missed an entire semester.  However, she refused to graduate late so she looked into other options and eventually found a charter school that allowed her to test out of classes so she could graduate on time in May 2002.

After graduation, Deidra reconnected with her biological cousins and briefly moved back to Missouri City to be closer to them.  She gave birth to her second son at the age of 19 while living there.  Shortly after her son’s birth, Deidra moved back to Houston.  Although she was uncertain of what the future would hold, she decided to start a new life with her children in the city she considered home.

With all doors closing around her, Deidra found herself back at DePelchin’s welcoming doorstep in a story that truly has come full circle.  Through the agency’s Transitional Living Program, a program for young homeless mothers, she received an apartment, parenting classes, daycare for her children, and the opportunity to attend a trade school.  Deidra enrolled in dental assisting school and completed the curriculum ahead of schedule.  Upon graduation, she was allowed to apply for the second part of DePelchin’s program, which provided her with a generous monthly stipend to offset her living expenses as well as brand-new furniture for her apartment.

In all, Deidra was in 14 foster care placements but has no regrets about her past.  “I thank God for my troubled days, because without them I wouldn’t be the woman I am today,” she says.  Deidra credits Shirley for giving her the fortitude to overcome the obstacles that stood in her way over the years.  “She showed me kindness and compassion and inspired me to try until I reached my goals.  She believed in me when I needed it most,” Deidra adds.  Bolstered by the guidance and support of a caring adult, Deidra began the long journey of healing that she continues to this day.  Along the way, she discovered her own musical gifts.

Deidra’s combined talent and sheer determination have taken her across the country performing in music venues in Texas, New York, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri.  When she’s not on the road, she resides in Houston with her two lovely children Deontae age 8, and Ryan age 5.  She is a devoted mother and enjoys a close relationship with her sons.  Deidra also is recording her first music album while completing her college degree in social work and business management.  

Even as her star is rising, Deidra’s desire to give back grows as well. And her story brings her back to a familiar place.  She is currently employed by DePelchin Children’s Center as a youth worker at Isabel Elkins Residential Treatment Center in Houston. There, she works with children and adolescents in the foster care system. In this role, she is able to connect with the residents unlike most others because she was in their shoes once, literally.  In her personal time, she volunteers at a local youth community center.  Deidra plans to continue her work with children, especially those in the foster care system who may garner inspiration from her story of strength and courage.

“I have a life today I could never have imagined.  You know, your fate does not have to be your destiny.  Fate is what you are handed.  Destiny is about what you could be.  I’m living proof of this.  The tragedies of my life no longer define me,” Deidra concludes.