Generations United Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network recently designated Arrow Child and Family Ministries a ‘nationally exemplary kinship practice.’ A designation which recognizes the organization’s commitment to keeping children with family and the intentional design of Arrow’s Kinship Straight Adopt (KSA) program.
According to Arrow’s Senior Vice President of Texas Programs, Carolyn Bishop, the designation reflects the belief that family-first approaches both reduce trauma and keep children rooted in their communities.
“This recognition validates the heart behind our work,” Bishop said. “Kinship care is about preserving connections, cultural identity and a sense of normalcy for children during difficult times.”
Director of Kinship Leah Wilson said the obstacles kin families faced while seeking adoption created unnecessary stress, delays and financial strain. The Kinship Straight Adopt program’s features help prevent families from getting lost in unnecessary processes and allows them to move more efficiently toward permanency.
Here’s how. The Kinship Straight Adopt Program:
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Focuses only on the requirements that are necessary for adoption.
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Eliminates kinship families’ need for full foster care licensure.
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Streamlines training expectations.
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Reduces unnecessary home requirements.
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Removes capacity barriers that can separate sibling groups.
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Engages Arrow’s adoption coordinator early to accelerate subsidy discussions, legal steps and permanency planning.
“This approach helps families avoid excessive upfront costs and requirements that are not relevant to their path, while still ensuring children’s safety and well-being,” Wilson said. “This coordinated, kin-specific workflow helps reduce delays and provides families with clear guidance from the start.”
This national recognition highlights the organizations’ efforts to align with the child welfare systems shift toward faster permanency but also helps connect Arrow with other groups innovating in kinship care.
Arrow is re-energized in our commitment to kinship care. Being designated as a nationally exemplary kinship practice affirms that innovative, family-centered approaches can make a meaningful difference. It highlights that other agencies can replicate and implement similar models, learning from both our successes and the lessons we gained along the way.
Follow this link to find Arrow listed as a exemplary practice!
Learn more about our Kinship Straight Adopt program here!