Siblings belong together: Valerie’s story shows how separation in foster care impacts children in the foster care system—and the transformative effect of keeping siblings together. Valerie Ramirez is a student at Texas State University and is the president of Foster Care Alumni Creating Educational Success. She is currently completing her clinical internship in physical therapy

Siblings Belong Together We all know that sibling relationships can be lifelong ties. We share all aspects of growing up with our siblings, through all joys and pains. Imagine not having that sibling next to you through a traumatic event as a child. Unfortunately, that’s what happens to most children with siblings in foster care,

The Pelt Family, Part 2: We Are Jordyn’s Village RaKeesha and Andrew Pelt first came to know Arms Wide through RaKeesha’s sorority sister, who had a good experience with the agency. After much prayer and thought, they decided adoption was best for growing their family, so they adopted Cameron in 2020. But their journey did

It Takes a Village Feature: Tamesha Brown, L.O.V.E.D Foundation It takes a village to create change in child welfare. That’s why Arms Wide created It Takes a Village, which aims to improve outcomes for Black children in foster care. Black children make up 47% of children in foster care in Greater Houston but represent only

Kinship caregivers represent 39% of care for children placed in the foster care system, and they play a vital role in a child’s wellbeing. September is National Kinship Care Month, so we put together a list of 5 Things to Know about Kinship Care. #1: Kinship Care is when a relative or close friend is

Danielle Smith, a recent graduate from Prairie View A&M University, dreams of transforming lives of children by improving the child welfare system. After being adopted at the age of 4 through Arms Wide Adoption Services (then Spaulding for Children), she found herself with an adoptive family who loved her unconditionally and pushed her to be

If you make money in the stock market, you’re probably familiar with paying Capital Gain Tax (CGT) to the IRS. Arms Wide Adoption Services has recently partnered with DonateStock to give our supporters an option that will help you save on capital gains tax while making a lasting impact on the children we serve. In

Black children are overrepresented in child welfare, and it’s a systemic issue. For instance, in Harris County, Black children make up 18% of the child population and 47% of children who enter foster care. Compare this to white children: they make up 22% of the child population and only 16% of the children who are

May is National Foster Care Month, so it’s a perfect time to shed some light on some of the key current needs. One of the biggest needs right now is supportive, loving families for teenagers. Many people don’t know that teenagers in foster care face severe challenges the day they turn 18. In Texas, over