Overview
|
|
||
The Child & Family Programs division of Arrow Child & Family Ministries will seek, develop, implement and operate various disciplines of social service programming in order to serve vulnerable children and families in various communities across the United States and abroad.
Arrow is excited to announce the addition of our new office and program in Amarillo, Texas through the acquisition of the Panhandle Assessment Center. The assessment center provides a 24-hour, seven days-a-week emergency shelter and foster care placement for abused or abandoned children in Child Protective Services (CPS) custody. It was the first emergency shelter of its kind to be licensed in the Texas Panhandle (March 1990).
Currently the shelter serves 30 children, 15 boys and 15 girls. This new Arrow office will also serve as a child placing agency for Amarillo and Lubbock and currently serves approximately 60 children and 20 families. When a child enters the shelter, a complete evaluation is made during their 30 to 90 day stay that may include, but is not limited to: a psychological evaluation, a psychiatric evaluation, educational testing, and eye and dental screening. A treatment plan is then developed to best meet the needs of the child and assist with future placement.
Keith Howard, from Arrow's Waco office, will begin his new role as Director of the Panhandle Assessment Center at the beginning of September. Keith will also be responsible for building local community and church partnerships, as well as overseeing shelter operations and foster care/adoption services in the Panhandle region.
Scott Lundy, President of Texas Programs, met PAC's Executive Director, Anne Freimel, about a year ago at a judicial summit in Fort Worth. Scott realized Arrow and PAC shared the same mission of serving children in need and Arrow had the resources to expand PAC's services in the Panhandle to help even more children and families. After several meetings and understanding the additional impact Arrow could bring to the region, including the adoption of children in foster care, the decision was made to complete the acquisition.
Anne Freimel will continue assisting with the transition of leadership and then take on the role of developing special projects and conducting research for Arrow. PAC has a great staff already in place at the shelter and in foster care and we welcome them, and all of PAC's foster/adopt families to Arrow Child & Family Ministries as we join together in helping kids and strengthening families throughout the Texas Panhandle.
