How SAM's web-based Family Portal was a "game changer" for Nightlight Christian Adoptions
Nightlight Christian Adoptions
Nightlight Christian Adoptions is a Hague-accredited organization that serves adoptive families, foster families, and birth families, facilitating:
International and domestic adoptions
Adoptions from foster care
Adoptions from dissolution
Embryo adoptions
Foster care programs
And more
The organization was founded in 1959 and has continued to grow over the years. They now have 12 offices in 10 states and work in over 20 countries. They are proud to provide many paths to parenthood and see themselves as “lighting the path home for children in need.”
The Challenge
As Nightlight has merged with other agencies over the years, it needed a way for each office to be on the same page. Using a single software solution that would work for everyone was key.
Back in 2012, Nightlight wasn’t using any kind of software program. Everything was on paper or in spreadsheets, which was not the most efficient way to work. When they acquired an agency that was using a different software and saw how that could simplify the load, they knew they needed a company-wide solution. So the hunt began!
The Solution
Lisa Prather, who is now a SAM administrator for Nightlight Christian Adoptions, was on the research team tasked with finding the perfect software solution for the organization. They chose SAM from InReach Solutions because it had better customization options and was much more intuitive than other programs they considered.
Other SAM features they now can’t live without include:
Ability To Include Email Communication: Having emails automatically included in files saves so much time when searching for specific communications for reporting, etc.
Reporting: They love being able to pull any data/statistics and put them into an easy-to-read format.
Family Portal: Lisa says this feature was the biggest game changer for their organization. Families being able to upload checklist items and digitally sign documents has made things so much more efficient, and they couldn’t live without it now. Caseworkers love being able to see exactly what the family sees so everyone can be on the same page.
Access for Licensing Organizations: Instead of Nightlight having to submit huge piles of paperwork for accreditation, licensing administrators can receive their own log-ins to SAM and find everything they need.
Provides a System of Checks and Balances: Task lists and auto actions help remind caseworkers when things need to be done. Managers can easily check on progress. If an audit occurs, there are no surprises because Nightlight employees already know if something wasn’t completed.
Support/Ticketing: Responses always come quickly, and InReach Solutions is super helpful and willing to do what needs to be done. If the response doesn’t seem to line up with exactly what the organization needs, someone is available to help figure it out. Nightlight has asked InReach Solutions to develop customized features they need, and the project is always completed as quickly as possible.
The Results
Lisa reports that by using InReach Solution’s adoption agency and foster care software, Nightlight caseworkers have been able to maintain their caseload sizes even with all the added adoption regulations that have been implemented over the years. Without SAM, they would have had to hire many more employees to manage the new compliance terms. She says they feel blessed to have SAM. Because it makes things so much more efficient, it eases the burdens that come with non-digital recordkeeping and allows everyone to get a lot more work done.
As Nightlight has grown over the years by bringing other adoption agencies into the fold, it has been easy to merge databases with those who were already using SAM. Those who weren’t using the software have found SAM easy to implement.
