Kailey Horne, M.A.

Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter

As a Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter at Arms Wide, Kailey Horne, M.A., works with youth to identify and build permanent family connections. Using a child-focused approach, she explores each child’s existing social network, including family members, friends, and other meaning connections, to identify potential permanent families.

Why I started with Arms Wide:

I have always been drawn to work that allows me to advocate for others and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. My background in psychology and sociology has also given me a passion for understanding how families, relationships, and larger social systems shape personal experiences. When I learned about the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, I was drawn to the idea of looking within a child’s own history and social networks to find people who may already have a connection with them.

My favorite part about my job:

I really enjoy the investigative side of my role­­ – piecing together a child’s history, finding connections that may have been lost over the years, and reaching out to people who may have been meaningful in their life.

My least favorite part:

The Houston commute! I love what I do, but Houston traffic can test my patience at times.

More about me:

Outside of work, I’m a mom and cat lover. Between my son and two cats, I stay quite entertained and busy. In my free time, I enjoy cross-stitching, fantasy, documentaries, video games, and learning new things. Whether it’s getting lost in a fantasy world or going down a true crime rabbit hole, I’m almost always wrapped up in something.

Ask me about:

What I’m currently cross-stitching, my favorite fantasy worlds, the latest documentary I’ve watched, or my cats!