Our Vision
Amara envisions a just and equitable world where all children, youth, and families experiencing, or at-risk of experiencing, involvement with the child welfare system have equal and plentiful opportunities to grow and thrive.
Our Mission
Amara serves the evolving needs of children, youth, and families impacted by the child welfare system. Centering equity, we advocate for system change and bridge gaps by providing compassionate wrap-around resources, while helping to reduce trauma and bring healing. Our work helps maintain family and community connections while preventing child welfare involvement when possible.
Are you foster curious? Learn about fostering with us!
Our Path Forward
We’ve charted a path forward in our new strategic plan. You can review it here.
Our Board of Directors
Our History
Since 1921, Amara has been devoted to meeting the needs of children and families in the Puget Sound region. Amara began as the Medina Baby Home, an orphanage, and over the decades has evolved as a compassionate organization seeking to fill gaps in child welfare by taking risks and breaking down systemic barriers to provide respectful, affirming care and support to all children and families in the foster care system, and those at risk of entering it.
In the 1940s, 50s, and 60s we pioneered efforts to find foster families for sibling groups and older children. In the 1970s, we partnered with the Department of Health and Seattle Public Schools to provide comprehensive school-based services to pregnant teens and teen mothers and we continue to partner with child welfare organizations to bring about child-centered court reform throughout Washington State.
We were one of the first organizations in the country to coordinate transracial adoptions (placing a child of one race or ethnicity with adoptive parents of another race or ethnicity) and prioritize training and support for foster parents and adoptive parents to nurture a child’s cultural and racial identity different from their own.
We are also one of the first child welfare organizations in the country to work with LGBTQIA+ couples and individuals, and single parents. We are honored to have been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign’s All Children – All Families program every year since 2013. In 2019, we received their highest tier of recognition: Innovative Inclusion. All Children – All Families promotes LGBTQ-inclusive policies and affirming practices among child welfare agencies. We are proud to be considered among HRC’s agencies that lead the field with innovative approaches to inclusion.
And in 2018, we purchased 29 acres of land in Pierce County with a vision to launch a new community-based project designed to co-locate programs and services for kids and families impacted by, or at risk of entering, foster care. The vision for the project is based on recommendations from an extensive community engagement process led by people most impacted by foster care and people of color.
In 2021 and beyond, Amara will continue to expand our programs and services that strengthen the wellbeing of children, families and communities. Through growing programs to support kinship care, family reunification, and nurturing continued connection to birth families and community, Amara continues to center innovative practices that influence and shape the field through informed practice and policy influence to ensure that all children, adults and families have what they need to grow and thrive.
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