“Relationships are what change people.” Shrounda Selivanoff, a parent and kinship caregiver who also is the Director of Public Policy at the Children’s Home Society of Washington shared this important truth as a panelist at our Speaking of Change conversation on “How Parent and Caregiver Partnerships Can Help Children Thrive.” Amara’s Speaking of Change
Category: Blog
Kin Connections to Serve Kinship Families in King and Pierce Counties
One of the new programs Amara is launching this fall will directly help kinship families in our King and Pierce county communities. Kin Connections will help kinship caregivers connect to the resources and supports they need to parent relative children, many of whom often arrive in their caregivers’ homes with little notice. To help ease
Lived Experience Advice for Foster Caregivers During Back-to-School Season
It’s exhausting being a teen in foster care. That exhaustion increases during the first few weeks of school. It’s important for foster caregivers to understand this and provide the teens and tweens in their care with plenty of “space and grace” as they navigate all the stresses of back-to-school, according to Korah Loyd, who spent
Washington Will No Longer Pursue Parents of Kids in Foster Care for Child Support
The state of Washington will no longer attempt to collect child support payments from parents whose children have been placed in licensed out-of-home care. The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families ended this practice as of September 1, 2022. A recent study found that referring parents to child support collection lengthened the time
Amara in Community – South Seattle
When community cares for one another, incredible things happen. Our first Community Resource Giveaway event helped dozens of families get the supplies they need for back-to-school and beyond. An additional 200 families got much-needed supplies like diapers and books, thanks to another nonprofit that attended ours to gather items for them. It was wonderful to
New State Settlement Proposed in Class-Action Foster Care Lawsuit
Youth in foster care and foster caregivers in Washington have an opportunity to comment on a proposed settlement agreement in a class-action lawsuit involving certain youth in foster care and Disability Rights Washington (DRW), and the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). The lawsuit was filed to end multiple one-night foster stays and group
State Begins Child-Specific Licensing for Kinship Caregivers
The state is taking steps to make it easier for extended family and close family friends to receive monthly foster care payments when they care for children in foster care who cannot live with their parents. This kind of caregiving is called kinship care. It is often preferred for kids in foster care because these
Reunification Events Celebrate Families
“We’re here to honor your persistence and your triumph,” said King County Superior Court Judge Marshall Ferguson at King County’s Reunification Celebration July 22, 2022. Celebrating family reunifications is one of the highlights of our work with kids and families involved in the foster care system. Recently we participated in both King County’s and Pierce
When Meeting the Needs of Kids and Families Means Changing Course: Closing Our Emergency Sanctuary Program
Amara will forever be grateful for the love and support of our King and Pierce county communities in running our Emergency Sanctuaries that gave kids entering foster care a gentle landing. We have no doubt that for the kids that passed through the Sanctuaries, we made those first couple of days in foster care a