Amara received a generous multi-year grant totaling $2 million from the Ballmer Group earlier this year. This grant is supporting Amara’s mission to help children and families most impacted by Washington’s child welfare system. Together, Amara and the Ballmer Group intend to help transform the child welfare system in ways that reduce systemic injustice and
Category: Community
Amara Partner Works to Expand Free & Discounted Services for Kids in Foster/Kinship Care
Local barber and Amara partner Tommy Andrade, and his partner Jeff Chou, have been reaching out to service providers to build a network of supporters who provide free and discounted services to kids in foster and kinship care. Friends of Southpaw invites other service providers to join them in making it a little easier for
Amara Celebrates Pride in King and Pierce County
Happy Pride! Our community of foster parents, kinship caregivers, staff, and volunteers would not be complete without the expansive love, care, and personhood of our LGBTQIA+ families. One of these Amara families shares, “Pride is something we try to engrain in all the kids who stay with us. Pride in the awesome humans they are…
Amara in Community – Our Pierce County Family Resource Center Open House
Great things big and small happen when communities come together to support kids and families. Last week, Amara hosted our first Open House for our Family Resource Center in Pierce County. The Open House brought together local nonprofit organizations dedicated to serving kids and families for an afternoon of connecting with folks at our Tacoma
A Big Day for Amara’s Family Connections Program
Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed HB 1204, better known as the “Implementing the Family Connections Program” bill, into law April 20, 2023. This means that Amara’s Family Connections Program is now a permanent program, serving parents and caregivers involved in the child welfare system. Several Amara staff testified in support of this important bill, including
Speaking of Change in Foster Care and Adoption Series
We’re peeling back the curtain on foster care and adoption! Join us on March 30th from 12:00-1:00pm as we take a deep dive into what our foster care program actually does for kids and families, what makes Amara’s approach unique, and what we’ve learned as we’ve transformed our approach over the past decade.
Local Barber Making a Big Difference for Kids in Foster Care
Tommy Andrade’s mantra is: “If you want to make an impact, you don’t have to change the whole world. You can plant a seed in your own community.” For him, this means supporting kids and families in foster care. Tommy is a barber and will offer free haircuts to kids in foster and kinship care
Amara Presents to Pierce County Council Human Services Committee
We love being in community and sharing about our work for kids and families. Nicole Mazen, Amara’s Chief Program and Policy Officer, and Julie Hoffman, our Pierce County Early Childhood Court Program Coordinator, recently presented about our programs and impact in Pierce County to the Human Services Committee at the Pierce County Council. Amara and
Amara Opens New Family Resource Center
Essential concrete goods and helpful information about local resources can be difficult for families to find. Last week Amara opened our new Family Resource Center in our Tacoma office. On our first day we provided groceries for a family and provided housing resources to help keep another family in their home. By providing families with