“I wish this program was around when I started fostering!” This is just one sentiment Danielle Hammond, Amara’s Child Screening and Family Support Specialist for Amara hears when she connects with caregivers. Read more about the impactful work Danielle does to support development of youth in foster care.
Category: Foster Care
A New Law Helps Kids in Foster Care Stay Connected to Their Families
We are thrilled that the Washington State legislature passed the “Strengthening parent-child visitation during child welfare proceedings” bill (HB 1194) that officially went into effect on July 25, 2021.
Voices of Foster Care: James & Devon Abejo
Devon and James began their foster care journey with the intention of adopting a baby. But something happened along the way: the couple fell in love with foster care and quickly realized the tremendous impact they could have on children and families as foster parents.
Kinship Care Can Help Transform The Child Welfare System
Trey Rabun, Amara’s Associate Director of Kinship and Community Services, writes about his professional and personal journey which led him to centering kinship care. He asks the question, “Why weren’t we truly prioritizing these families as placement options and then supporting them at the same level as foster parents?” Read more about why supporting kinship caregivers can transform the child welfare system and how Amara is shifting to meet this need.
Pierce County had the first baby court in the state. Now it’s starting elsewhere
We are proud of our partnership with Pierce County Juvenile Court to provide the Best for Babies program, an innovative, court-based program in Pierce County designed to ensure that infants and toddlers entering foster care receive support and services to promote secure attachment, safety, well-being, and an environment that supports early brain development with the goal to reunify families. It’s exciting to see new solutions to child welfare expanding across our state!
Let’s Talk About The Home Study Process
Becoming a foster parent with Amara involves going through our home study process. In this episode of the Amara Podcast, we’ll talk more in depth about what that actually means. We’ll start by exploring why a home study is even needed. Why does the state need so much information about me and my family to become foster parents? What is the point of this long process? We’ll also talk about the various components of the home study, including the types of information gathered and the topics you can expect to encounter during a home study process. Finally, we’ll explain how Amara’s home study process works and the steps to complete it through our agency.
Kinship Care: Quiet Space with Bold Opportunities
Thank you to Institute for Family for highlighting the experience of two Amara families; most recently shared in our video Family Connections: King’s Story. The post below is reposted in part from Institute for Family’s blog. The term “kinship care” describes an experience familiar to 2.7 million families in the United States when relatives step up to raise children
It’s (Amara’s) Award Season!
Each year, Amara honors people who make a positive impact on the foster care system, with two special awards. We are thrilled to share our 2020 recipients!
Family Connections: Yuvia’s Story
By the time Yuvia came to stay with Yvette she had already been in multiple foster homes. But this was different. Yuvia’s mother, Dezaray, and foster parent Yvette developed a support system with and for each other in order to be there for Yuvia. Like Yuvia says, “When we’re all here together, I think: family,
