Kinship Caregivers

You step in to care for your kin. We step in to support you.  

You love your family, friends, and community and want to care for them through difficult times. Working with the child welfare system can be confusing with restricted resources that you may not know you have the right to access. Through every joy and challenge along the journey, Amara is here to support you so you can support your kin.  

Has someone close to you been separated from their parents or their child by the state? 

Amara CaRES Kinship program (in partnership with the Alliance’s CaRES program) provides support to kinship families across the state who are caring for kids who have entered the foster care system. Entering the foster care system means that the state has made the decision that your kin are not safe being cared for by their parents and are working with you to temporarily care for them.  

Here’s how we can help: 

• Basic support – We provide info about resources in the community around housing, childcare, mental health, and other related issues. We can also help families find and apply for financial resources like non-needy TANF and concrete goods. 
• Assistance with the licensing process – We help kinship caregivers complete the foster license application, determine which agency to go through for licensing, and help them sign up for Caregiver Core Training (CCT) which is required for all families who want to become a licensed home. 
• Support Groups – There are groups across the state that provide local geographically diverse groups for kinship caregivers. For a list of support groups that welcome all kinship caregivers, regardless of whether or not the state is involved with your caregiving, visit the DSHS kinship support services webpage.
• Support for LGBTQIA+ Foster or Kinship Caregivers – We provide tailored, one-on-one support for LGBTQIA+ caregivers across the state when facing unique challenges or barriers related to their SOGIE (Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity and Expression). Contact LGBTQCaRES@amarafamily.org for assistance.
• Support for Foster or Kinship Caregivers Supporting LGBTQIA+ Youth  – We provide tailored, one-on-one support for any caregivers having challenges related to caring for a LGBTQIA+ youth in their home. Contact LGBTQCaRES@amarafamily.org for assistance.

Meet our team! Read this Amara blog post to learn more about Trey, Brittney, and Cristina. For more information about our kinship services, email us at KinshipCaRES@amarafamily.org.  

Are you caring for the child of a relative or close family friend without the state’s involvement? 

There is a dedicated support person in your county called a Kinship Navigator who can help you access resources and support groups in your community. Search online to find your local Kinship Navigator and get their contact information.  

You can also visit the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services kinship webpage to find resources to help you with health care, legal issues, financial assistance, and other needs.