Most kids go back home to their parents after being in foster or kinship care. Until then, we want to help make sure you and your kids feel safe and supported. Amara offers several voluntary programs and opportunities to help reduce the trauma families experience in the foster care system.
When caregivers and parents form supportive partnerships, everyone involved in a child welfare case experiences less trauma. Michaela’s daughters were placed with Devon and James during a really difficult point in her life. Having an ongoing, supportive relationship with Devon and James has been blessing, according to Michaela, who worked tirelessly to get her kids back home. Years after the girls went home with Michaela, this unique, extended family still sees each other. “They’re present – they’re not gone. And I think that’s amazing. I met these great people, and they didn’t walk out of my life,” said Michaela.
Having a relationship with your child’s foster or kinship caregiver(s), along with a circle of caring friends, can help reduce the stress many children and families experience in the foster care system. Amara’s Families Building Community Program offers parents, caregivers, and extended family members the opportunity to meet and build relationships of mutual respect and support. The program is free and voluntary for everyone.
Learn more about Families Building CommunityParents involved with the foster care system are invited to join us at our free Parents United events. These fun events are for parents who have experienced child welfare, facilitated by parents who have experienced child welfare. They offer parents the opportunity to build their own communities of support. Some of our past events include dinner and a drive-in movie and a cooking class.
Amara’s Family Support Services provide free peer support and resource navigation for families in Pierce County. Our mission is to promote the safety and well-being of children and families through trusting and collaborative partnerships between parents and peer navigators/certified peer counselors who have lived experience, offering personalized, affirming support, encouragement, and connections to resources to help families stabilize.
Amara partners with Pierce County Juvenile Court to make sure young children ages 0 – 5 are healthy and stay connected to you while in foster care. Early Childhood Court provides regular community team meetings, makes sure you have the same judge and social worker for all hearings, and meets more frequently to support you.
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The Washington State Parent Ally Committee (WSPAC) is a group of parent allies who have successfully gone through the child welfare system. They work together to improve the child welfare system. WSPAC fights to keep families together through public policy and leading trainings at organizations across the state.
Learn more about WSPACStop by our Family Resource Center in Tacoma for food, baby diapers and other essentials, and individual help in finding local sources of support. You can also find a detailed list of resources online, including free help finding child care, housing assistance, and more.
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