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
News Type: Amara Blog

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

Kin Connections Can Provide a New Circle of Support
Sometimes even simple things, like finding baby essentials, can become overwhelming and complicated for a parent or caregiver. Suppose you need diapers for a rambunctious toddler, but you have no transportation, no local family or friends who can pick some up, and the diaper bank you turn to for help only carries brands that the

Jeremy’s Journey of Growth
Oftentimes, children impacted by foster care struggle to cope with the trauma that comes from being separated from their families. For these kids, their entire life has been turned upside down, leaving them feeling stressed and anxious. Almost immediately, they must adapt to living in a house that smells different, eating food that tastes unusual,

Lilianna’s Story
At Amara, our foster caregivers and caseworkers go the extra mile for kids and families involved in the child welfare system. They not only navigate multiple foster journeys, they blaze new paths forward in connection and healing. One of our foster families is on the road to reunification for a child in their care for

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.

When Inspiration Calls – A TAFI Story
We are grateful for the incredible and selfless dedication of all our volunteers. Those who have been working on The Adoption Files Initiative (TAFI) have spent thousands of hours reviewing hundreds of decades-old adoption files from many years ago when many adoptions were secretive. Our volunteers’ work, along with the dedication of Amara staff members,

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

Amara Launches Parent FOCUS Program
This week, in partnership with the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families, Amara launches a new program to strengthen families in the Aberdeen and Spokane areas and help prevent the need for foster care. Our Parent FOCUS (Family Outreach, Connections, and Unconditional Support) program supports families who have been referred by the state for