Adoptive Family Support Services - Amara

Adoptive Family Support Services

Facilitating Openness for Post-Adoptive Families

We believe openness can be imagined as a lifestyle that may have its ups and downs as all family relationships will. Amara provides adoptive and birth families with support, guidance and resources to navigate the complex relationships and general post-adoption adjustment needs.

What is Openness in Adoption?

This animated short provides an easy-to-understand explanation of the Inclusive Family Support Model (IFSM), the country’s first practice model specifically designed to support adoptive families in creating more open relationships with their children’s biological families. Learn more by watching this short video.

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Where Do I Go From Here?

Adoption Openness Assessment

Every adoptive family falls within one of the openness assessment areas: Inclusive, Spirit of Openness, Mediated or Closed. Find out where you fall and gain resources to support you along your journey by completing the Adoption Openness Assessment.

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Open Adoption Agreement Support

Post-adoption contact is often legally established through a written agreement often called an Open Adoption Agreement. If you need support, please reach out to us. 

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STAR Adoptive Parent Group

This journey can feel difficult and isolating at times. Join the STAR Adoptive Parent Group to expand your understanding of the connection between openness and adoptee well-being. 

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IFSM Academic Paper

The Inclusive Family Support Model was created by Amara’s former Post-Adoption Director, Angela Tucker, and University of Washington Tacoma Assistant Professor, JaeRan KimCheck out the full academic paper published in Child and Family Social Work.

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Creating a Blueprint for Openness in Adoption

We received a $250,000 grant from King County Best Starts for Kids to test and evaluate our Inclusive Family Support Model (IFSM), the country’s first practice model specifically designed to support adoptive families in creating more open relationships with their children’s biological families.

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The Inclusive Family Support Model was published in a major academic journal!

Three theoretical perspectives guide the development and implementation of the Inclusive Family Support Model. Family Systems Theory and the Ambiguous Loss framework provide the foundation, and the Transtheoretical Model of Change frames our approach to guiding discussions around openness.

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