Stories and News

Please join us in welcoming Scarlett Aldebot-Green as she embarks on her first weeks as Amara's Chief Executive Officer! Scarlett shares some of her thoughts about Amara in our 100th year, child welfare and family wellbeing, and her role as a mother and an advocate.

“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.

We’ve partnered with Alliance CaRES (a program of the University of Washington’s Alliance For Child Welfare Excellence) to provide support to caregivers across the state of Washington who identify as LGBTQIA+, are caring for a youth who identifies as LGBTQIA+, or are caring for a relative or someone they had a close relationship with before

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.

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.

The Board of Directors of Amara is pleased to announce the selection of Scarlett Aldebot-Green as its new Chief Executive Officer. Scarlett comes to Amara with extensive experience in nonprofit and government leadership. Scarlett’s official first day at Amara will be Monday, August 9, 2021. Until then, Jason Gortney will remain as Interim CEO.

We're peeling back the curtain on foster care and adoption! Join us on June 7th from 4:00-5:00pm for a critical conversation with key community members about how supporting kinship caregivers (typically relatives) is best for children and families experiencing foster care and a necessary step towards racial equity within child welfare.

Thanks to the South Seattle Emerald for reprinting Trey Rabun’s excellent post, “Kinship Care Can Help Transform the Child Welfare System.”  You can read it on their site or on our blog. 

Amara mourns the death of Ma’Khia Bryant, a 16-year-old girl in foster care, who was tragically killed by a police officer in Ohio this month. We are devastated and share in the collective grief of a nation over this senseless loss of life.