Northwest Adoption Exchange

Did you know? Most kinship care arrangements in Washington state are informal, meaning these arrangements have been made outside of the child welfare system. Informal kinship care is much more prevalent and often helps place youth with family who might otherwise enter foster care.

Are you raising a child of another family member or a family friend in Washington state? You might benefit from speaking with a kinship navigator! Kinship navigators can help you access community resources and support services. You can utilize the following link to search and find the kinship navigator or resource person for your area: https://www.dshs.wa.gov/altsa/kinship-care-support-services

The term kinship care is used to to refer to the full-time care of a child by relatives and suitable others. "Suitable others" refers to unrelated kin or close family friends. While often provided by grandparents, kinship care includes many other relationships, such as adult siblings, "bonus" aunties and uncles, neighbors, and more. (DCYF)

September is for celebrating kinship care! In honor of national kinship care month, we want to shout out and thank all the kinship caregivers for their commitment to providing for and caring for our youth in out-of-home care.

Approaching parenting with a trauma-informed lens is especially important for teens in foster care. Understanding the impacts of the child welfare system on teens can help you provide the support and security that teens need.

The teenage years are when kids are figuring out who they are. Talking to teens in open and affirming ways, celebrating their identities, and providing a space to have open, honest conversations will help them as they continue to grow into who they are.

Parenting a teen from foster care is a rewarding experience—changing both your life and theirs forever. Teens are learning, growing, developing, and working toward becoming adults themselves.

Callie is a headstrong teen with her eyes set on the future! If you ask her, she’ll tell you all about her future goals to become a criminal justice lawyer. She’s even done tons of research, talked to attorneys, and offered to volunteer at a law office! It's fair to say Callie is dedicated and has a strong sense of justice. Learn more about this awesome teen by checking out her In-Depth Profile here: https://www.nwae.org/profiles/1684

Youth living in foster care often don’t know the extent of their rights. This is compounded by a sense of powerlessness as they are moved from home to home and decisions get made by adults. For LGBTQ+ youth, it can be particularly empowering to read that their gender, orientation, identity, and pronouns are all protected in Washington State. They have the right to be themselves, be safe, and be treated with fairness and dignity. These laws also require caregivers to support and affirm them. It’s always a good idea to remind youth of these rights, and confirm your commitment to supporting them, no matter what.

For families and caregivers who have or are open to caring for an LGBTQ+ youth, and for caregivers who are LGBTQ+ themselves, the Alliance offers a few different trainings that address all sorts of things! From learning terminology like SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identify and expression), to learning tools to navigate common issues faced by LGBTQ+ caregivers, you can utilize these trainings to learn and build community to better support youth in foster care. For more information and to register: https://alliancecares.org/support-groups/

Happy Pride Month, from NWAE! It is integral that we ensure every youth in foster care is placed with caregivers who will accept and support them for exactly who they are. In Terry Scraggin’s article “For LGBTQ Youth in Foster Care, Finding Family is Hard,” he shares some of his experience being an LGBTQ+ youth in foster care experiencing less-than-accepting homes. An accepting and affirming home makes all the difference. Check out the rest of his article, here: https://imprintnews.org/opinion/for-lgbtq-youth-in-foster-care-finding-home-is-hard/32813

Hey, Washington foster and kinship families! Did you know there are all sorts of opportunities for having fun as a family? Washington State Parks, the Seattle Aquarium, the Woodland Park Zoo, and the Pacific Science Center all offer foster and kinship families a chance to visit at either a discounted rate, or totally free of charge! Be sure to check out these four pass programs, as well as other community resources for foster and kinship families here: https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/services/foster-parenting/support-resources

Are you ready to become a foster parent? When you become a foster parent, you provide children and youth a safe, loving, temporary home. Are you ready to become a foster parent? Whether you’re ready to jump right in, or you’re still exploring the possibilities, you can learn all about the process of becoming licensed, and ask any questions you might have, by calling 888-KIDS-414 to speak with someone about the licensing process. Check out this link to learn more about how to become a foster parent in Washington state: https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/services/foster-parenting/become-a-foster-parent/licensing-process.

We will be hanging out this Saturday, May 12, at the Seattle Mariners' annual We Are Family Day celebration, a fun-filled day of baseball, featuring a pre-game resource fair on the Rooftop Boardwalk (near Section 330). Come by and say hi to us!

May is National Foster Care Month! This month we want to recognize the important role that people from all parts of child welfare play in supporting children, youth, and families. This year, join us as we raise awareness about this year’s theme: “Engaging Youth. Building Supports. Strengthening Opportunities.” (Children's Bureau).

Tyson is a show-stopper on and off the field! There's no sport he isn't willing to try. He got his start in baseball after tuning into a Mariner's game, and is now on the road to becoming a pro! Learn more about Tyson and his drive to learn new things here: https://www.nwae.org/profiles/581

March is ! This month, we want to celebrate by giving our appreciation to the many members of a youth's team. From caseworkers to courtesy workers, advocates to caregivers, there are a lot of people who make a difference in the lives of the youth we work with. We believe in ! 🌟

One of our youth engagement specialists, Ginger, shares her thoughts on why including youth in the permanency planning process is important.