Amara

During July, we celebrate Disability Pride Month. Often the voices of those with disabilities are overshadowed by negative stigmas and stereotypes, and this month is a reminder to listen to the stories of struggle and hardships as well as the joys and successes of the community. Just because July is Disability Pride Month doesn't mean we should only listen this month. People with disabilities should be heard every month. At Amara, we are grateful for caregivers, advocates and social workers with disabilities who are dedicated to the success of children and families experiencing the child welfare system, as well as those supporting children with disabilities. Let’s remember to accept and take pride in each other's differences and treat people with kindness, respect, and equity.

Les ofrecemos yoga y café los jueves de 12:00 - 1:30 en nuestra oficina de Tacoma, 3501 104th St. E. Estas clases son para todos los tipos de cuerpos y habilidades, no es necesaria la experiencia previa. Practicaremos técnicas de respiración y relajación, calentamiento, y una secuencia de posturas de yoga. Cuidado de niños disponible. Después de clase conviviremos con un cafecito o té. Este será un ratito para conocer a otras familias en un ambiente amable y amistoso.

Parents - join us for yoga and coffee Thursday afternoons from 12:00 pm - 1:30 at our Tacoma office at 3501 104th St. E. These free classes are for all bodies and ability levels - no experience needed. We’ll practice breathwork and relaxation techniques, warm up, and move through a sequence of yoga poses. Childcare provided. After class, we can share coffee and spend time together. This informal hangout is an opportunity to connect with other parents in a supportive and nurturing community.

Sharing from the wonderful people at Alliance CaRES and the The Wishing Well Foundation (WA):
"Our partners at The Wishing Well are hosting another free fun-filled day for relative/adoptive/kinship/foster families. Bring the family and head out to Old McDebbie’s Farm in Spanaway anytime between 10m-5pm on Saturday, July 13th. Both the admission fee and lunch are joyously provided by The Wishing Well.
Rachael and Luanne with Alliance CaRES will also be at the farm with other community service organizations bringing even more fun for the kids and connection to resources for the adults.
Please direct questions and your RSVP to Leslie at: [email protected] 4924 268th St. E., Spanaway"

Our partners at The Wishing Well are hosting another free fun-filled day for relative/adoptive/kinship/foster families. Bring the family and head out to Old McDebbie’s Farm in Spanaway anytime between 10m-5pm on Saturday, July 13th. Both the admission fee and lunch are joyously provided by The Wishing Well.

Rachael and Luanne with Alliance CaRES will also be at the farm with other community service organizations bringing even more fun for the kids and connection to resources for the adults.

Please direct questions and your RSVP to Leslie at: [email protected] 4924 268th St. E., Spanaway

July is BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month. Together, let’s center the unique mental health challenges faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. It's time to raise awareness, break down stigmas, and promote equity in mental health care.
Mental health is a journey. We must make it more inclusive and supportive for everyone.

We’re looking for new Amara Ambassador Board members to help champion our work in the communities we serve. Our Ambassadors play a key role in expanding our network of supporters by sharing about our mission and inviting people to attend fundraising and community events. If you consider yourself to be a champion for kids and families experiencing the child welfare system and you’d like to gain board experience while joining with others who share your passion, please attend our summer kickoff and information session July 17 from 6 – 7:30 pm on our Seattle campus at 5907 MLK Jr. Way S.
https://amarafamily.org/join-our-ambassador-board/

Reunification after foster care is never easy, but the Pierce County Early Childhood Court, a partnership between Pierce County Juvenile Court and Amara, can help Pierce County families get there.

Wrapping Around Ruby* - Amara Pierce County Early Childhood Court can help families reunify

Middle-schoolers who have experienced foster and/or kinship care or who are adopted are invited to join us for a free artistic design experience with the Seattle Art Museum’s Design Your Neighborhood program this August. These workshops will combine learning about art and design and creating art. Together we will beautify Amara’s new youth center in Seattle. All students will earn a stipend too! The workshops will be held on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays over four weeks in August from 10 am – 3 pm. Lunch will be provided. Please see full details and register at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=I0-5AT_wlkC3wgMnC5SwEVYbDjvx0mhGjBcqkY97daRUNTJBS0tSSzFZN0NYSEs3NEFLNFZMUUVTWC4u

Los estudiantes de secundaria que hayan experimentado cuidado de crianza y/o cuidado por familiares o que sean adoptados están invitados a unirse a nosotros para una experiencia de diseño artístico gratuita con el programa Design Your Neighborhood del Museo de Arte de Seattle este agosto. Estos talleres combinarán el aprendizaje sobre arte y diseño y la creación de arte. Juntos embelleceremos el nuevo centro juvenil de Amara en Seattle. Todos los estudiantes también obtendrán un estipendio. Los talleres se llevarán a cabo los lunes, jueves y viernes durante cuatro semanas en agosto de 10 am a 3 pm. Se proporcionará almuerzo. Por favor vea todos los detalles y regístrese en https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=I0-5AT_wlkC3wgMnC5SwEVYbDjvx0mhGjBcqkY97daRUNTJBS0tSSzFZN0NYSEs3NEFLNFZMUUVTWC4u

Calling people with lived experience in foster/kinship care! Do you wish more people knew what it’s like to experience the child welfare system? We have a great opportunity to help you do that! We’re creating a traveling photo exhibit, Through the Foster Lens, to share photos taken by people with lived experience. Photos can represent:

-Something about your foster care experience
-What you wish your foster care experience had been
-What you hope for the future of children and families involved in foster care

Through the Foster Lens will create a space for anyone with lived experience to share their thoughts and hopes to deepen our broader community’s connection and commitment to Amara’s work.
This event will also serve as a fundraiser for Amara, as guests will be invited to donate to support our work with kids and families. Please submit your photo by 11:59pm on Sunday, August 4th, 2024. Visit us online for full details and to submit a photo: https://amarafamily.org/photoexhibits/

Looking for a free opportunity for local youth to find connection and build community in a safe space in Tacoma? Amara’s youth program offers a free drop-in center on Tuesdays and Wednesdays 12:30 – 5:30 pm for youth ages 13 - 18 at our Family Resource Center in Midland. Our drop-in center offers a variety of fun activities, like arts & crafts, video games, basketball and more, plus we’ll have pop-ups for special activities, like a drum circle with Tacoma Youth Symphany. Or youth can simply hang-out with free wifi & snacks! Youth can also get help with college & job applications, scholarships forms and resumes. Our drop-in center is staffed by our supportive Youth Development Specialists.
¿Buscando en una oportunidad gratuita para que los jóvenes locales encuentren conexiones y construyan una comunidad en un espacio seguro? El programa STAR Youth de Amara ofrece un centro gratuito los miércoles después de la escuela de 2:30 a 5:30 p. m. para jóvenes de 13 a 18 años en nuestro Centro de recursos familiares en Midland, Tacoma. ESTRELLA (compatible,
Próspero, auténtico y resiliente) El centro de acogida para jóvenes ofrece una variedad de actividades divertidas, como artes y manualidades, videojuegos, baloncesto y más, o los jóvenes pueden simplemente pasar el rato y hacer la tarea: ¡wifi gratis! También pueden obtener ayuda con solicitudes universitarias y laborales, formularios de becas y currículums. El centro de acogida cuenta con nuestro apoyo de especialistas en desarrollo juvenil.
https://amarafamily.org/star-youth/ Más información en nuestro sitio web - enlace en nuestro Linktree.
https://amarafamily.org/star-youth/

We were so happy to celebrate reunified families in Pierce County yesterday! We know reunifying is not an easy journey. We honor the love, courage, and resilience of all families who persevere.

Youth have been enjoying our free summer drop-in center in our Tacoma office. We want to make sure we have the supplies they need on-hand. If you can help, please consider gifting us items from our new Amazon Wishlist! We hope to give many of these items, like books and school supplies, to youth to take home, as well as to use when they are with us on Tuesday & Wednesday afternoons. Thank you very much!
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/HJVWBJUXLK4G/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex

Join us for a book reading with children's author Bonita Lee on Wednesday, July 10, 5:30 – 6:30 pm at our youth drop-in center in Tacoma at 3501 104th St. E. This event features Bonita's new book “Go On Lil’ Sista, Go On,” and is geared for kids ages 5 – 12 with their parents or caregivers, but all are welcome. The book showcases 20 Black girls doing things they love, and it encourages every Black girl to be authentically themselves. https://amarafamily.org/star-youth/

Únase a nosotros para leer un libro con la autora infantil Bonita Lee el miércoles 10 de julio, de 5:30 a 6:30 pm en nuestro centro de acogida para jóvenes en Tacoma a 3501 104th St. E. Este evento presenta el nuevo libro de Bonita, “Go On Lil’ Sista, Go On”, y está dirigido a niños de 5 a 12 años con sus padres o cuidadores, pero todos son bienvenidos. El libro muestra a 20 chicas negras haciendo cosas que aman y anima a todas las chicas negras a ser auténticamente ellas mismas. https://amarafamily.org/star-youth/

Wondering what the Family Connections Program is all about? Attend our free virtual conversation, Connections 101, on June 28 at 9:30- 11 am to learn why building relationships in foster care is so important – for kids, for families, and for healing.
Connections 101 is for anyone interested in learning about a different approach to providing care for kids and youth in foster care. We encourage case workers, parents, and caregivers to attend. We’ll hear from professionals with lived experience in “the system.” Come explore how authentic partnering has the potential to transform foster care for kids and families.
https://amarafamily.org/event/family-connections-program-connections-101-5/

Looking for a free opportunity for local youth to find connection and build community in a safe space in Tacoma? Amara’s STAR Youth program offers a free drop-in center on Tuesdays and Wednesdays 12:30 – 5:30 pm for youth ages 13 - 18 at our Family Resource Center in Midland. STAR (Supported,
Thriving, Authentic & Resilient) Youth’s drop-in center offers a variety of fun activities, like arts & crafts, video games, basketball and more, plus we’ll have pop-ups for special activities, like a drum circle with Tacoma Youth Symphany. Or youth can simply hang-out - free wifi & snacks! Youth can also get help with college & job applications, scholarships forms and resumes. Our drop-in center is staffed by our supportive Youth Development Specialists.
https://amarafamily.org/star-youth/

Did you know that not all foster care agencies accept LGBTIA+ foster caregivers?
But we do! Amara is committed to positive long-term outcomes for kids & families. We drive systemic change, promote healing & advance racial & LGBTQIA+ equity, by offering programs and services to families experiencing the child welfare system.

It’s not always easy to understand why children should be screened for developmental delays in the years between 0 and 3. This is especially true for families impacted by child welfare. And for families who have children with identified developmental delays, it can be overwhelming to understand the systems and supports available to help kids thrive. Amara aims to help families navigate both the developmental screening process and the various systems of supports via a new series of workshops, made possible by the King County Best Starts for Kids levy.
Our first workshop is for providers and organizations that serve young children. The Enhancing Developmental Screening and Support for Child Welfare Impacted Families and Children online workshop is set for June 25 from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm. The workshop will help educate staff in the provider community about the specific nuances and support needs of families with children impacted by the child welfare system. We aim to ensure that providers know how to work well with complex family structures, are healing centered, and understand how to support inclusivity and service continuity for children impacted by child welfare. Participants will receive a certificate and can win a gift card if they fill out the completion survey. Interested providers and organizations can register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvf-6rrDIqE9EjSSTCZGA7UHav3p40inll

Amara’s KinPLUS pilot program serves kinship families in King County. Many kinship families are BIPOC who have been disproportionately negatively impacted by the child welfare system. The “system” also has traditionally provided fewer resources to kinship families, making it harder for kinship caregivers to provide stability for the kids they care for. Serving kinship caregivers and their families therefore, is necessary work rooted in equity.
Amara and its partners in KinPLUS, the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and the University of Washington School of Social Work (UWSSW) seek to fill gaps in services and resources by providing in-depth, wrap-around supports to kinship families. These supports include assisting families with applying for Washington’s new child-specific foster care license. Once kinship families are licensed, they become eligible for monthly foster care income, providing the financial stability every family needs. Kinship families in King County must be referred to KinPLUS by DCYF. Learn more: https://amarafamily.org/kinplus/

Amara affirms the beauty and strength of being exactly who we are. Every identity, every story, and every love is valid and worthy of celebration. To our beloved LGBTQ+ community: You are seen, you are loved, and you are invaluable! Together we create a world where everyone can be who they are, love who they love, and shine proudly. Happy Pride!
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Southpaw Barbershop in West Seattle offers free haircuts every other Sunday to kids in & . Barbers Tommy and Jeff ask that foster and kinship families who want free haircuts to please call or email to set up a Sunday appointment. They can take walk-in appointments too, but there may be a wait. [email protected] or 512-595-9545 King 5 News covered this story recently. You can watch it here:

West Seattle barber offers free haircuts to those in the foster care system Tommy Andrade at Rain City Barbershop lost his dad when he was 10, and wanted to give back to those who really need it.

Thank you to Ticket to Dream Foundation & Famous Footwear for going the extra step for + ! Through targeted support, they're helping to meet the unique & unmet needs of youth & families who have experienced the system.

DYK - If you’re a new foster parent or kinship caregiver in Washington, you can take advantage of the state’s new Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) insurance program to take up to 12 weeks of paid time off work? You’ll receive up to 90% of your weekly pay—a maximum of $1,456 a week—when you qualify. Learn more online at https://fosteringfamilywa.org/paid-leave/

Middle-schoolers who have experienced foster and/or kinship care or who are adopted are invited to join us for a free artistic design experience with the Seattle Art Museum’s Design Your Neighborhood program this August. These workshops will combine learning about art and design and creating art. Together we will beautify Amara’s new youth center in Seattle. All students will earn a stipend too! The workshops will be held on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays over four weeks in August from 10 am – 3 pm. Lunch will be provided. Please see full details and register at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=I0-5AT_wlkC3wgMnC5SwEVYbDjvx0mhGjBcqkY97daRUNTJBS0tSSzFZN0NYSEs3NEFLNFZMUUVTWC4u

Happy Juneteenth! We celebrate and honor this day of liberation from slavery in the United States, and we acknowledge the ongoing fight for equity and justice. We commit to doing our part in the struggle to reduce discrimination and bias in the child welfare system.

Sharing from the wonderful people at Alliance CaRES...

"We can't wait to see you for this fun-filled day of food, games, activities for kids of all ages, prizes, gifts, and more."