The Process: Choosing our Path Part 1 - Amara
So the first step for us is figuring out which agency we would like to partner with, if that's the route we choose to go. Many agencies have free information sessions for you to learn about their philosophy, services and process in order to determine if the organization is the right fit for you. We are giving ourselves 1-3 months to do some research and connect with prospective agencies and explore other avenues.
The first agency that we connected with is Amara, a nonprofit organization based out of Seattle that provides foster care and adoption services. (There are nearly 10,000 kids in foster care in Washington State.) I filled out a short form on their website to reserve a space at their information meeting, which is a 2.5 hour session held twice a month at their Rainier Valley office. A Family Outreach Coordinator contacted me via email within a few hours to confirm the date and answer any questions we might have. Boom!
The morning of the information session was when things started to feel real for me. I was anxious, excited and not really sure what to expect. We arrived about 5 minutes late (ugh), signed in and scuttled to a chair. There were about 25 other people in the room, some people were there for Foster/Respite care only and others for adoption. Our presenter, Trey, was giving a brief history of Amara with a ton of information, statistics, and legalities. Here are some facts that stood out to me:
Man, now I was getting super inspired and felt like I was all over the board about what kid(s) we could be good parents to. More on this later.
Next we learned about the process, average time, costs and post-placement support. Here's the lowdown (time frames are on average):
Step 1. Family Prep: 6-9 months (training, interviews, home inspections, documents)
Step 2. Matching: 10-18 months (selection, reviewing profiles, saying yes to a child)
*option to provide emergency respite care while you are waiting for your match
Step 3. Post Placement (mentorship programs and resources in order to promote stability)
Fees:
Application- $300
Family Prep- $1,500 (includes training, inspections, licensing, etc.)
Child-Family Support- $3,200 (placement, support, final documentation)
*there is a federal tax credit for qualified adoption expenses
The final portion of the session included a visit from one of Amara's success stories. The kids introduced themselves and then ran out to grab some cookies and play. The mother was very real and kind; she gave some great insight on their experience. Before you start the matching process, you discuss your parameters with your social worker (age range, how many, high/low-risk (which means if they are legally free or parental rights have/not been terminated), any diagnosis, etc). While this couple set their parameters as low-risk and 2 siblings, they would see profiles of 3+siblings and ages that they were maybe not prepared for at this time. She said she felt awful looking through the profiles and skipping them, almost like she was shopping. Gosh, no doubt that this would be difficult. Her social worker suggested that she and her partner get super-clear on what they are comfortable with and to really use that as a guide, otherwise it can get overwhelming. Again, what kid(s) could we be good parents to?
The session was then opened to questions. I left feeling even more empowered and everything felt a little less daunting. On the drive home, Nate and I talked about getting really clear on what we want, which will help us decided on an agency. Nate said he is interested in siblings (cool, me too) and we both agreed that probably on the younger end of the spectrum...for now. We were both really impacted by Darren's story and can see ourselves in the future seeking to help some older kiddos that just need some love and a support system. Over 400 kids in Washington age out of foster care each year without being placed with a family. Within a year, nearly a quarter of those teens are homeless. Ugh.
Our next information session is on March 14th with Open Adoption and Family Services
The first agency that we connected with is Amara, a nonprofit organization based out of Seattle that provides foster care and adoption services. (There are nearly 10,000 kids in foster care in Washington State.) I filled out a short form on their website to reserve a space at their information meeting, which is a 2.5 hour session held twice a month at their Rainier Valley office. A Family Outreach Coordinator contacted me via email within a few hours to confirm the date and answer any questions we might have. Boom!
The morning of the information session was when things started to feel real for me. I was anxious, excited and not really sure what to expect. We arrived about 5 minutes late (ugh), signed in and scuttled to a chair. There were about 25 other people in the room, some people were there for Foster/Respite care only and others for adoption. Our presenter, Trey, was giving a brief history of Amara with a ton of information, statistics, and legalities. Here are some facts that stood out to me:
- Amara is a child welfare agency whose primary goal is to find the best families for children in need of homes
- you are assigned a specific Amara representative that will advocate directly for you throughout the entire process (working with DSHS on your behalf)
- they provide: permanency focused foster care, emergency sanctuary, post adoption support
- most of their kids are ages 0-6 and sibling groups
- neglect is the #1 reason they are in foster care
- each child’s case must move through a legal process (some families choose to parent kids further along in the legal process for whom adoption is already the permanent placement plan or who are legally free for adoption)
Man, now I was getting super inspired and felt like I was all over the board about what kid(s) we could be good parents to. More on this later.
Next we learned about the process, average time, costs and post-placement support. Here's the lowdown (time frames are on average):
Step 1. Family Prep: 6-9 months (training, interviews, home inspections, documents)
Step 2. Matching: 10-18 months (selection, reviewing profiles, saying yes to a child)
*option to provide emergency respite care while you are waiting for your match
Step 3. Post Placement (mentorship programs and resources in order to promote stability)
Fees:
Application- $300
Family Prep- $1,500 (includes training, inspections, licensing, etc.)
Child-Family Support- $3,200 (placement, support, final documentation)
*there is a federal tax credit for qualified adoption expenses
The final portion of the session included a visit from one of Amara's success stories. The kids introduced themselves and then ran out to grab some cookies and play. The mother was very real and kind; she gave some great insight on their experience. Before you start the matching process, you discuss your parameters with your social worker (age range, how many, high/low-risk (which means if they are legally free or parental rights have/not been terminated), any diagnosis, etc). While this couple set their parameters as low-risk and 2 siblings, they would see profiles of 3+siblings and ages that they were maybe not prepared for at this time. She said she felt awful looking through the profiles and skipping them, almost like she was shopping. Gosh, no doubt that this would be difficult. Her social worker suggested that she and her partner get super-clear on what they are comfortable with and to really use that as a guide, otherwise it can get overwhelming. Again, what kid(s) could we be good parents to?
The session was then opened to questions. I left feeling even more empowered and everything felt a little less daunting. On the drive home, Nate and I talked about getting really clear on what we want, which will help us decided on an agency. Nate said he is interested in siblings (cool, me too) and we both agreed that probably on the younger end of the spectrum...for now. We were both really impacted by Darren's story and can see ourselves in the future seeking to help some older kiddos that just need some love and a support system. Over 400 kids in Washington age out of foster care each year without being placed with a family. Within a year, nearly a quarter of those teens are homeless. Ugh.
Our next information session is on March 14th with Open Adoption and Family Services
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