Amara

Amara

www.amaraparenting.org

3300 E. Union St. Seattle, WA 98122

206-260-1700

email: amara@amaraparenting.org

ADOPTION

Amara’s mission is grounded in the fundamental conviction that there is no substitute for stable, loving families to ensure children grow up to be healthy, capable adults. We believe that a safe, nurturing home is essential for a child to thrive and are focused on the thousands of Washington children currently in the foster care system who are ready to be adopted. Amara is also one of the few agencies in our community that finds homes for at-risk relinquished infants, and works to provide adoptive parents with the support and education they need to embrace these children and build a healthy family. We have no single definition of “family” and our proud to offer our services to everyone, regardless of marital status, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, home ownership, income, or education.

Available Children
Thousands of children wait in foster care in Washington state every day. Some are legally free and ready for adoption, while many are considered “legal risk” where the State is in the process of terminating parental rights. Amara works with adoptive families to determine the comfort level of legal risk appropriate in each case, with the intention of placing foster children with their forever families to minimize the child’s instability. These children range in age from infant to teen, and come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Because of their experience in foster care, many children need extra time and support to heal, learn to trust, and catch up with their peers. Amara knows that what these children need is a safe, loving home to help them thrive, and we provide guidance and support adoptive families to live and grow with these special needs. Amara also places relinquished infants in adoptive homes. As with some of the children from foster care, many of the infants that come into our care have experienced prenatal drug/alcohol exposure. There is a tremendous amount of research about the effects of this type of exposure and how these children can truly blossom with the right kind of support. Amara’s social workers will help each family determine the level of risk they are comfortable with and support them with finding services and information they need for their child.

Support to Our Families
We believe in a high level of support to our adoptive parents to help ensure the best possible environment and experience for the entire family. Once a child joins your family, Amara will provide you with resources and support to help your family thrive. Your social worker will make frequent visits to your home during the transition period and until the adoption is finalized, and will be available by phone to help you with questions and concerns. We’ll make sure you receive pertinent information and referrals to school programs, medical care, family therapists, or other services you might need. We also have monthly support groups for both waiting families and families with children placed in their homes. When the adoption is finalized, we also help you complete the necessary steps for Adoption Support program assistance, a federal program providing medical, mental health and other specialized care until your child is 18 years old.

FOSTER CARE

Our program works with the state to provide care for children between the ages of newborn to twelve years. These children are all ethnicities, may be part of a sibling group, or may have special medical or emotional needs. If a family chooses to foster with Amara, our experienced social workers will be with them every step of the way to prepare them and guide them through the process. We will continue to be a resource for these families for education, information, and support in the years to come.

PREGNANCY COUNSELING

This no-cost program for pregnant women in crisis helps women make informed decisions about their pregnancies. Our social workers work one –on –one with the clients and offer non-judgmental pregnancy counseling, referrals for housing or other basic medical needs, help in locating and obtaining medical care, and on-going support through their pregnancy and beyond, regardless of the parenting decision. If the client decides to terminate the pregnancy, we offer support and referrals to local clinics. If the client decides to parent her child, Amara’s counselors help her create a stable and nurturing environment for both herself and her child through counseling, as well as referrals to local services including prenatal care and housing assistance. If a woman decides to create an adoption plan, Amara works with her to choose an adoptive family, create a communication agreement with the adoptive parents, and cope with the emotional loss of placing a child for adoption.

Many adoption agencies will not serve pregnant women who are homeless, abused drugs during the pregnancy, suffer from mental illness, or have other instability factors in their lives; often they are referred to Amara. Not only does Amara serve these women with nonjudgmental support and guidance, we educate our adoptive families about the risks and issues involved in caring for an infant with special needs due to premature birth, prenatal drug/alcohol exposure, or other factors so that they can fully embrace the child. In addition, all of our adoptive parents must be open to maintaining a relationship with the birth parent's (when possible) of their child. With over 25 years of experience promoting and facilitating open adoptions, we firmly believe that an agreed-upon level of ongoing communication is tremendously beneficial for the child and healing for the birth parents.