FPAWS Testimonials

To whom it may concern:
I am writing this letter of support for FPAWS and the outstanding work they have done in the past and continue to do. FPAWS is quite simply an organization that supports and advocates for ALL foster parents.  The support FPAWS gives is broad:

Advocating and achieving foster parent compensation increase
Helping establish 1624 – giving a voice to foster parents statewide
Providing relevant training for foster parents
Establishing and staffing a support line for foster parents
Conducting statewide conferences for foster parents and DCYF – pulling people together
Working in Olympia to educate legislators
Advocacy and support with DCYF and LD

FPAWS is a unique agency whose advocacy is child centered and strength based. It is true that FPAWS is a support to foster parents, but also grounded in”best practice” for children.  Having the approach allows FPAWS to meet foster parent where they are and help them strengthen and improve practice.
By working with foster parents and those who support and oversee them FPAWS is critically important to our state foster care system.
I am truly thankful for FPAWS and all they are doing for our state.
 
Sincerely,
Mark Fullington
Executive Director
Community and Family Services Foundation

Dear FPAWS,
I am so thankful to attend and participate in seminars offered by the Foster Parent Association of Washington State.  It takes a lot of courage and patience to be a relative care provider.    There are a lot of complications and pressures when you take relative children.
DCYF demands and pressures to raise the child by “their rules” instead of practicing time honored traditional Native methods of parenting and nurturing the children. 
Pressure from family members all giving advice on how to raise the children and to please give the parents “just one more chance”, or them telling you “it is in the best interest of the child to keep the parents involved in the lives of their children.
It was so good to meet foster parents and other families who understood and could give support! Especially seminars that taught how to advocate for yourself and the child entrusted to your care. I learned how to access better resources needed by my niece and nephew, how to speak effectively and gently let DCYF know “they were my kids and I did know what was best for them!”
Thank you again for being an advocate, guide and mentor for relative caretakers who love and care for the children entrusted to their care!
Sincerely,
Chryss James
Now, the Loving Parent to my adopted Niece and Nephew

My wife and I have been fostering children here in Washington State for 14 years. We started as a kinship family and then became licensed foster parents in 2010, after falling in love with making a difference in the lives of the children we serve. We were introduced to FPAWS during that transition, which has been an incredible support and phenomenal pillar to us and the foster community.
Our first experience with FPAWS was their annual conference at Great Wolf Lodge, a multi-functioning training event.
We learned a tremendous amount about the foster care system while earning the educational credits that foster parents need to maintain our licenses. The information shared with us is has been invaluable and has led to our success as foster parents during this 14-year tenure. Any foster parent that attends their conference(s) will agree that although foster care is so rewarding, navigating and getting the support and education we need can be extremely challenging and very disheartening, to say the least. During our travels, we have experienced, seen, and heard the good, the bad, and the ugly of foster care. FPAWS conference has been amazing in being a relentless advocate, support, and resource for us and the children we serve.
The best part about the conference, besides the education we receive, is that it has been and continues to provide memorable experiences for the children that are in our homes including our bio kids. They experience so much fun, a sense of family, and can make new friends, which is not always easy for them, who share the same experience of being separated from their loved ones for whatever reason. For us, witnessing this and seeing them enjoy themselves as a child … not a “foster kid is priceless. We are and will forever be grateful to FPAWS, their staff, and the conference that they provide. Again, it has become a pillar for us foster parents!

To whom it may concern,
 
My family and our foster child attended the conference. We have nothing but great things to say about it. The education provided to us was very helpful. 
 
However, the most valuable thing that my family took away from this event was that. It provided a place for our son and others to have being in foster care the norm. I overheard a 12 year old boy asking another boy about why they are in foster care so casually. That conversation wouldn’t happen in normal day life. That was truly impactful for me. 
 
Thank you!

“I cannot begin to express my gratitude to FPAWs. They the only organization of their kind in Washington State, and the fact that they exist to support foster parents and caregivers is a Godsend. I have only been a licensed foster parent for just over a year. During that time, I have been to several FPAWs trainings, and I have reached out to them for some very specific help. FPAWs trainings are a great way to learn new information, but they are also a wonderful way to meet other caregivers and connect with organizations that serve as helpful resources. Mike and Beth are honest, direct, and they will go out of their way to provide meaningful support. I do not believe I could continue to do this without knowing they are there!”