There are about 18,000 kinship caregivers in King County alone, and over 100,000 children in WA living with someone other than their parents. As the state increasingly recognizes the benefits of these arrangements for children, support services are increasingly available – including the child-specific foster license for kinship caregivers that will become available on July 1st.
King County Kinship Collaboration
The Kinship Collaboration was spearheaded by Casey Family Programs and is now sponsored by Catholic Community Services and supported by the City of Seattle/Aging and Disability Services. They provide a comprehensive and coordinated set of services, advocacy and community education to support the needs and interests of kinship families.
Meetings are open to all individuals/organizations interested in and/or connected to services for kinship families in King County. If attending for the first time, please contact KCKC Coordinator to confirm meeting and location details: contact info listed in the left side of this page.
Kinship Alliance of King County
This program, run by InterCultural Children & Family Services, serves formal and informal kinship caregivers and offers twice-a-month Saturday virtual workshops, open to everyone. They provide a certificate of attendance so caregivers can use it for extended learning verification. They also run a Kinship Peer Mentoring program – this is focused on African American and Native American families as priorities, but others can also apply. Contact [email protected] for workshop details or any other information.
Amara Kin Connections (King/Pierce counties)
Amara’s Kin Connections program serves kinship caregivers and their families in King and Pierce counties, providing connections to resources and support so kids can stay connected to their families, communities, and culture. [for details see Amara’s website or Kin-Connections-flier]
Amara Collaborative Parenting Workshop
There are separate workshops for kinship caregivers and parents and for foster caregivers and parents. Each session is two-hours long. Our kinship cohort, Amara’s Collaborative Parenting Workshop – a brave space for kinship caregivers and parents, started April 7, 2023. Our foster care cohort will launch later this year. [see Amara’s website for details and future signups]
From the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction: kinship care support services around WA, including financial support, childcare assistance, foster licensing and more.