This page is about ways to get advice, information, or someone to talk to who understands fostering. For more material/practical support like clothing or help paying for activities, check out the Foster Closets+ page.
(Always call 911 in an emergency)
Foster specific phone lines
- FPAWS 24 hour Hotline: 1-800-391-CARE (2273) toll-free hotline where caregivers can talk with an informed veteran caregiver who is familiar with DCYF current policy and practice, for comprehensive resource, referral and information sharing.
- FIRST Hotline: 1-866-393-6186 neutral third party advice and support to foster parents who are experiencing an allegation
- DCYF Foster Parent & Caregiver after-hours support line – 1-800-301-1868 provides phone support outside business hours when foster parents and relative caregivers are in crisis needing behavior management advice, problem solving tips and a listening ear.
- WA child abuse intake line 1-866-ENDHARM (1-866-363-4276), Washington State’s toll-free, 24 hour, 7 day-a-week hotline that will connect you directly to the appropriate local office to report suspected child abuse or neglect. Also used to report any incidents involving a child in foster care.
- Missing Children Clearinghouse – 1 800-THE-LOST (1 800 843-5678) to report a child who is missing or has left a placement:
- find the number for your local Child Welfare Office (open 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Mon – Fri)
- to find the phone number for any DCYF employee use the DCYF Staff listing https://fortress.wa.gov/dshs/ca/employeedirectory
Public crisis and welfare lines
- dial 988 for the WA Suicide Prevention Help Line
- 866-TEENLINK (866-833-6546) for a crisis helpline for youth under 21
- Coordinated Care 24 hour nurse line 1-877-644-4613. Say “NURSE” to get answers to your medical and mental health questions
- your county Mental Health crisis line for local assistance with a mental health crisis.
- Poison Help line, 1-800-222-1222 connects you to your local poison center
- dial 211 for help connecting to community resources statewide or search their website at https://wa211.org/
A significant percentage of WA foster parent communication is done on Facebook. Besides the support groups listed here, DCYF has placement desk pages for each region/county, where they will share lists of kids who need a placement (and sometimes emergency requests for that night).
Statewide groups
- We Foster WA – Becoming a Foster Parent (for those who are becoming licensed or are interested in learning about the process, run by a coalition of foster agencies)
- Foster Parent Rants And Raves – Washington State (a totally unofficial group for foster parents and kinship caregivers only)
- FPAWS (a similarly unofficial group run by FPAWS)
Affinity groups
(we, FPAWS, don’t always know about these groups because we are not in the target audience – anyone with feedback or alternatives, let us know!)
- Single Foster Parents of Washington
- Foster Moms of WA Support Group
- Washington State Medical Foster Parents (new in 2020)
- Military Fostering WA (new in October ’21 by FPAWS!)
National groups
- {US Military Families} Adoption, Foster Care & Kinship Care Support
- Deaf/HOH Foster and Adoptive (Foster) Support
- Muslim Foster Parents
- Padres de Crianza/Licenced Foster Parent ayuda y apoyo
- Native American Foster Families
- Child of My Heart: Grief and Loss support group for foster families
Regional/location-based groups (see DCYF region map):
Many agencies or assistance organizations also have facebook groups to join:
CKC Foster & Adoptive – families of Thurston, Mason & Lewis counties who participate in support from Capital Kids Connection
CYS Foster Care – Foster Parent Support (Olympia)
Got any news on a group that meets online or in-person? Let us know!
Compelled to care
A foster support organization founded out of Evergreen Church, Olympia, offering regular in-person meetups including one for dads. Now also holding events in Grays Harbor.
Yakima Foster/Adoptive Parent Support Group
This group is open to any foster parent or foster-adoptive parent. Training provided. Yakima Foursquare Church. Call Tyann Whitworth at 509-731-2060 or email [email protected] for more info.
FPAWS caregiver advice call
4th Tuesday of each month, all caregivers welcome
Coordinated Care support group with Zia Freeman
~1st Thursday and 3rd Tuesday of each month
Foster Champs of WA
8pm on the 1st Thursday of each month
Weekly drop-in online support groups with the Alliance:
- 7 p.m. Mondays (lunes): Spanish-language support/Mesa de conversación en español para proveedores de cuidado.
- 12 p.m. Tuesdays: Lunch with Luanne. For prospective foster parents or kinship caregivers.
- 3 p.m. Wednesdays: Connection with Amara CaRES. For kinship caregivers.
- 12 p.m. Fridays: Fostering Fridays. All caregivers, foster-related topics.
Regional foster parent meetups with the Alliance
For ongoing dates and locations see AllianceCares.org.
The Alliance is also running short term discussion groups over Zoom: topics rotate and they are open to requests. See below for the groups as of 5/18/2023
- FASD Book Club
- Fostering Across Race, Ethnicity, and Culture (Special edition: Focused on Black caregivers and caregivers of Black children)
- Fostering as Part of a Team
- Grief and Loss in Your Fostering Journey
- Littlest Lives and Their Big Needs
- Navigating Fostering as an LGBTQIA+ Caregivers
- Practical Parenting Skills for Caregivers
- Supporting LGBTQIA+ Youth in Foster Care
- Self Care for Caregivers
- TBRI Book Club: The Connected Child
- While You Wait
Evergreen Caregiver Support (WA based, run by Nathan LaChine)
Coffee with Irene: Executive Director, National Foster Parent Association: Coffee with Caregivers, weekly on facebook: questions or topics can be submitted in advance.
References and services
WA
- Washington Fosters: has an online resource library for foster parents here . Additional resources: Guide to reunification in WA state or Guide to becoming a foster parent in WA state.
- The Arc is a support and advocacy organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They provide support to parents of children with disabilities and maintain detailed lists of relevant resources e.g: for children and education
- Columbia Legal Services – advocates for legislative change, and help finding legal resources
- a legal reference handbook: Options for Grandparents and Other Nonparental Caregivers: A Legal Guide for Washington State
- Washington State CASA
- WA Office of the Family and Children’s Ombuds
- DCYF Staff Directory https://fortress.wa.gov/dshs/ca/employeedirectory