Western Washington Office Eastern Washington Office
515 116th Ave NE, #174 505 E Wedgewood
Bellevue, WA 98004 Spokane, WA 99208
1-866-958-KIDS (5437) Fax – 425-462-9268
Are you raising a grandchild or other young family member because his or her parents are unable to do so? If so, you are not alone. Kinship care is an alternative to placing a foster child into a stranger's care. Whether temporary or permanent, a large number of people take care of a child in order to alleviate family stress and do what they think is best for the child. But taking care of anyone—even a relative—can cause a great deal of emotional stress and strain. Fortunately, help is available.
All Fostering Together Support Groups are open to relative caregivers and Fostering Together Liaisons are available to help answer your questions and if you choose to get licensed, they are happy to support you through the licensing process and beyond.
For more information on other support services including kinship navigators available in your area, please see below.
STATE CONTACT
Hilari Hauptman, Aging and Disability Services Administration, DSHS 
Hilari.hauptman@dshs.wa.gov
1-800-422-3263 or 360-725-2556
KINSHIP CARE IN WASHINGTON STATE WEBSITE
www.dshs.wa.gov/kinshipcare
NEWS UPDATE!! Changes have been made to the Home Study Requirements (08/2012)
Families who are NOT wanting to be licensed for their relative/kinship placement no longer have to complete the following trainings:
You will still need to attend the 3 hour Orientation and your home must meet the standar safety requirements (ie. have a fire extinguisher, smoke detectors, fire ladder for 2nd story bedrooms, weapons locked, etc.)
In King County, 18,000 grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and others are raising younger family members. In King County, kinship caregivers can contact any of the following programs for information about childcare, financial and legal issues, and ways to manage stress. A good place to start is the Kinship Care Navigator—with services provided by Catholic Community Services of Western Washington and the Central Area Senior Center.
King County Caregiver Support Network
Provides information and links to resources and services available to families providing care for relatives in foster care.
The Kinship Center is the first of its kind in Washington State. Its mission is to create and maintain a collaborative resource center that provides comprehensive and coordinated services to kinship caregivers: educational advocacy, legal options, community education, general support and group activities.
King County: Catholic Community Services
KINSHIP NAVIGATOR: Helen Sawyer
KinshipProgram@ccsww.org
206-328-5787
Support Groups
Click Here for a link to current Kinship Support Groups
Relatives as Parents Program - The Family Center
KINSHIP NAVIGATOR: Amy Dennis
adennis@lcsnw.org
425-670-8984 Ext 12
Catholic Community Services
KINSHIP NAVIGATOR: Bob Gilchrist
bobma@ccsww.org
360-416-7585
Grandparents Support Group
First United Methodist Church
1607 E. Division St.
Mount Vernon WA 98274
For more information, contact B.J. Johnson at 360-422-5951 or bjohnson@fidalgo.net
Whatcom County: Northwest Regional Council (AAA)
KINSHIP NAVIGATOR: Laina Berry
BerryLS@dshs.wa.gov
360-676-6749 (part-time)
Native Kinship Resources- Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
NATIVE KINSHIP NAVIGATOR: Eythl Warbus
WarbuED@dshs.wa.gov
360-676-6749
