Regional Resources

Mentors help you by providing emotional support, sharing their experiences, and connecting you to regional and state resources.  They are experienced caregivers who are familiar with the supports and services available in your region. Mentors are generalists who can help all types of caregivers statewide find the resources and support they need for successful placements. Mentors do not offer legal, medical, or mental health advice.

Heidi Nollan
CaRES Mentor Region 2 
heidin5@uw.edu

Heidi and her husband have been licensed foster parents in Ellensburg, WA since 2017. Their family has children from biology, foster care, and adoption. Foster care, and the care of families, is something that she cares for deeply. Heidi was first introduced to foster care when her best friend in kindergarten was placed in care. It made a significant impact on her, and ever since she has wanted to support and be a part of foster care. Heidi and her family have fostered children from 0-8 years old. They have been a part of beautiful reunifications and adoptions. Heidi looks forward to supporting foster parents in their journey. 

We know relatives and foster parents feel more successful in their journey when they are connected to others who “get it.”  That is why Alliance CaRES is in the community to help you get connected with local foster and kinship families to share common challenges, feel heard, and solve problems.

CaRES Connectors are foster and kinship caregivers themselves; they organize in-person events and community groups to bring families together for support, resource sharing, and connection. You might even build a new respite opportunity! Meet your region’s Connectors below.

Caregiver Continuing Education (CCE)

Visit the Caregiver Continuing Education (CCE) webpage to learn more about the ongoing training requirements to maintain your home’s foster license and find training recommendations. 

Topic Support Groups

Topic-based conversations bring caregivers with similar needs together to find solutions while earning training credit. Caregivers’ knowledge is the foundation for shared problem-solving and self-advocacy skills.
Check the calendar below for current listings or, for a complete list of our Topic Support Groups, click here.

Join us for a CaRES Book Club!

Big Baffling Behaviors Book Club, Introduction: This 2-week book club is an introduction to the concepts detailed in Robyn Gobbel’s book, “Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors.” The weekly discussions are focused on section one of the book. Throughout the guided conversations, you will have the chance to consider how the neuroscience of behavior can help you better understand your child’s actions and needs. This book club is an encouraging and welcoming space for foster parents and kinship caregivers to engage in foundational learning about trauma, behavior, connection, and regulation. Participants may participate in this group as a mini-book club or as the pre-requisite for the Topic Support Group: Big Baffling Behaviors Book Club, Continued. Register here!

And

Big Baffling Behaviors Book Club, Continuing: This 4-week book club is an extension of the Topic Support Group: Big Baffling Behaviors Book Club, Introduction. The weekly discussions will cover sections 2 and 3 of Robyn Gobbel’s book, “Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors.” Throughout the guided discussions, you will have the chance to consider how the concepts of the Owl, Watchdog, and Possum brains impact your child’s behaviors, develop parenting strategies tailored to your home, and build your own self-regulation toolkit. This book club is an encouraging and welcoming space for foster parents and kinship caregivers to engage in the next step in peer-to-peer support, problem-solving, and learning facilitated by a TBRI practitioner or CaRES Mentor. Register here!

Most of these are available to foster and kinship families, some require proof of caregiver status, usually in the form of a foster care license. This is noted whenever we are aware of it. The Alliance CaRES program does not support or endorse any of the listed items; they are compiled for your convenience. We make every effort to keep these up-to-date, if you know of a correction or an item not listed, please let us know by emailing notifycares@uw.edu

Click here for resources available statewide, guides for licensure, and more.  

Check out these places in your area that offer discounts or free opportunities or items to families in the care system:

Compassion Closet: Compassion Closet is a resource for Kittitas County foster and kinship families located in Ellensburg. They stock children’s clothing newborn to size 14/16. If you need clothing for older children, they often have gift cards to local stores where families can purchase new clothing for teens and young adults. They also have cribs, toddler beds, car seats, highchairs, diapers, formula, school supplies and other essentials. Compassion closet is housed in Foursquare Church and is open for drop-in shopping Tuesdays from 12:30-2. If you need immediate assistance, they can make a special appointment for you to access the closet. 

Embrace Washington: Embrace Washington offers several programs for children experiencing foster care. Through their education program, Embrace Washington can provide financial and practical support to help children access tutoring. Their other programs can provide beds and bedding and will also sponsor a child’s special wishes. Available to all children residing in Eastern Washington (DCYF Regions 1 and 2). Caregiving families can self-refer but will need to indicate their child’s DCYF worker’s name for verification of their status as a foster child. 

Mo’s Place: Mo’s Place provides support to foster youth and their caregivers in the Tri-Cities, Walla Walla and surrounding areas. Their services are available to all licensed foster homes and kinship providers who are caring for children placed in out-of-home care. Mo’s place supplies tangible household goods such as beds and bedding. They also can offer diapers, wipes, formula, bottles, hygiene items and clothing and shoes for children aged newborn to young adult. Mo’s place primarily helps children newly entering the foster care system but is dedicated to helping all caregivers so reach out to them if you have a specific ask.

Splash & Swim School: Splash & Swim school offers a 20% discount code for licensed foster parents. Caregivers should provide their foster parent license or card to receive the discount. 

Threads of Haven: Threads of Haven offers new and gently used clothing for children in foster and kinship care throughout the Yakima Valley. Their physical clothing closet is located in Yakima. Threads of Haven regularly stocks clothing from preemie to adult extra-large. They also have concrete goods like baby sleep sacks, swaddles, bouncers, bottles and pacifiers. They are open for drop-in from 1pm-3pm on Thursdays or by appointment. If you have an emergency or unplanned placement, the closet will work to accommodate you in less than 24 hours! Threads of Haven is headed by a local foster parent who is also an Alliance CaRES Community Connector.  

Voices for Children: Voices for Children offers concrete support to children in out-of-home placement with open DCYF cases. The Voices for Children IDentity closet is a free, retail shopping experience for children 0-18 where they can select new and gently used clothing of their liking. Shopping is by appointment only and requires a referral from a child’s social worker or Child Advocate. The store is located at 24th and Nob Hill in Yakima. Voices for Children also provides funding for children’s “wishes.” This can provide a child with sports equipment, camp fees, driver’s education, musical instruments and funds for special activities. They will also help a child get the technology and access to special supplies needed to thrive in school, all with the goal of helping children out-of-home care thrive.

Mentors and Specialists can help you by providing emotional support, sharing their experiences, and connecting you to regional and state resources. Specialists can help caregivers by providing emotional support, sharing their experiences, and connecting them to resources.  They have an area of dedicated knowledge that may be especially important for a caregiver looking for understanding.  Mentors and Specialists do not  offer legal, medical, or mental health advice.

Would you like to have one of our wonderful mentors reach out to you for individualized support? Send us an email or leave a voice mail with your contact information, a sentence or two about what general areas you need support in, and if you need language support or interpretation.  

If you are sending a referral on behalf of a caregiver, please also let us know if they are expecting a call from us. Mentors will respond within 48 hours.

alliancecares@uw.edu or call 206-221-4913

If you are a caregiver going through an investigation, be sure to visit our page on support for allegations and investigations.

If you are a caregiver experiencing challenges in your fostering journey, visit our page on caregiver challenges for training suggestions.