Regional Support

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.

Deshanna Brown

CaRES Mentor Region 3, 4, & Culturally Conscious Caregiving Specialist
dbrown27@uw.edu 

Deshanna has been working in the Foster Care field in various roles for six-plus years. She has been a visit supervisor, a case manager, and is a current volunteer Child Appointed Advocate in Pierce county. Most recently, she worked at Amara as a Foster Care Specialist. Along with these roles within the system, she is also a kinship caregiver. Deshanna’s passion for working with children and families in foster care comes from her drive to help every child find permanency. She loves helping families find the resources they need to help a child in their home thrive and helping foster parents and kinship caregivers navigate the world of foster care. 

Lisa Konick

lrkonick@uw.edu
Lead Mentor, CaRES Mentor Region 4

Lisa Konick has been a foster parent for 21 years. During that time she has adopted four foster children. A graduate of the University of Washington, Lisa has been a caregiver co-trainer since 2011, and prior to that she was an educational advocacy trainer for Treehouse. Lisa is passionate about supporting, encouraging, and resourcing foster caregivers and kinship care providers across Washington state.

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.

Aer 
CaRES Connector
King County

CeCe 
CaRES Connector
King County

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!

TBRI Book Club: Relating through the senses (The Connected Therapist): This 3-week book club is an extension of the Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) modules or the TBRI book clubs: The Connected Child and The Connected Parent. Based on selections from “The Connected Therapist” by Marti Smith, discussions during the three sessions will focus on understanding sensory processing challenges, developing sensory processing strategies, and the practical application of those strategies in everyday caregiving. This TBRI book club is an encouraging and welcoming space for foster parents and kinship caregivers to engage in a next step in peer-to-peer support, problem-solving, and learning facilitated by a TBRI practitioner. 
Caregivers who have completed either both TBRI book clubs or the TBRI modules can register. Register here!

And

Dancing with a Porcupine: The CaRES team leads you through a reading and discussion of “Dancing with a Porcupine” by Jennie Owens. This book shares the compelling story of the author’s struggle to save her own life while caring for three children she and her husband adopted from foster care.
During the three sessions, you will discuss themes including: self-care; trauma-informed care; expectations and hurt feelings; compassion fatigue; and balancing real life with the outside pressure to look like you are doing it all well.  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, special event recordings, 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:

Eileen & Callie’s Place: Eileen & Callie’s offers personal mentorship matching for young women ages 17-24 during and after aging out of the foster care system. Mentors develop trust with mentees, share resources to support their growth and provide skills coaching. They also host an annual birthday party, Celebrate 18! To honor and celebrate the coming of age of these young women. They primarily search South King County but are with technology can work with any girl who is interested.

Foster Champs of Maple Valley: Foster Champs of Maple Valley offers support and services to foster, kinship, adoptive families in Pierce and King counties. They operate a clothing closet and diaper distribution in Enumclaw. Foster Champs also facilitates opportunities for support across the region. Monthly support dinners for caregivers and their families meet monthly in Maple Valley and casual, adults only, meet-ups happen regularly in Auburn. They also host special events and a closed Facebook group where caregivers can get support and resources from peers. Caregivers will need to contact Foster Champs of Washington to complete a brief intake to gain access to their events and resources.

Fostering Hope Seattle: Fostering Hope Seattle provides quality items for foster youth aging out of the foster care system, as well as licensed foster parents with material needs such as furniture, kitchen supplies, bedding, home goods, cleaning supplies and personal care kits. Fostering Hope Seattle also hosts a monthly support group on the 3rd Tuesday of the month in Seattle. Childcare and training hours are offered.

KidsQuest Children’s Museum: KidsQuest offers $3 admission to children in out of home placement and their caregivers. Present your foster care license, or the child’s WIC, Apple Heath or Provider One card when purchasing tickets. Low sensory days regularly occur on the 3rd Thursday of the month from 3-5 and are offered free of charge. Be sure to pre-register to help the museum keep attendance low. Available to families living state-wide.

Little Hands Creations: Little Hands Creations brings hands on art experiences to children across the region. Their in-house enrichment classes and camps are free to any children in the care of a licensed foster or kinship caregiver. Email littlehandscreations@gmail.com with a photo of your license or foster care ID card for help registering. This is available for families across the state. 

Museum of Flight: Visit the Museum of Flight with 50% general admission for up to two adults and free entry for up to six children residing in the household when you show your foster care ID card or license. Admission is complementary for all museum visitors on the first Thursday of each from 5-9pm. These deals are available to foster families throughout the state when visiting the museum.

Pacific Science Center: Pacific Science Center offers free family-level memberships for all licensed foster and licensed kinship families. Visit the Pacific Science Center or email membership@pacsci.org to sign up. This membership also grants access to IMAX movies, guest tickets and other perks at discounted rates. This is available for families state-wide who would like to visit. 

Seattle Angels: Seattle Angels’ Love Box program builds community and provides radical support for foster families through intentional giving, relationship building, and mentorship. The Dare to Dream program offers one-on-one mentorship to youth in out of home placement aged 11-22, empowering them to develop skills, pursue passions, and achieve their goals through supporting relationships. Available to families residing in King County.

Seattle Aquarium: Visit the Seattle Aquarium with free general admission tickets for foster and kinship caregivers with valid foster care license or Kinship Navigator Card. Accommodates up to two adult caregivers and six children sharing a household. Must be requested at the Aquarium and used for the next available entry time, it does not allow for admission reservations. $35 annual memberships are also available. Available to families living anywhere in Washington State. 

Seattle Children’s Museum:Foster and Kinship families are welcome to take part in the Museums for All program. Show your child’s Provider One, EBT, chip, WIC or Apple Health cards for museum entry for $3 per person. You can also get 75% off family memberships and discounts for special museum programs and parties. Available to families across the state which children experiencing out of home placement.

Seattle Children’s Theatre: Seattle Children’s Theatre invites all foster and kinship caregivers and their children to enjoy a show at the Theatre. Call or email the ticket office and request SCT for All tickets to your preferred show and the monetary amount that is feasible for your family to pay. Available to families across the state to enjoy.

Woodland Park Zoo: Discounted tickets to the Woodland Park Zoo are available for kinship and licensed foster families with verification provided at time of entry. $5 Discover Tickets are available for up to 6 household members and can be purchased online or in-person. $35 annual Explorer Pass memberships are available to caregiving families with verification and purchase in-person at the Woodland Park Zoo membership offices. Annual passes allow entry to two named adults and up to six children in the household. These discounts are available to caregiving families state-wide.

The Works: The Works is a clothing closet available to any child residing within Shoreline School District boundaries or who attends a Shoreline school. It is stocked with high quality, clean, used clothing and hygiene products for children grades 1-12.

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.

Camille Hereth

CaRES Trauma-Informed Caregiving Specialist

Camille has worked in foster care for over 16 years in many different capacities, including being a foster parent, a foster home licensor, providing in home counseling to foster kids, and teaching evidence based parenting classes to foster parents and post adoptive parents. Camille is passionate about supporting families with newborns, helping people understand how trauma impacts function, and supporting families who have children that are neurodivergent.

Christa Murray

Permanency Specialist
christa6@uw.edu

The time spent in kinship care as a youth, started Christa’s awareness for the needs of families within the foster care system and opened her heart to becoming a foster parent. Christa has received support and encouragement from many during her foster/adoptive mom journey. She is honored to be able to help others as they navigate the system. Christa has written several articles on supporting foster children in child care. Her family spends much of their time exploring the outdoors or cozily tucked inside reading.

Christina Urtasun

CaRES Statewide Mentor
Curtasun@uw.edu

Christina has been a licensed foster parent, in Oak Harbor, for twenty years. She has been involved in many aspects of the foster care community including providing liaison services with Fostering Together program for 13 years and being a co-trainer with the Alliance for Child Welfare. Christina is excited to join the Alliance CaRES program as a mentor so she can continue supporting and encouraging families as well as help them navigate the system. Christina has four sons and one daughter. In her spare time, Christina loves to be hiking, camping, reading, and spending time with her family.

Deshanna Brown

CaRES Mentor Region 3, 4, & Culturally Conscious Caregiving Specialist
dbrown27@uw.edu

Deshanna has been working in the Foster Care field in various roles for six-plus years. She has been a visit supervisor, a case manager, and is a current volunteer Child Appointed Advocate in Pierce county. Most recently, she worked at Amara as a Foster Care Specialist. Along with these roles within the system, she is also a kinship caregiver. Deshanna’s passion for working with children and families in foster care comes from her drive to help every child find permanency. She loves helping families find the resources they need to help a child in their home thrive and helping foster parents and kinship caregivers navigate the world of foster care.

Nathan LaChine
CaRES Mentor Region 5, 6, & LGBTQIA+ Community Specialist
nlachine@uw.edu

Nathan has been a therapeutic foster parent with Community Youth Services serving BRS Youth for the past 16 years. He has held a variety of roles within the foster care community and has been a strong advocate within the LGBTQ2IA+ community. Through his teaching and public speaking, Nathan hopes to elevate and provide a voice for system involved families.

Sylvia Cardenas

CaRES Mentor Region 2 & Spanish Speaking Community Specialist
sylviac1@uw.edu

Sylvia holds a Master of Science in Management and Leadership. A lifelong resident of Eastern Washington, she embraces the diverse range of outdoor activities the region offers. In 2017, Sylvia and her husband assumed the role of kinship caregivers, sparking a deep commitment to make a positive impact. Motivated by this experience, they both chose to become licensed foster parents. Recognizing a specific need within limited English-speaking communities, she has taken on role as a mentor, specializing in assisting monolingual Spanish-speaking individuals.

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.