Resources

Take advantage of free and discounted opportunities

There are numerous resources for caregivers at both a statewide level and by region. Below you’ll find recreational fun, health care, learning resources and more! 

 

Illustration of family - two parents and one child in wheelchair and one child playing soccer

Washington State and National Programs

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.

  • Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD): puts young children across Washington state on a lifelong path to good oral health.
  • Boys & Girls Club: Members ages 6 to 18 years old get a no-cost Boys & Girls Club basic membership, covered by Coordinated Care.
  • Camping and day use entry to WA State Parks: Free campsite and day use entry to foster and kinship care families with dependent children.
  • Camp Ten Trees: Residential camping programs for LGBTQ+ youth and youth of LGBTQ+ families.
  • Craft + Boogie: Easy crafts and activities, planned, prepped, and delivered. Request a craft kit sent to you for foster child(ren) age 3+ who are in your care.
  • DCYF Who to Contact Resources for Foster Parents and Kinship Caregivers: Knowing who to contact for different needs can be really hard for foster parents and kinship caregiver in a large child welfare system. This guide lets caregivers know who to contact about different topics.
  • DSHS Reduced Cost Service Guide: The Reduced Cost Services Guide highlights a variety of products and services available in or near Washington state that are offered at reduced cost for people meeting certain income levels.
  • Fosterful: Through trauma-informed care practices, provide nurturing environments and basic necessities to kids entering foster care. Located across the state and expanding.
  • God’s Closet: Children’s Clothing closet in with locations in: Deer Park, East Wenatchee, and Spokane, Yakima, Monroe, Des Moines, Lacey, and Vancouver.
  • IFoster: A free, members-only community supporting children in or at-risk of entry into child welfare, to access the resources and opportunities they need to become successful, independent adults.
  • Imagination Library of Washington: Enroll your child online. In 6-8 weeks, your child will receive their first book in the mail, ‘The Little Engine That Could’. Books arrive in the mail monthly until your child’s 5th birthday.
  • Kids Bowl Free: Select bowling centers and schools around the country are participating in the Kids Bowl Free program. This program is designed by bowling centers to give back to the community and provide a safe, secure, and fun way for kids to spend time this summer.
  • Royal Family Kids’ Camp: Summer camp especially designed with foster children in mind.
  • Sibling Strong: Reunite brothers and sisters who have Washington ties and who are separated because of foster care and other out-of-home care for camps and events that reinforce their
    sibling connection.
  • Team Celebrate: Provides Birthday cards and party supplies in Bellingham, Bothell, Bremerton, Burlington, Cowlitz County, Federal Way, Issaquah, Pasco, Poulsbo, Spokane.
  • Ted Brown Music Outreach: Free or reduced cost instruments. In addition they offer Instrument Exploration Camps.
  • Together We Rise: Offers many programs supporting youth in care: Birthday boxes, duffel bags, Bikes, Educational Scholarships and more.
  • Treehouse: Offers many programs to youth across the state including educational support, holiday
    gifts, driver’s assistance, a clothing closet and just in time funding program.
*Many regionally based opportunities are open to families from outside that region. That will be noted in the description.

Resource Library

Challenging placements or transitions are often a part of the fostering journey. There are a few things you can do to prepare for what comes next. Review this document for some added support. 

Check out this list of commonly used DCYF Acronyms for Caregivers

Becoming a licensed foster parent can feel overwhelming. Just take it one step at a time. Keep the Journey Towards Licensure: Foster” Checklist or “Journey Towards Licensure: Kinship” Checklist handy to track your progress or reference as you’re moving forward! You can check things off in whichever order works for you.

Si decide seguir adelante, puede echar un vistazo a la lista de verificación adjunta “Un camino hacia la licencia”. Esta lista resalta los pasos del proceso para que pueda que pueda estar al tanto de su progreso fácilmente.

Explore some Alliance Training and Alliance CaRES top trainings.  

As part of the Alliance CaRES program’s ongoing effort to support you as you support the children or youth in your care, we love sharing book ideas across age ranges that tell stories on a variety of themes that can help children in foster care.
Reading with a child strengthens the attachment between you. It’s also a great way to find an entry point for talking about and normalizing hard things, celebrating differences, and sharing values. Plus, of course, working on literacy and language skills!

View all the resources https://alliancecares.org/book-corner

The Alliance CaRES offices are closed Monday, September 4th, in observance of Labor Day. Thank you caregivers, social workers, and staff for all you do to care for families, youth, and children!