Washington post-adoption support

Below are post-adoption support services available to families who live in Washington. Services may not be available in all areas and/or may be dependent upon the circumstances of the placement. Please check with your post-adoption services provider about the availability of specific post-adoption or guardianship support services for your family. You can also visit Child Welfare Information Gateway for information on Adoption and Guardianship Assistance, as well as additional information on post-adoption support.

Post-adoption/guardianship support services

In Washington, adoptive families have access to the following services through a post-adoption support program:

Child/youth psychosocial or neuropsychological assessments: Parents and caregivers can request this service with pre-authorization from the Adoption Support Consultant. Adoption Support will pay the clinician a portion of the costs for these assessments
Information (websites, fact sheets, articles, etc.)
Navigation, advocacy, referral to services
Training/other development: Training opportunities are available through Apple Health Coordinated Care and the Alliance for Child Welfare Excellence
Community-based therapeutic services
In-home therapeutic services
Crisis intervention and family preservation: Parents and caregivers request evidence-based therapeutic services with a pre-authorization from the Adoption Support Consultant, included are Promoting First Relationships, Incredible Years, Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Functional Family Therapy (FFT), Positive Parenting Program (PPP), and Family Preservation Services (FPS)

Who is eligible for these services?

Families who are receiving an adoption subsidy from the state of Washington.
Families who are receiving a guardianship subsidy from the state of Washington are eligible for parental counseling, evidence-based practices, and other services available through the use of Washington State Adoption Savings Funds.
Families who adopted outside of the state’s foster care system are eligible for information, navigation, and referral services.

Who provides these services?

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families provides post-permanency services directly to eligible families. Parents request services by contacting Adoption Support Consultants. To learn more about the services available, to find your regional office, or to contact a consultant, visit the state’s Adoption Support Program website. Families receiving a guardianship subsidy should contact their subsidy assigned caseworker.

Parent support groups and other supportive services

Below are support groups for adoptive, kinship, and foster families. Support groups may be offered as part of a state’s post-adoption/guardianship support program, through a statewide or regional foster or adoptive parent association, through specific agencies, or may be run independently. If we have additional information about the group’s purpose or the community served, it is provided under the group’s contact information.

To add a group or make a suggestion, email the AdoptUSKids family support team.