FAQ

In our 90 years of creating strong families, there are few questions we have not encountered. The questions below, however, are those that are asked most frequently.

How can Amara help us adopt a child?
Who are the children that Amara places in adoptive homes?
What does the term “Foster-to-Adopt” mean?
What is a Home Study Document and why do we need one?
How long does the adoption process take?
Who can apply to be adoptive parents with Amara?
How can we apply to adopt a child through Amara?/a>
We’re considering adopting a sibling, but we are not quite sure if we can afford college tuition for two or three children. Would it be better, in our case, to adopt a single child?
We are a same-sex couple and wonder if our adoption will be valid in other states as well?
How many families do your Adoption and Foster Care Specialists serve simultaneously?
Can you tell me more about your Adoption and Foster Care Specialists?
What is Open Adoption?
Why do families choose to partner with Amara?
Do you offer support group meetings while we’re waiting for our child?

How can Amara help us adopt a child?
At Amara, we provide practical support to ensure that adoptive parents receive the training and guidance they need throughout the adoption process. We practice ongoing encouragement and open communication to help families along the way. The best way to understand how we can assist you is to attend one of our monthly Adoption Information Meetings.

Who are the children that Amara places in adoptive homes?
The children we place in adoptive homes represent the diversity of our community. We serve infants, toddlers and older children of any ethnic and cultural background. We place single children and sets of siblings.Many of these children are in Washington State foster care for their own safety and protection. Some are infants who have been relinquished to us by their birth parents. Because of their experiences, these children may need extra time and support to heal, to learn to trust and to catch up with their peers. But time and time again, we see our adoptive families provide the nurturing and guidance these children need to succeed. Families report the amazing leaps their children make once they know and understand they are home.

What does the term “Foster-to-Adopt” mean?
The term “Foster-to-Adopt” is used to describe the process of adopting a child from foster care. You’ll act as the child’s foster parent from the moment the child is placed in your home until the adoption is finalized.

What is a Home Study Document and why do we need one?
A Home Study Document, also known as a pre-placement report, is a detailed presentation of all aspects of your family as collected, observed and assessed by a qualified professional. Washington State law requires that you have an approved Home Study Document before a child is placed in your home for either temporary foster care or adoption. For each family we serve, Amara creates a comprehensive Home Study Document that meets our high standards. It’s our experience that a thorough and accurate description of a family facilitates the child search process and helps us find the best fit for the family and the child.

How long does the adoption process take?
Every adoption process—and every adoptive family—is unique. So it’s difficult to predict the duration of an adoption process. But we can give a rough idea of the timeline. We look at the timeline in three distinct phases: 1) Home Study, 2) Child and Family Matching and Placement and 3) Post-Placement through Adoption Finalization. In most cases we complete a Home Study in three to six months, though it may take longer. After the Home Study has been approved, it may take a few days or as long as two and a half years before a successful match between a child and a family is identified. The adoption of the child may be finalized between six months and two years after a child is placed in a foster-to-adopt home. The adoption of an infant or child who is directly relinquished to us may be finalized between ten weeks and three months.

Who can apply to be adoptive parents with Amara?
At Amara, anyone who is 21 years or older can apply. We know that adults from all walks of life can be great adoptive parents. We proudly serve caring adults regardless of marital status, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, home ownership, income or education.

How can we apply to adopt a child through Amara?
We ask that you first attend one of our adoption information meetings to learn about the process of adopting a child and how Amara can assist you. We want to ensure that you have a full understanding of the adoption process, who we are and how we can support you throughout the adoption journey. Application materials are available to attendees at the end of this meeting.

We’re considering adopting a sibling, but we are not quite sure if we can afford college tuition for two or three children. Would it be better, in our case, to adopt a single child?
There is no general answer to this question because each family is unique. But we’d like you to know that siblings in foster care first and foremost need a safe, loving family where they can grow up together. Unconditional love, stability, and consistency are probably the most important things you can give to a child. It would be wonderful if we could all help our children with their college tuition, but your capacity to do so is neither a requirement nor an expectation of Amara.

We are a same-sex couple and wonder if our adoption will be valid in other states as well?
If a same-sex couple jointly adopts a child in Washington State, the adoption is legally recognized by all other states, including states that don’t allow same-sex couples to adopt.

How many families do your Adoption and Foster Care Specialists serve simultaneously?
Each Adoption and Foster Care Specialist generally serves between 18 and 20 active families at any given time. This exceeds best practice standards.

Can you tell me more about your Adoption and Foster Care Specialists?
Each family works one-on-one with an assigned Adoption and Foster Care Specialist, and that Specialist works in daily concert with our entire team. Our Specialists are professionals, with advanced degrees in social work, mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, or related fields and/or significant experience in child welfare or adoption.

What is Open Adoption?
When an adoption is open, the child knows that he or she has been adopted and an avenue is created between the birth family and the adoptive family’s current and future communication. The degree of openness varies greatly among families. The birth and adoptive families can exchange letters and photos once or twice a year, either directly or through Amara. But they can also establish and maintain an ongoing, more personal relationship. We support open adoption at Amara. Research shows that children benefit from knowing their roots and being able to ask questions and to get answers about their adoption, and their birth families. And from our 90 years serving children, we know this to be true. At Amara, we provide training that helps in understanding and thinking about Open Adoption. The required class helps to form an Open Adoption Plan to fit the family with the adopted child.

Why do families choose to partner with Amara?
Many families come to us because we were recommended to them by our current or past client families. And we have families who return to work with us when they are ready to adopt another child. But we also know that many of our clients choose to work with us because of our experience¬—Amara has been working to create strong families since 1921. And families often choose to work with us because of our core value that there is no single definition of “family.” We are proud to offer our services to everyone age 21 or older, regardless of marital status, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, home ownership, income or education.

Do you offer support group meetings while we’re waiting for our child?
Yes, we offer monthly support group meetings for Amara families at any stage of the process. Typically, a guest speaker will discuss a topic related to adoption or parenting, followed by Q & A. Next, parents will join small discussion groups to exchange experiences on a more personal level. Parent support group meetings take place on the third Thursday of each month, 6:00 – 8:00 pm at Amara. We provide dinner, beverages and child care.