Foster Care





Bethany trains and supports families who are willing to open their hearts and homes to children who need a loving home in which to stay while their parents are receiving treatment, counseling or other services that may be necessary in order for them to provide a stable home for their child. For many children in foster care, the sad reality is their biological parents cannot overcome their challenges - these children desperately need permanent, stable, and nurturing homes.

Foster homes are needed for both short-term care (King County only) and for longer stays. Foster homes are also needed for pregnant women (shepherding homes) and occasionally for infants waiting for adoptive placement.

Foster parenting children in crisis is not an easy job. It takes commitment, determination, creativity, love, and calls upon the best of your parenting skills. Foster parents are lifeguards for these children.

Here are some things to consider as you think about becoming a foster parent:

  • Are you willing to accept a foster child into your home possibly at an inconvenient hour, such as during the night or at a time that interrupts other planned activities?
  • Do you have a reliable source of regular income? Foster care payments are meant for the added expense of the child, not as the only source of income.
  • Do you have room in your home for another bed or crib, either in a private bedroom or one shared by one of your children?
  • Are you or your spouse at home at least part-time? Or full-time, if you want to care for preschool aged children?
  • Do you have a reliable means of transportation for taking a child to the doctor, to school, or other places?
  • If you have children of your own, are they excited about sharing their parent(s) and helping you to help other children in need?
  • Most of all, do you have lots of love, patience, stability, and attention to give to a child whose young life is in crisis?

Foster Parent Connection

Helpful Links
Washington Department of Social and Health Services - www1.dshs.wa.gov/ca/fosterparents
Foster Parents Association of Washington - www.fpaws.org
Treehouse (an organization that helps give foster kids a childhood) - www.treehouse4kids.org
Northwest Adoption Exchange - www.nwae.org

A special thanks to those who donated flowers in May!
View Our Donors!

For more information please contact the Foster Care Specialist near you:
Bellingham Office
Amie Haskins
1031 N State St, Ste 108
Bellingham, WA 98225-5306
360.733.6042
bcsbellingham@bethany.org		Seattle Office
Erin Mathias
12360 Lake City Way NE, Ste 301
Seattle, WA 98125-5447
206.367.4604
bcsseattle@bethany.org

STAFF



Amie Haskins
Pregnancy Counselor
Foster Care Specialist
Bellingham

Erin Mathias
Foster Care Specialist
Seattle Office
Shannon Podgorski
Adoption Specialist
Foster Care Supervisor
State Adoption Supervisor
South Sound