Northwest Adoption Exchange
Northwest Adoption Exchange connects youth in foster care with families who can provide them with permanency—adoption, guardianship, or kinship care.
Funded by state agencies in the Northwest, individual donors, and private businesses, we provide information and support to families looking to parent from foster care, partner with state child welfare agencies in their family-finding efforts, engage youth who wish to be involved in the family finding process, and collaborate with the advocates in a youth’s life. Established in 1976, Northwest Adoption Exchange has been a leading program in the region for finding safe, stable, and permanent families for youth living in foster care for more than 40 years.
We honor the story of every young person and inspire permanent family connections.
Services and information
- Traditional Foster Care
- Specialized / Therapeutic Care
- Emergency Foster Care
- Respite Foster Care
- Adoption
Requirements to become a foster parent
If you have questions or you're experiencing an emergency, contact your Child Welfare Office. If you're dealing with a medical emergency, contact 911 immediately.
The crisis support line for your local Child Welfare Office is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There is also after-hours support via the Contact Central Intake at 1-800-301-1868.
Washington residents can also access their regional mental health crisis line regardless of whether they have insurance. These helplines are open and staffed 24/7 all year round.
Washington foster families also have the Alliance Caregiver Retention, Education, and Support (CaRES) program. New parents can learn from CaRES mentors. Alliance CaRES partners with the Department of Children, Youth & Families to provide resources and assistance to foster and kinship families across the state.
Foster parents can also access discounts across Washington, such as state parks, zoos, etc. You can find more information about these free programs and discounts on the CaRES website.
Online tools, such as foster parent portals, help make fostering easier and streamline the application process.
Ratings and Reviews
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Jun 21, 2019
Gave me excellent guidance !
Mar 14, 2018
Very helpful.