Congratulations to all the high school graduates on the Adoption Support Program! This is a major milestone, and we wish all the graduates the best.

Here are some resources for you and your youth to explore as they plan for their future.

Financial Aid

• Independent Student (FAFSA): Apply in October 2026 for 2027-2028 academic year. If the youth was in a dependency and then adopted after their 13th birthday, the youth can file their application as an “Independent Student”
• State financial aid participating institutions: These institutions offer state aid after applying for FAFSA. Specific program requirements apply.
• theWashBoard.org: An online scholarship database that is free to sign up and matches students with scholarship opportunities.
• College Bound Scholarship: Youth who were in a dependency and adopted after their 14th birthday continue any eligibility they previously had for this resource.

College and Career Tools

• careerbridge.wa.gov: Career exploration tool matches career clusters based on your interest, along with where education/training programs are located, average salary information, and more.
• College and Career Knowledge: Guide by grade level to get you prepared for after graduation.

On Campus Support

• Passport Designated Support Staff: Assistance on campus to help navigate educational and basic needs resources.

Resources available for youth adopted at older ages

• Foster Youth Services: Offers a variety of resources for youth who exited care at older ages.
• Independent Living Program (ILS): Youth are eligible for the IL program if they were in an established dependency for at least 30 days between their 15th and 18th birthday. Once initial eligibility is determined, the youth will continue to be eligible.

Note that most of these resources have specific age and other requirements, so please read each resource closely. Our program does not manage any of these resources.

For specific questions, please contact each program directly.

When your young person seems unmotivated, try not to assume they are being lazy or difficult. They may feel overwhelmed, stressed, unsure where to begin, afraid of failing, or disconnected from the goal. Start by listening and asking, “What is making this hard?”

Help them choose one small first step, be clear about what needs to be done, and offer a couple of reasonable choices so they have some control. Keep routines simple, use reminders when helpful, and notice effort and improvement — not just whether everything gets finished. Connection, encouragement, and small successes usually work better than lectures, threats, or taking over. If the change lasts for several weeks or comes with sadness, irritability, low energy, sleep changes, isolation, or losing interest in things they normally enjoy, talk with their healthcare provider because the problem may be something more than just being “unmotivated.”

Before You Start the Conversation

1. Am I calm and ready to listen, or am I about to speak out of frustration?
2. Is my expectation clear, realistic, and appropriate for this young person right now?
3. Have I tried to understand what may be getting in the way instead of assuming they simply do not care?

References

• Harvard Center on the Developing Child: A Guide to Executive Function
• American Academy of Pediatrics: Building Blocks for Healthy Self-Esteem in Kids
• National Institute of Mental Health: Children and Mental Health

Washington State Kinship Navigator Program

Kinship Care is the full-time nurturing, care, and protection of a child by a relative or close family friend.

A Kinship Navigator can guide you toward resources for financial, legal, and community supports. In Washington state there are services for kinship caregivers and their families. Kinship Navigators are experts who help caregivers by providing information and support, and can connect you with lots of services in the community.

Find a Kinship Navigator

A Common Voice, Center of Parent Excellence (COPE)
COPE provides peer-led support for parents and caregivers of children and youth with behavioral health needs. COPE strives to ensure parents and caregivers have hope and know they are not on their journey alone.

Lead Parent Support Specialists are parent leaders with lived experience as parents/caregivers who partner with families to provide support, guidance, advocacy, and hope. They provide compassionate one on one support unique to each family’s journey. They connect people to resources and empower them with knowledge to help with navigating the children’s behavioral health system.

In addition, they offer parent support groups that facilitate real connections, provide expert-led support, are convenient and accessible (virtual connections), and build confidence as we are stronger together.

COPE is open to any parent navigating the behavioral health system for their children, with or without insurance, and their youth does not have to enroll in services to receive support from COPE.
Referrals can be submitted online through the Support and Services page of the COPE website and can be initiated by parents, caregivers, providers, schools, and community partners.

COPE is committed to a 24 to 48 hour turnaround with every referral. A Lead Parent Support Specialist will reach out to the parent or caregiver within that timeframe to introduce services, answer questions and begin building a supportive connection.