Youth engagement

Centering youth voices, connecting families

At Northwest Adoption Exchange (NWAE), engagement is at the heart of what we do. We build bridges that connect families and youth in foster care.

Through NWAE In-Depth Profiles and Youth-Led Permanency Consultations, youth take the lead in their own journey. We help young people create digital stories that share their personalities, strengths, and dreams. And we support prospective parents with tools and opportunities to connect with youth in care.

Youth engagement means involving young people in decisions that shape their futures. When youth are genuinely engaged, they’re more likely to find lasting connections that feel right for them.

For families, youth engagement offers something powerful: a more authentic understanding of who the young person is. You get to know them beyond what’s in a file—you see and hear them as they want to be seen.

This year, we’re expanding our youth engagement work through the Youth Narrative Project, in partnership with the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) placement desk. Through the project, youth create videos that share their stories, strengths, and dreams. The videos give potential foster families a more holistic, humanized picture of who the young person is and what matters most to them.

Be part of the connection

NWAE helps prospective parents open the door to connection through resources, support, and programs like family profiles and Youth-Led Permanency Consultations.

Family profiles are available to families with a foster parent license or a completed home study, in Washington state. Profiles are published on our secure, password-protected website and help youth and caseworkers get to know you better. Learn more about creating an account and crafting a great family profile.

Youth-Led Permanency Consultations guide families toward making new connections. Youth and caseworkers watch videos from potential families to help the young person explore the qualities they value most.

Our team will help you create a short and engaging video for your NWAE family profile. As one youth shared with our team, “It was helpful, and interesting to see families. Better than just being told about a family. You don’t really know what you’re getting into when a worker just tells you there’s a family in Aberdeen or wherever. This gives a much better picture of what’s out there and it opened my eyes to some new things.”

Learn more about Youth-Led Permanency Consultations.

NWAE is here to help! Here’s how to get started:

• Learn more about the youth seeking permanency
• Join an information session
• Meet with our family engagement specialist

Remember, you don’t have to do this alone. We’re here to help you and all our services are free for families.