Who we are

About Alongside

Established in 1976, Alongside has been a leading program in the region for finding safe, stable, and permanent families for youth living in foster care.

We help connect youth in foster care with families who can provide them with permanency—adoption, guardianship, or kinship care.

We are not an adoption agency but a bridge between families and youth in foster 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.

We honor the story of every young person and inspire permanent family connections.

Meet the staff

At Alongside, we work to make sure youth have a voice in their own futures. We lead with optimism and believe in the strengths of every young person we work with. We maintain high standards and, above all, respect the safety, privacy, and dignity of youth in foster care.

Kara Sidoran (she/her), program director

Laurie Bohm (she/her), program manager

Rockie Clark (she/her), family engagement specialist

Kailee Haong (she/her), youth engagement program manager

Ginger Seslar (she/her), youth engagement specialist

Aaron Smithmier (he/him), youth engagement specialist

Lori Woodbury (she/her), program assistant

Partners

We partner with the state child welfare agencies in the Northwest:

• Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families
• Oregon Department of Human Services

Adopt-A-Child Photography connects us with professional photographers who volunteer to take photos for youth profiles—capturing each youth’s unique personality.