Foster Care Training Schedule

PS Class 1: Orientation to Foster Care, Kinship Care, and Adoption

Pre-Service Class 1 provides an overview of the child welfare system and examines the differences between foster care, adoption, and kinship care. Participants receive information about the needs of waiting children as well as the process of becoming a foster or kinship caregiver or adoptive parent.

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

PS Class 2: The Child Protection Team

Pre-service class 2 discusses the history and goals of foster care, kinship care, and adoption and examines the role of foster and kinship caregivers and adoptive parents within the system. Emphasis is placed on the primary care team: the child, the foster or kinship caregiver or adoptive parent, the primary parent, and the agency caseworker. Participants become aware of strategies to use teams effectively to serve children and families.

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

PS Class 3&4: Child Development and Trauma & Its Effects

** Please note that classes 3 and 4 have been combined into one 3 hour class.

Pre-service class 3 & 4 introduces the core concepts of early childhood development. Participants receive an overview of brain development and gain an awareness of the importance of attachment, self-regulation, and initiative to child development. Factors that enhance development are also addressed. This class helps participants understand how childhood trauma can effect development, including brain development, as well as emotions and behavior.

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

PS Class 5: Child Sexual Abuse

Pre-service class 5 provides an overview of child sexual abuse and is designed to help prospective caregivers and adoptive parents understand basic facts about child sexual abuse, recognize potential indicators of sexual abuse, and take beginning steps to making their homes safe environments for children who have been sexually abused.

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

PS Class 6: Minimizing the Trauma of Placement

Pre-service class 6 addresses strategies caregivers and adoptive parents can use to help the child feel safe and accepted in their home and community. The importance of gathering background information and maintaining connections is stressed.

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

PS Class 7: Transcending Differences in Placement

Pre-service class 7 helps participants gain awareness of their own diversity in order to better understand the diversity of each child that comes into their home. Participants also consider ways they can prepare their home and community to welcome and provide a safe and nurturing environment for a child.

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

PS Class 8: Helping the Child Manage Emotions and Behaviors

Pre-service class 8 introduces foster and kinship caregivers and adoptive parents to strategies they can use to assist children in learning to manage their emotions and control their behaviors.

**Training is currently happening in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

PS Class 9: Understanding Primary Families

Pre-service class 9 presents a rationale for involvement of foster and kinship caregivers and adoptive parents in promoting connections to primary family members, particularly primary parents and siblings. The training encourages a non-judgmental approach to the caregiver’s or parent’s work with primary families to promote reunification.

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

PS Class 10: The Effects of Caregiving on the Caregiver Family

Pre-service class 10 examines the impact of foster care, kinship care, and adoption on individual members of the caregiving family as well as the impact on their relationships with one another. Participants are introduced to effective coping strategies to prevent against burnout and secondary traumatic stress.

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

Reivew for Alternative Caregivers and Respite Providers

This one hour class provides an over view of foster care rules and polices for individuals becoming approved as alternative caregivers or respite providers to care for foster children.

** Please note that this class is not eligible for ongoing training credit and is only approved for Alternative Care and Respite Providers.

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

PS Class 11: Long-Term Separation

Pre-service class 11 describes the emotions children experience when reunification efforts with the birth parents fail. Feelings of adopted children and children in long-term substitute care placements are explored. Participants will learn about typical triggers of long-term grief.

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

PS Class 12: Post Adoption Issues for Families

Pre-service class 12 describes adoption dynamics impacting families. Openness in adoption is addressed as well as stages of adjustment for new adoptive families. Post adoption services including subsidy are also discussed in this module.

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

July Foster Parent Support Meeting – Self Care

This training is an elective credit and the topic of discussion will change monthly.  It is a chance for Beech Acres families to gather together, discuss relevant topics, and encourage each other.  (open only to Beech Acres affiliated attendees)

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NCI) Refresher

Seats are limited for this class. Please pre-register in advance for approval to attend.

This is an abridged refresher course. Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® training is a behavior management system that teaches simple skills for assessing, managing, and responding to risk behavior. The focus is on verbal de-escalation, prevention, and early intervention.

Required annually for all foster parents after completing NCI Initial.

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

August Foster Parent Support Meeting

This training is an elective credit and the topic of discussion will change monthly.  It is a chance for Beech Acres families to gather together, discuss relevant topics, and encourage each other.  (open only to Beech Acres affiliated attendees)

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

Independent Living

This ongoing training aimed to provide foster parents the necessary tools to understand, teach, and encourage independent living skills. All foster parents are welcome to attend. If you are licensed to care for children who are 14 or older, this is a required training to be completed once per licensure period.

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

September Foster Parent Support Meeting

This training is an elective credit and the topic of discussion will change monthly.  It is a chance for Beech Acres families to gather together, discuss relevant topics, and encourage each other.  (open only to Beech Acres affiliated attendees)

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

Foster Parent Support Meeting

This training is an elective credit and the topic of discussion will change monthly.  It is a chance for Beech Acres families to gather together, discuss relevant topics, and encourage each other.  (open only to Beech Acres affiliated attendees)

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

Foster Parent Support Meeting

This training is an elective credit and the topic of discussion will change monthly.  It is a chance for Beech Acres families to gather together, discuss relevant topics, and encourage each other.  (open only to Beech Acres affiliated attendees)

**Training is currently occurring in a virtual environment. All dates and locations are subject to change as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.