Article: Training Requirements for Foster Parents

Vol. 1, No. 1 • Spring 1997

Training Requirements for Foster Parents
by Hope Hunt and Sara West

The health, safety, and well-being of children in foster care depends on the ability of their foster families to care for them in a nurturing, supportive way. Most children who enter foster care have had traumatic, hurtful experiences. As a result, their ability to trust adults is shaken. To care for these children, foster families need to be well-fortified with knowledge, skills, and self awareness.

In 1994, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation to meet this need for foster parent education. As a result of the new law, the North Carolina Division of Social Services instituted new rules for training foster parents and launched a training initiative. This comprehensive training program represents an exciting direction in foster care services in North Carolina.

Beginning July 1, 1997, individuals applying to become foster parents are required to complete 30 hours of training before they can be licensed. The training consists of specific topics (see "Training Topics for New Foster Parents") and represents a move toward greater consistency of training across the state. Foster parents will now receive similar training whether they live in the mountains or on the coast of North Carolina.

The same initiative requires also training for foster parents who are already licensed. These individuals are required to complete 10 hours of training annually to maintain their license. Unlike the 30 hours of "pre-service" training, the 10 hours of "in-service" training may cover a variety of topics and may be obtained in a variety of settings.

For example, the licensing agency may help foster families meet in-service training requirements by offering training meetings on a regular basis. Other ways agencies might help foster parents meet this requirement include providing families with videos related to the kinds of children they care for; having the foster parents participate in therapy sessions with foster children; providing the foster parents with newsletters, books, and manuals relevant to foster parenting; encouraging foster parents to attend regional, state, or national conferences; and supporting their attendance of foster parent association meetings where there is a specified educational topic.

For families who care for HIV-diagnosed children, six of the 10 hours must be related to HIV and medical issues. Ideally, the training should be individualized to meet the needs of the foster family and their foster children.

One of the most prevalent concerns among foster families over the years has been that they have not felt prepared to face the challenges presented by children in foster care. These training requirements are designed to help remedy this concern. The NC Division of Social Services welcomes your responses and reactions to the new training program. Please direct your feedback to Rebecca Brigham, Team Leader for Staff Development, NC Division of Social Services, e-mail: [email protected].

Hope Hunt and Sara West are Program Consultants for the NC Division of Social Services.