Training
Our Foster Parent Pre-Service Training consists of 8 hours of instructor led, online based training. In addition, homework assignments are given after each session that help participants solidify and deepen their understanding and learning of that session. Overall, the training includes various topics that will help prepare prospective foster parents to provide strong, consistent, loving, and trauma informed care. Topics covered in the training include:
- The “Life of a Foster Care Case”
- Foster parent roles
- Keys to successful fostering
- Helping children with special needs
- Helping children who have experienced trauma
- Working with the child’s birth family
- Transitions experienced by children when changing homes
The training includes instruction from experienced DCFS staff, discussion, small group exercises, films, and presentations by former foster youth who are now adults and various people and programs that may be part of a child’s team. The training is held live on the Microsoft Teams platform (similar to Zoom).
In addition, DCFS is developing trainings on specific topics for parents in their first year of fostering. These are brief trainings of 30 minutes to two hour trainings held virtually, in-person, or previously recorded. Some of the topics include attachment, food issues, sexualized behaviors, boundaries, self-care, and more.
These courses are designed to be a “deeper dive” into some of the issues and behaviors that foster children often bring to the home. The instructors are mental health clinicians and have years of experience working in the child welfare and children’s mental health systems.
To learn more about the training and how to become registered, please contact Foster Care Recruiter, Shelby Riley at 1-888-423-2659 or by email: shelby.riley@dcfs.nv.gov.