Training
Pre-Service Training for Foster Families
Training for new Prospective Foster Homes: The 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:
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The “Life of a Foster Care Case”
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Foster parent roles
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Keys to successful fostering
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Helping children with special needs
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Helping children who have experienced trauma
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Working with the child’s birth family
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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).
Continuing Education for Foster Families
Continued training for Foster Homes: In addition to the pre-service training, DCFS, under NRS 424.0365 requires licensed family foster homes, specialized foster homes, independent living foster homes or group foster homes engage in the following online training videos offered through Just In Time Training (JIT) each relicensing cycle (3.75 total credit hours):
Supplemental Education for Foster
Families
In addition to the required trainings, Foster homes can benefit from trainings offered on a variety of specific topics that best applies to their foster experience. Below is a directory of organizations that offer both live and pre-recorded trainings suitable for families working with foster youth.
Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI): Home – Quality Parenting Initiative
The Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI), is a national movement for foster care change, made up of a network of states, counties and private agencies committed to ensuring that all children in care have excellent parenting and lasting relationships so they can thrive and grow. QPI is built on the belief that excellent parenting with strong, positive relationships is the best intervention we can offer children to enable them to heal as they grow up to become adults. Creating a system that ensures excellent parenting requires the support and involvement of birth families, relative caregivers, foster families, young people, and others in the child welfare system. They offer monthly webinars for families that you can access through their monthly newsletter.
Just In Time Trainings (JIT): Nevada Just in Time Training | Home
Just in Time Training (JIT) Nevada’s Just in Time Training is a web based service program designed to connect foster parents, kinship or other caregivers with training, peer experts and other resources. They offer several ready-to-watch trainings for foster families on a variety of topics and host monthly live webinars on a new topic as well. You can access all trainings by clicking the Learning Management System Tab at the top of the page.
Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Adoption Support in Nevada – Family Resources | Raise The Future
TBRI® is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. TBRI® uses Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviors.
While the intervention is based on years of attachment, sensory processing, and neuroscience research, the heartbeat of TBRI® is connection. Regular trainings in TBRI are offered free for Nevada foster families through Raise The Future.
Nevada PEP Nevada PEP | Strengthening Families with Education, Empowerment, and Encouragement. Nevada PEP is a statewide organization serving families of children and youth with disabilities and behavioral health needs from birth to 26 and their service providers. They offer a variety of on-demand training workshops on special education, mental health care, and disability related topics. They are a leading advocated for our youth with IEP or 504 plans.
Families Rising (Formerly NACAC) Families Rising | Formerly North American Council on Adoptable Children Families Rising is a national network of foster families that provides evidence based trainings for foster, adoptive and kinship families.
Foster Club FosterClub | The National Network for Youth in Foster Care Foster Club is the national network for young people in care. They offer trainings, guides and resources for both young people in foster care and supportive adults. Foster club encourages foster teens to get involved legislation and advocacy for foster youth.
DCFS In House Virtual Trainings Intensive Family Services Staff within DCFS host periodic trainings on foster parenting via Microsoft Teams. In house trainings are emailed to foster families about a month in advanced.
Foster Kinship Foster Kinship – Help Keep Home in the Family Foster Kinship provides free programs for grandparents and other kinship caregivers including the required training for all kinship homes looking to become foster licensed. They also offer a variety of support programs for kinship families.
Independent Living Workshops Foster Youth – Ron Wood Family Resource Center Independent Living Workshops are offered online via ZOOM by the Independent Living Program in Ron Wood Family Resources weekly. All youth who have experience foster care at any point past age 13 are welcome to attend. The meetings are help for 30 minutes each Wednesday at 4PM and cover a different topic on life skills each week. The Zoom ID: is 487 374 3854
To learn more about raining 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.