Specialty Training Requirements

The trainings listed on this page are required for foster parents caring for specialty placements or children and youth with special needs. DCS foster parents and other parents with Brightspace accounts are strongly encouraged to complete the computer-based trainings linked below utilizing Brightspace. if you do not have a Brightspace account and need to complete these trainings quickly to fullfill requirement, please click the course titles linked below.

Click here to view the Policy 16.9 Attachment: Required Training Chart for Foster Parents

Course	Description
Adoption and Guardianship Preparation Required for DCS only parents who meet the pre-requisites outlined in Policy 16.9 Complete prior to adoption	AGP pre-adoption services are required for all DCS foster families serving a DCS custodial child placed in their home for the purpose of adoption. As part of ASAP services, parents will complete Adoption Prep Training. The training and services are offered by Harmony Family Center. Parents needing to participate in these services will be referred by the region at the appropriate time.
Autism, Sensory, and IDD Courses Required for foster parents caring for youth on the autism spectrum or who have an intellectual developmental disability Complete within 90 days of placement	Any course identified to fulfill this requirement, including the computer-based Autism Awareness in Child Welfare, accessible via Brightspace. A variety of trainings delivered by subject matter experts are also held throughout the year and at annual conferences to fulfill this requirement.
Caring for Children with Special Health Care Needs Required for foster parents caring for children or youth with special health care needs Complete prior to placement	Caring for Children with Special Health Care Needs is a course trained by a nurse and designed to provide to foster parents with information regarding types of services and medical care children with special healthcare needs may require. Self-care tips and resources are also shared to support foster parents who are caring for children with special healthcare needs. Click here to register for a live delivery.
Fostering Pregnant or Parenting Youth Required for foster parents caring for pregnant or parenting youth Complete within 30 days of placement	In this training, foster parents will learn to recognize the unique aspects of fostering teen parents; evaluate their own personal feelings toward teen parents; learn about medical compliance and policies surrounding pregnant and parenting foster youth; recognize how adolescent development creates challenges for these teens; and explore methods for discovering the resources that are available to teen parents from the foster care system.
Parenting the Justice Involved Youth Required for foster parents caring for youth adjudicated delinquent Complete prior to placement	This course is required for all foster parents fostering delinquent youth. This class allows foster parents to explore the benefits of fostering a delinquent youth. Participants will gain knowledge helpful in assisting a delinquent youth in addressing challenging behaviors, delinquent behaviors, adolescent development, and transitioning to home or independent living placement.
Trauma Informed Parenting Strategies Required for foster parents caring for youth adjudicated delinquent Complete within 90 days of placement	This course focuses on parenting teens through a trauma informed lens and includes a justice involved module for parents that will be caring for this population. Topics include an overview of trauma informed parenting, adolescent development, teen issues, trauma informed discipline, and working with justice involved youth. Click here to register for a live delivery.
Working with Children Who Have Diabetes Required for foster parents caring for children or youth with diabetes Complete within 24 hours of placement	Diabetes is a serious medical condition in which the body does not properly process food for use as energy. Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. Appropriate health care for children and youth in DCS custody who have diabetes is critical. In this training you will learn about the different types of diabetes and your role in ensuring the proper management of the disease. This training is appropriate for foster parents and staff who work with children and youth who have diabetes.

Course

Description

Adoption and Guardianship Preparation

Required for DCS only parents who meet the pre-requisites outlined in Policy 16.9

Complete prior to adoption

AGP pre-adoption services are required for all DCS foster families serving a DCS custodial child placed in their home for the purpose of adoption. As part of ASAP services, parents will complete Adoption Prep Training. The training and services are offered by Harmony Family Center. Parents needing to participate in these services will be referred by the region at the appropriate time.

Autism, Sensory, and IDD Courses

Required for foster parents caring for youth on the autism spectrum or who have an intellectual developmental disability

Complete within 90 days of placement

Any course identified to fulfill this requirement, including the computer-based Autism Awareness in Child Welfare, accessible via Brightspace.

A variety of trainings delivered by subject matter experts are also held throughout the year and at annual conferences to fulfill this requirement.

Caring for Children with Special Health Care Needs

Required for foster parents caring for children or youth with special health care needs

Complete prior to placement

Caring for Children with Special Health Care Needs is a course trained by a nurse and designed to provide to foster parents with information regarding types of services and medical care children with special healthcare needs may require. Self-care tips and resources are also shared to support foster parents who are caring for children with special healthcare needs.

Click here to register for a live delivery.

Fostering Pregnant or Parenting Youth

Required for foster parents caring for pregnant or parenting youth

Complete within 30 days of placement

In this training, foster parents will learn to recognize the unique aspects of fostering teen parents; evaluate their own personal feelings toward teen parents; learn about medical compliance and policies surrounding pregnant and parenting foster youth; recognize how adolescent development creates challenges for these teens; and explore methods for discovering the resources that are available to teen parents from the foster care system.

Parenting the Justice Involved Youth

Required for foster parents caring for youth adjudicated delinquent

Complete prior to placement

This course is required for all foster parents fostering delinquent youth. This class allows foster parents to explore the benefits of fostering a delinquent youth. Participants will gain knowledge helpful in assisting a delinquent youth in addressing challenging behaviors, delinquent behaviors, adolescent development, and transitioning to home or independent living placement.

Trauma Informed Parenting Strategies

Required for foster parents caring for youth adjudicated delinquent

Complete within 90 days of placement

This course focuses on parenting teens through a trauma informed lens and includes a justice involved module for parents that will be caring for this population. Topics include an overview of trauma informed parenting, adolescent development, teen issues, trauma informed discipline, and working with justice involved youth.

Click here to register for a live delivery.

Working with Children Who Have Diabetes

Required for foster parents caring for children or youth with diabetes

Complete within 24 hours of placement

Diabetes is a serious medical condition in which the body does not properly process food for use as energy. Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. Appropriate health care for children and youth in DCS custody who have diabetes is critical. In this training you will learn about the different types of diabetes and your role in ensuring the proper management of the disease. This training is appropriate for foster parents and staff who work with children and youth who have diabetes.