Preservice

  • The Level One, or Preservice, component of the Foster and Adoptive Care training is for the recruitment, preparation, assessment, and selection of prospective foster parents and adoptive parents.The five essential competency categories for foster and adoptive parents are:
    • Protecting and nurturing children;
    • Meeting children’s developmental needs, and addressing developmental delays;
    • Supporting relationships between children and their families;
    • Connecting children to safe, nurturing relationships intended to last a lifetime; and
    • Working as a member of a professional team.

Important

Department of Health and Human Resources families must attend a mandatory Orientation Session exactly one week before each Level One (Preservice) round at their local office. Please contact the local office to confirm the time and place of the Orientation Session. Families working with other foster care agencies are not required to attend the DHHR Orientation Session.

Participants may call their contact at their local Department of Health and Human Resources,  the local Therapeutic/Specialized Family Foster Care Agency, or the Social Work Department at Concord University at 1-800-716-4998 to verify that the session the participant wishes to attend is being offered. It is possible that a session could be canceled or rescheduled due to unforeseen circumstances. The intent is that the schedule will not be changed.

Please note that if county schools are closed due to inclement weather, there will be no training in that county. Trainers and participants will work together to reschedule the training.


Inservice

  • Foster and Adoptive Care Level II , or Inservice, training includes 10 modules, totaling 27 hours of training. The Level II training curriculum includes the following modules:
    • Chemical Dependency
    • Promoting Cultural and Personal Identity
    • Building Effective Communication Skills
    • Issues Related to Sexuality
    • Promoting a Positive Self-Esteem
    • Working with Sexually Abused Children
    • Complex Behaviors
    • Using Discipline to Protect, Nurture, and Meet Developmental Needs
    • Supporting Relationships Between Children and Their Families
    • Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Domestic Violence

    Level II modules and Level III modules present an opportunity for foster and adoptive parents to deepen their level of knowledge and skills. The ten Level II modules build upon the Level One, or Preservice, modules. The Level III modules are presented to address issues brought by our families, or to deal with specific problem areas. Additionally, three trauma modules have been added. These modules must be taken consecutively as soon as possible after Level I has been completed.

    In addition to their participation in classroom-style Level II training, the foster and adoptive parents’ learning needs identified during the Family Development Plan (FDP) may be addressed through other available educational supports. Including consultations with agency staff from particular program areas, with foster and adoptive support specialists, and with representatives from local human service agencies. Print materials (books, magazines, pamphlets, articles, etc.,) videos, and self-instruction materials may also be made available for advancing foster and adoptive parents’ level of knowledge and skills.

    Resource material, assembled in PRIDE books and issued to participants, are important components. These materials  include printed content and worksheets to be used during each session and information which may also be used at home as an ongoing resource. A special feature of the training is performing the Level One (Preservice) and Level II (Inservice) Foster and Adoptive Care Training Activities.  These are “at-home activities” which provide opportunities for foster and adoptive parents to practice what they learned in training  and/or to prepare them for learning new  information in future sessions.

When and Where

If you wish to attend a Level II, Level III or Trauma training, you must contact Concord University Social Work Department at 1-304-716-4998 or wvfact@concord.edu to pre-register for all Inservice trainings at least 48 hours before the training begins.

In the event the minimum attendance limit is not met for a particular session, it may be canceled unless the home finding specialist requests otherwise. If a Level II training is canceled, only registered participants will be directly notified. It is our hope that no sessions will be canceled; therefore, it is extremely important to pre-register.

Please do not duplicate or repeat training topics unless directed to do so by your agency representative. Unauthorized repetitions will not count towards your yearly training requirement.

Please note that if county schools are closed due to inclement weather, there will be no training in that county. Participants will be contacted in regard to rescheduling the training.

For more information you may email us at: wvfact@concord.edu

Children are not allowed to attend the sessions, we apologize for the inconvenience.