LEXINGTON, Ky. – In an effort to support the launch of the National Training Development Curriculum (NTDC) for prospective foster parents, the Foster Parent Mentor Program at the University of Kentucky focused its Spring Enrichment Session on equipping mentors about the tenants of the training so that they can effectively reinforce what is being taught throughout their mentoring experiences with newly approved foster parents.
The NTDC is a research-based curriculum developed by Spaulding for Children and funded by the Children’s Bureau for the Department of Health and Human Services. Creators sought the insights of child welfare experts, foster and adoptive parents, and former foster and adopted youth to bring a well-rounded view of out-of-home care for families in the child welfare system.
During the FPMP annual Spring Enrichment Session for mentors this May, Jeff Damron and Tamikia Dumas, FPMP coordinators, invited Jennifer Barr, the Cabinet’s Social Services Training Specialist, to present on the new Foster Parent initial training series, NTDC.
“At the Spring Enrichment Session, mentors learned how to navigate the new training now posted on their Mentor Dashboard and were encouraged to envision additional mentoring initiatives to help reinforce skills presented in the NTDC,” Damron said.
In Kentucky, the training includes six three-hour sessions designed to build a solid foundation for parenting another’s child in temporary care. Broad training topics include healthy child development, building healthy relationships with children and attachment, behavior management and the impact of grief and loss, mental and emotional health, and racially and culturally sensitive parenting.
Mentors were also provided an update on the Kentucky Just in Time training, a resource with hundreds of training courses that speak to needs that foster parents face in providing out-of-home care. These trainings can be accessed at any time, with no cost for the caregiver.
The Kentucky Department for Community Based Services also provides an array of resources and programs that address the needs of the teen population in foster care, beginning at age 16. These resources are called KY RISE (Resources for Independence, Success, and Empowerment). Mentors were given a tour of the KY RISE website so that they are better equipped to support and empower new mentees working with teens.
Self-care was another important topic at the Spring Enrichment Session, as well as increased mentee engagement.
“Mentors were briefed on plans currently being considered to better promote mentee engagement during their six-month mentoring period and provided a strong encouragement to remember the importance of caregivers engaging in self-care,” Damron said.
Through these trainings, the FPMP looks to prepare mentors to provide newly approved foster parents with a wide range of information concerning resources available to meet the needs of the children placed in their care. “Remember your training,” is a phrase that mentors often repeat as they help newly approved foster parents navigate a path toward success and satisfaction.
“One of the goals of the Foster Parent Mentor Program is placement stability and prevention of disruption. The Spring Enrichment Session is one way to provide information and encouragement to mentors while they are supporting newly approved foster parents during the mentor match,” Damron said. “Mentors appreciate the opportunity the Spring Enrichment Session allows to share strategies that have proven to be successful in helping newly approved foster parents stay the course during difficult and trying moments with placements.”
The Foster Parent Training Program also launched the Critical On-going Resource Education (CORE) Teen Training program in 2022, now being taught throughout the state of Kentucky due to its success. Foster parents now have the opportunity to attend sessions offered at various locations, modalities and times.
CORE Teen is a trauma-informed, evidence-based training program for new and existing foster parents. CORE Teen educates parents on how to increase resiliency and parent towards the behavioral needs of foster teens with moderate to severe emotional and behavioral needs.
The training program was developed by Spaulding for Children—in partnership with the ChildTrauma Academy; the Center for Adoption Support and Education; the North American Council on Adoptable Children; and the University of Washington— and was awarded a three-year grant from the Children’s Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families to create the curriculum.
“Behaviors resulting from moderate to serious emotional health challenges and past trauma make it more likely teens will be placed in restrictive settings and age out of the child welfare system without achieving permanency. In an effort to keep youth with higher needs in families, resource parents must have specialized knowledge and skills. The development of effective trauma-informed and culturally responsive training will reduce the risk of placement disruptions and increase permanency options, while also helping recruit new resource parents,” Spaulding, 2022.
The FPTP, in collaboration with the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), hosts seven sessions, each ranging from 2-2.5 hours.
- Session 1 – Introduction & Understanding the Impact of Trauma on Youth in Foster Care
- Session 2 – Parenting Youth Who Have Experienced Trauma
- Session 3 – Developing and Sustaining a Healthy and Supportive Relationship with Your Youth
- Session 4 – Nurturing Youth’s Cultural/Racial/Ethnic Needs and Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and Expression
- Session 5 – Understanding and Managing Youth’s Challenging Behaviors – Part 1
- Session 6 – Understanding and Managing Youth’s Challenging Behaviors – Part 2
- Session 7 – A New Suitcase of Parenting Knowledge and Skills
The collaboration with DCBS is important as it helps to increase parental involvement throughout the Commonwealth.
“DCBS foster parents are required to actively participate in ongoing foster parent training credit for their yearly requirements. This not only ensures that we have adequate participation, but also that Kentucky foster parents are equipped to parent youth who experience the foster care system,” Carla Jordan, FPTP coordinator, said. Foster Parents are able to help to mitigate trauma and teach skills that will enable their youth to live healthy, successful lives.
FPTP invests in the community by ensuring that foster youth receive adequate care and support through its commitment to providing training services and support by trained professionals.
“We offer CORE Teen Training Programs as well as a CORE Teen Support Group is also offered through the Training Resource Center. The support group meets as an extension to the class and offers real-time support and solutions to parents who may have questions and need additional information,” Jordan said. “The CORE TEEN Support Group also helps foster parents by connecting them with individuals who can provide moral support and share effective strategies when they encounter difficulties at home with their teenagers who might be facing crisis situations.
The impact of the FPTP and the CORE Teen Training Program is evident across families in the Commonwealth.
“I loved this entire series of training and learned so much. It opened up communication with us as a group and in general. This should certainly be something that continues for all foster parents and DCBS workers,” a CORE Teen participant said.
To learn more, or to register for the upcoming training session or support group please visit: https://ceu.uky.edu/kentucky-foster-adoptive-parent-training-and-support/. You may also contact Carla Jordan at 859-257-1228 or via email at Carla.Jordan@uky.edu.
