DSW Program

Positive Adoption Language: Part 1 will discuss the power and impact of words and terminology related to adoption and foster care. This training will provide strategies to help parents reword

New Placements: Preparing & Adjusting Family Roles will help foster and adoptive parents introduce new placements into their existing family units. It gives ideas and strategies on how to prepare

Understanding the Brain and Fear Responses in Traumatized Children provides an overview of brain development and how fight/flight/freeze fear responses may manifest in children who have experienced trauma. In addition,

Confidentiality in Foster Care explores the importance of protecting the confidentiality of children in care. It offers strategies for how sensitive information about children in care can be communicated in

Learning to Communicate: Developing Social Skills will equip parents to understand the process of communicating with children, teaching children to communicate with adults and peers, and developing interpersonal social skills.

Preventing Child Abuse: Types, Signs & Symptoms will inform parents of the definition of child abuse and ways it can be prevented. It provides descriptions and statistics of different types

Preparing Children for Permanency equips foster/adoptive parents with strategies to prepare children for permanency. It offers insight on the thoughts and emotional reactions that a child transitioning to permanency may

Transracial Parenting: Ages 12-18 explores the unique experiences of transracial foster/adoptive families and examines developmental stages of racial identity development in youth ages twelve to eighteen. The training provides strategies

Attachment & Bonding with your Foster & Adopted Child equips parents to enhance their relationship with foster/adopted children by teaching them the basics about bonding and attachment. This training also

A Guide to Coping with Allegations explores the prevalence of false allegations of abuse and neglect amongst foster homes and reasons such allegations may arise. Strategies for preventing false allegations

Understanding a Case Through the Child Welfare System will provide foster and adoptive parents knowledge on how a case progresses through the child welfare system. Each case may include removal,

Adoption: Understanding Your Commitment explores adoption dissolution. It addresses the impact on a child and family when adoption dissolution occurs and offers strategies and resources to prevent it. After completing

Creating Memories & Meaningful Family Traditions for Blended Families will inform parents of triggers children in their home may have and what they can do as parents to help create

Description A Child’s Education: Rights & Responsibilities will inform parents of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The training informs foster and adoptive parents of the processes used to

Transracial Parenting: Ages 0-5 explores the unique experiences of transracial families and examines developmental stages of racial identity development in young children. It offers strategies to create an environment that

Healthy Boundaries in Teenage Relationships explores healthy and unhealthy dating behaviors. It is designed to assist caregivers in identifying warning signs that a teen may be involved in an abusive

Drugs: Things You Need to Know is designed to inform parents of the many different classifications of illicit drugs, as well as the current trends related to adolescent drug abuse.

Blended Families: Parenting Children When They Don’t Get Along assists caregivers with identifying issues that children may experience that are unique to blended families. It offers strategies to create a

Strategies to Remain Positive When Adopting describes common behaviors that the child(ren) may exhibit as well as feelings adoptive parents may have during the adoption process, including grief and post-adoption

Healthy Boundaries: Strategies for Answering Tough Questions helps foster and adoptive parents understand the importance of setting boundaries in their lives. It explains the different types of boundaries (Physical and

ARC Meetings & IEPs: The Basics will help foster and adoptive parents understand the process of an ARC Meeting and gain a better perspective of what an IEP will look

First Steps: Kentucky’s Early Intervention System explores the services provided by this program. Participants learn how to refer children ages zero to three who have developmental delays, or medical conditions

Working with Birth Families to Achieve Permanency will equip foster parents many different ways to positively work with birth families toward the initial goal of reunification. The training also discusses

Helping Foster & Adopted Children Transition to a New School will assist foster/adoptive parents in preparing to enroll a child in a new school. It will also provide practical tips

Promoting Stability & Increasing Resiliency for Children in Care explores the concepts of stability and resiliency and introduces skills for building resiliency in children who have experienced trauma. After completing this

Helping Your Child to Succeed in School will increase the ability of foster/adoptive parents to understand educational challenges faced by foster/adopted children. It will give resource parents the tools for

Keeping Families Strong provides foster parents insight on how to keep partnerships, families and friendships strong while providing care to out of home children. It will also provide strategies for

Bullying provides parents an overview of bullying behaviors that children, teens, and young adults may encounter and the effects it has on children, youth and society as a whole. This