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 determine eligibility requirements for children with disabilities. In addition, this training will equip participants to ensure children ages three to twenty-one have access to the tools […]

Building Positive Relationships with Case Workers & Community Partners provides foster parents the information and tools needed to establish a positive working relationship with their caseworker and child’s caseworker, with the goal of providing the best possible continuum of care for the child. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Work in partnership […]

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 peaceful environment for children within a blended family who are experiencing difficulty getting along with one another. It also offers tools to empower children to […]

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 training also provides strategies to help prevent and intervene if bullying is suspected, or what to do if you suspect your child is exhibiting bullying […]

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 like. It offers strategies and ideas to help parents be prepared the ARC meetings. This training also offers sample IEP goals and objectives to give […]

Child Development 0-5 explores the typical milestones, or skills, that children develop from birth through age 5. It offers resources that caregivers can utilize to determine if a developmental screening may be warranted. Strategies for successfully advocating on behalf of children to receive needed assessments and services are explored. After completing this training, participants will […]

Fostering & Adopting At-Risk Children explores categories of at-risk behaviors among children and adolescents that may lead to negative consequences, like poor health, injury or death. It assists foster/adoptive parents with identifying as-risk behaviors and offers strategies to help address them. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Identify types of “at-risk” behaviors […]

Connecting with Your Child While Correcting Behavior introduces parents to strategies to use to help them feel connected to children while correcting difficult behaviors. Parents will learn how to connect while also understanding the child’s history and also empowering them in the process. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Participants will learn […]

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 common terms and misconceptions into positive language that is unique to foster care and adoption, such as working with birth families, facing diversity and society’s […]

Sibling Attachment & Adoption provides parents with tools to promote healthy sibling relationships in foster and adoptive families. Parents will explore different ways in which families are formed and learn tips on helping children to explain blended families (biological, adopted, foster and step) when the need arises. After completing this training, participants will be able […]

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 dating relationship and provides suggestions for talking to teens and/or their friends who find themselves involved in such relationships. After completing this training, participants will […]

Healing After a Foster Child Leaves Your Home will equip foster parents understand, cope with and heal from the unique pain of a foster child leaving their home. It offers strategies and ideas to help parents work through the emotions associated with this type of loss and encourage healing. This training also provides ideas of […]

Transracial Parenting: Ages 5-12 explores the unique experiences of transracial families and examines developmental stages of racial identity development in elementary and middle school-aged children. It offers strategies to create an environment that is conducive to the formation of a positive identity, as well as strategies to help children develop coping skills and methods of […]

Compulsive Lying explores why a child may lie compulsively. It identifies strategies and offers resources designed to assist children and their families dealing with this issue. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Recognize causes of compulsive lying Identify strategies to employ with children to address lying. ASK-VIP trainings are expressly designed to […]

Creative Parenting: New Ways to Focus on Your Child is designed to help parents recognize the value of seeking to understand the meaning behind a child’s behavior. It explores the importance of creating time to connect with children one-on-one, modeling appropriate coping strategies, having consistent expectations, praising desirable behaviors, and redirecting challenging behavior. After completing […]

Fostering & Adopting Sibling Groups explores the benefits of placing siblings together as well as potential barriers and challenges. The impact of on attachment and bonding among siblings who have experienced trauma is discussed. Considerations related to caring for a sibling placement are explored. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Recognize positive […]

Guiding Your Child Through Adolescence explores the physical and emotional changes that children undergo as they enter adolescence. Parents will discuss how parental roles change during this period of their child’s development. Strategies for successfully communicating with children during adolescence are provided. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Identify physical and emotional […]

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. Detailed descriptions of commonly abused drugs are provided, including the appearance of these drugs and the effects they produce in users. The importance of identifying […]

Services & Support for Foster & Adoptive Families will inform parents about resources available to individuals with intellectual disabilities through the Michelle P. Waiver Program, which allows eligible individuals to remain in their homes with services and supports. In addition, participants will learn about SSI, finding biological parents, and the importance of planning for independent […]

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 new memories that will add to their healing process. This training will also discuss activities and ideas for creating memories and new family traditions with […]

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 children and family already in the home to best welcome a new foster or adoptive child. It also describes challenges children already in the home […]

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 appropriate ways while maintaining confidentiality. Maintaining a child’s confidentiality across a variety of settings, including social media, is addressed. After completing this training, participants will […]

Myths & Realities of Foster Care & Adoption enables parents to identify myths and realities related to foster care and adoption. After completing this training, participants will be able to: Identify myths that surround foster care and adoption and articulate accurate realities. Interpret statistics to distinguish between foster care and adoption myths and facts. ASK-VIP […]

Developmental Stages & Children’s Responses to Grief defines grief and explores how children process and express grief at different developmental stages. It offers insight into the unique experiences of grief and loss that children who have been separated from their biological family may experience. It also provides strategies to help children cope with emotional reactions […]

Stress Management for Caregivers will equip foster/adoptive parents with tools to understand what stress and caregiver burnout is, and how to cope with the unique stressors of being foster/adoptive families. The training will equip foster and adoptive parents with coping skills when stress and burnout do occur. After completing this training, participants will be able […]

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 creating a positive educational experience for their foster/adopted child, and equip them with the necessary tools to help support their children in the educational setting. […]

Healing After a Foster Child Leaves Your Home will equip foster parents understand, cope with and heal from the unique pain of a foster child leaving their home. It offers strategies and ideas to help parents work through the emotions associated with this type of loss and encourage healing. This training also provides ideas of […]