The UK College of Social Work recognizes the tremendous efforts of foster parents who step up to give children in need a stable home. We are proud to support foster families through our Foster Parent Training Program. The program is designed to help address the unique needs of foster youth through ongoing, elective foster parent training credit, and teaches skills in behavior management, effective communication, trauma-informed care, internet safety, child development, transracial parenting, and more.
“I would never ever, ever become a foster parent without community involvement…We actually went to all of our family and friends and said we’re going to do this and we’re going to need your support,” program participant Tanya Torp said of her decision to become a foster and adoptive parent. “It’s invaluable to have people who experience the things that you’ve experienced. So, for us to be able to take some of the classes and being able to have the community of other foster parents who understood–having this group was wonderful.”
Foster parenting offers children in difficult situations the opportunity to heal and grow in a stable home. While children may eventually be reunited with their birth families, many are adopted by their foster parents. Of the over 64,000 children and youth who were adopted in the U.S. in 2019, 52% were adopted by their foster parent. There are over 114,000 children nationwide still awaiting adoption. If you are considering becoming a foster parent in the Commonwealth and interested in participating in our program, please visit the UK College of Social Work website to learn more!
