Training and Licensing Quality Foster Homes within 90 Days

Today you will learn ….. The layout of our preservice training What we are doing to ensure that our caregivers are trauma informed How we intertwine the training with the required licensing documentation to license a home in less than 90 days

Outline of Preservice Training Eight classes with interactive hands-on experiences Three hours each Different locations/times Passport to Parenting Foster Parent Training Guide

Passport to Parenting Training Orientation –Outline of Heartland history as a CBC –Our expectations, what they can expect –Schedule of the classes and content –Sitter training outlined (discipline/confidentiality) –Pass out Family Profiles which are due next week

Passport to Parenting Training Class #1 A Day in the Life of Foster Parents –Presentation by a foster parent Arrangement of foster parent shadowing opportunity –Faces of Foster Care video –Policies, Procedures and Partnership Plan discussion Class #2 Getting to Know the Kids –Presentation by IL Coordinator and a youth –Attachment/Development (from MAPP) –Guided Imagery/Birth Family Connections

Passport to Parenting Training Class #3 Trauma Informed Care & Emotional Regulatory Healing –Healing Neen Video/Discussion –Emotional Regulatory Healing (adapted from Julie Alvarado) Understanding trauma & the brain, Creating Sanctuary Class #4 Co-Parenting Philosophy and Practice & Sexual Safety –Co-Parenting presenter, Bill Nunnally and foster parent –Sexual safety conversation training (adapted from Wayne Duehn) Creating Sexual Safety plans

Passport to Parenting Training Class #5 Getting to Know Everyone –Panel presentation Arrangement for court shadowing –Devereux Adult Resiliency training with Deb Alleyne Class #6 Understanding Substance Abuse & Getting to Know the Biological Family –Presentation by local Mental Health and Substance Abuse expert –Presentation by a birth parent who successfully completed a substance abuse program and had children reunified –Psychotropic Medication training

Passport to Parenting Training Class #7 Working with Schools and Childcare & How a Child Impacts your Family –School liaison talks about how to work in partnership Participants are given school/day care field assignment –What a child brings and Understanding Grief and Loss (from MAPP) Class #8 It Takes the Whole Family & Visitation –Foster family presentation with biological and foster children –Car Seat Safety training –Visitation Training

Licensing Concurrently with Training Orientation – –Every family gets a folder, their “mailbox” in which paperwork is given each week, and they turn papers in to the folder as well –We pass out profiles, release of information, residence form, and FAHIS check form –We also ask them to review the Affidavit of Good Moral Character, not sign yet, to see if they have any disqualifying charges. This is reviewed next class –We hand out a checklist for them to track their own progress in turning documents in –Calendar of classes/document due dates handed out

Licensing Concurrently with Training Class #1 –Provide all policies to participants and review as a class –All of our trainers are Notaries so everyone gets their AGMC signed that night –Provide right number of references per home (adult child, employer, personal, etc) –Review additional licensing requirements such as fire extinguisher, sanitation, radon, etc)

Licensing Concurrently with Training Class #2 –Our certified trainers are also our licensing counselors and they will have read all profiles by class #2 –Fingerprinting occurs on this night, we have a live scan machine in our office –A separate sitter training takes place for the babysitters on this night, and they are fingerprinted as well –All forms and profiles should be in by now –First home visits are scheduled week 2 or 3

Licensing Concurrently with Training Class #3 –Initial visits are still being scheduled –After the initial visit the licensing counselor begins typing up the home study –Various other licensing documentation will be coming in and it is reviewed and placed in order, in the file

Licensing Concurrently with Training Class #4 –Sanitation information/directions are passed out (we pay for this) –Radon test information is passed out Class #5 –Nothing specific here, but class is reminded that all references are due next week –Second home visits are conducted this week or next Class #6 & 7 –All references are due class #6 –Files start being prepared for and receive a peer review –Sanitation, radon results start coming in

Licensing Concurrently with Training Class #8 –All documentation should be in, or barriers known so we can assist family with getting them –Peer reviews should be done and file can come to supervisor for review –File is usually just waiting for graduation certificate and can be sent to region for approval

Our Statistics 87% of the homes we licensed this last year were licensed in less than 90 days 63% of the homes we licensed last year were licensed in less than 40 days Effective July 1, we will be using the attestation model, decreasing our time even more

Best Practices….. Trainers also license the homes Weekly Supervision P-Harmony & Match Meeting Peer Review Utilization of Checklist which includes DCF QA tool Assessments (e.g. ACE Questionnaire, Sexual Attitude Survey)

Questions & Answers