Training For Certified Parents
Our foster parents are given intensive training prior to receiving a child in placement and following placement. Prior to placement we require a minimum of twenty hours of training. It includes Foster Pride Training and training regarding agency procedures, i.e. ensuring that children are guaranteed their personal rights, appropriate procedures regarding reporting of child abuse, complying with paperwork requirements, different methods of child discipline, ways to work effectively with the child’s natural parents, dealing with child’s feelings of separation, and helping the family adapt to a new member. These sessions are generally conducted by the office director or certification staff, other general categories of training are: CPR and First Aid training, working with the abused child, medical issues, court and legal issues, confidentiality, developmental issues, cultural issues, emergency procedures during and outside the agency’s office hours, visitation policies/guidelines, requirements concerning the alternate care and supervision of the child during the absence of the foster parent and explaining the policy that the agency with the assistance of the social work staff, shall at all times retain the right and responsibility to remove the child from the foster home when it considers it in the child’s best interest.

In addition, each foster parent is required to attend on-going training for a minimum of 12 hours each year. Psychological consultants conduct some sessions. Other sessions are conducted by experts brought in to speak on a particular topic or by staff proficient in various topics. Some of the topics covered have been ways to build self-esteem and trust in children, dealing with separation and abandonment, special services through the schools for foster and emotionally disturbed children, helping the sexually abused child, working with drug exposed children, child development, what happens in the therapeutic process, nutrition, assessments, and emergency preparedness. Similar topics will be presented in the future for our families based on the input of staff and foster parents.

On-Going Training
Professionals on a pro-bono contract basis provide on-going training with VBR Foster Family Agency. VBR Foster Family Agency mandates that foster parents attend 12 hours of Foster Pride training as part of their annual training schedule. Professional in the field, such as Marriage and Family Therapist, Teachers, Registered Nurses, Dieticians, and/or Counselors will conduct the training. Examples of the types of groups we will establish are, but not limited to:

• Parenting the Sexually Abused Child Development
• Separation and Loss
• Positive Discipline
• Working with the Learning Disabled Child
• Integrating the New Child into the Existing Family
• Cultural Awareness
• Nutrition/Eating Issues
• First Aid/CPR (Infant & Adult)
• The Therapeutic Process and Realted issues
• Licensing Regulations
• Rights of the licensing agency to report
• Reporting requirements
• Medication administration training
• Hand Washing Techniques
• Medication updates and other nursing issues
• Infection control
• Priming Gastrostomy tubing
• Developmental disorders
• Early childhood development
• Adolescent development
• Perineal care
• Administration of aerosol treatment
• Seizures - recognition and intervention
• Cleaning & disinfecting suction catheters

In addition, support groups are provided for the parents around particular topics pertinent to current issues. Administrator, supervisors, foster care social workers and foster parents all give input and ideas regarding needed training topics.