Alliance Course Catalog

This short eLearning will answer your questions about how and why adoption support services are offered, what adoption support services exist, and how to access them.

Este curso también está disponible en español en https://allianceforchildwelfare.org/content/adoption-support-caregivers-apoyo-la-adopci%C3%B3n-para-cuidadores

For many children in foster care, the path up to, including and even after adoption can include trauma, grief and loss. As a potential adoptive parent, it’s crucial that you understand the story a foster child is bringing to you and what part you can play in that.

This course, “Advanced Adoption: The Effects of Trauma and Loss on Adopted Children,” takes you beyond the introductory level into beginning to understand more deeply the emotional, mental and physical needs an adoptive child may have. A startlingly high number of adoptions are not successful, which is why it is so important that you have realistic expectations and adequate support, both of which are explored in this training.

You will first be guided through a discussion around the definition of adoption, including what it is and what it isn’t, and you will be encouraged to share your ideals and goals as an adoptive parent. You will then spend a majority of your time learning about the impact of trauma, grief, loss and ACES (adverse childhood experiences) on development in adopted children, and exploring how to recognize behaviors related to these issues. This includes training on attachment and learning ways to strengthen your bond with the children in your care depending on their attachment style.

When you leave the training, you will have numerous new training resources and supports to assist you as you navigate this new environment.

This 6 hour focused topic training for caregivers will focus on how children with substance abuse in their life have an increased chance of experiencing many effects, such as poor social, cognitive and emotional development, physical, mental and health issues, depression, anxiety, concentration and learning difficulties, trouble controlling their responses, as well as other traumatic issues. The goal of this workshop is to identify and address the impacts drugs have on children and setting up a successful environment and coping skills. The takeaway from this training is feeling empowered to care for a drug impacted child as they grow through childhood, teenage years and beyond.

This 6-hour focused topic training for caregivers develops an understanding of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as presented in DSM 5 and alternate behavioral descriptions from Daniel Amen MD.  The training also covers the common developmental course of ADHD and a 7 Step Intervention pathway for home and school success.

Randi Hankins has over 30 years of clinical experience in community mental health in Washington State.  She is an Associate Professor in the Clinical Master’s of Social Work Program at Walla Walla University.  She maintains a fulltime clinical practice on a Crisis Response Unit in Southeastern Washington.  Ms. Hankins has trained extensively on Child/Adolescent Mental Health issues in Washington, Idaho and Montana.  She is certified as a Designated Mental Health Professional, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, a Child Mental Health Specialist, and a Developmental Disabilities Mental Health Specialist in Washington State

Bloodborne Pathogens Safety Training is a mandatory training for all potential foster parents and respite providers in the State of Washington. This training will help you understand the risk anticipated by contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials as the result of caring for children. This class contains bloodborne pathogens training that is specific to non-healthcare related homes and workplaces.

Upon completing this training, participants will be able to:

• Summarize the characteristics of pathogens and the primary functions of our immune system.
• Identify the most common diseases caused by bloodborne pathogens and how they are transmitted.
• Differentiate the infection control principles and practices used against bloodborne pathogens.
• Implement procedures and precautions to prevent the spread of bloodborne pathogens in your home and in the community.

Este curso también está disponible en español en https://allianceforchildwelfare.org/content/bloodborne-pathogens-pat%C3%B3genos-transmitidos-por-la-sangre

¿Sabía que más de la mitad de los asientos de automóvil para niños están instalados incorrectamente? El automóvil es un lugar peligroso para un niño, pero hay muchos recursos que pueden ayudarlo a asegurarse de cumplir con todas las pautas legales y de seguridad. Este breve curso de aprendizaje electrónico es el punto de partida perfecto, ya que lo ayudará a seleccionar, ajustar e instalar el asiento de automóvil de manera correcta cada vez que necesite transportar a un niño. Encontrará una descripción general de los requisitos básicos y de las leyes del estado de Washington, así como consejos y ejemplos reales de instalación. El curso está lleno de datos útiles y asombrosos: el momento adecuado para que un niño deje de usar un asiento elevador puede sorprenderlo. También encontrará enlaces a muchos recursos externos, donde podrá obtener información más detallada.

This course is also available in English at https://allianceforchildwelfare.org/content/car-seat-safety-select-fit-and-install-correctly-elearning-caregivers

Caregiver Core Training (CCT) is the mandatory training for Washington State’s caregivers to become licensed.

Due to state mandated requirements during the health crisis, Caregiver Core Training is only offered as an online eLearning. Please click this link to register for your online training.

You have one year to complete the course including the online training, and field experience. We will let the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Licensing Division and the foster care Recruitment and Retention Contractors in your area know about your progress through the course so they can offer you additional support if needed.

Caregiver Core Training (CCT) is the mandatory training for Washington State’s caregivers to become licensed. Caregiver Core Training can be taken two ways – online or in the classroom.

If you prefer to use a self-paced, online eLearning, please consider the general guidelines for online trainings listed below, and then scroll down to Registration Instructions and click the link to start the online course.

If you prefer to take the course in a classroom (conducted at various locations around the state) click this link to register.

Both the online and classroom training cover the same critical content.

Each participant must register separately: if a couple plans to complete the training together, each member must still register and go through the online course individually.

Este curso también está disponible en español en https://allianceforchildwelfare.org/content/caregiver-core-training-capacitaci%C3%B3n-b%C3%A1sica-para-cuidadores

CCT Online Version

The 24-hour Caregiver Core Training is made up of eight sessions (each about three hours long) and a field experience, which can be completed at any point during the online portion. There is also a mandatory coaching session after the online portion is completed.

Session 1: Introduction to the Child Welfare System
Session 2: Working as a Member of a Team
Session 3: Working with Birth Families
Session 4: Cultural Connections and Advocacy
Session 5: Growing Up with Trauma, Grief, and Loss
Session 6: Understanding and Managing Behavior
Session 7: Communication and Crisis Management
Session 8: Getting Ready and the Effects on the Caregiving Family

Field Experience: Participants learn outside the classroom by choosing an activity that will give them more awareness of the experience of children within the system or of the role of a caregiver for children in the system. The Field Experience will be approved if it occurs within one year prior to the participant beginning CCT, both in the classroom and on-line versions of Caregiver Core Training.

The sessions are designed to help you understand how the system works, what your role is as a member of the team, how to effectively work with birth families in order to best support the child, how caregiving may impact your own family, child development and the impact of trauma, all about attachment, how to incorporate and honor a child's culture into your own family, and more.  The sessions include the voices of former foster youth, current caregivers and birth parents who have been involved with the system.

Each session includes resources and additional information. Here are the handouts that will also be provided in each session.

You have one year to complete the course including the online training, field experience and coaching call. We will let the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Licensing Division and the foster care Recruitment and Retention Contractors in your area know about your progress through the course so they can offer you additional support if needed. We don’t track or share any information about how you responded to activities or quiz questions within the online training. We simply want to make sure you have the support you need to complete the training.

CCT online general guidelines

The online version works best for people who:

• Have regular access to a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer
• Are comfortable with technology
• Don’t mind reading on a screen
• Have high-speed internet access that allows them to participate in the online course and play videos

If this isn’t for you, or if you start the course online and then change your mind, you are always welcome to take the classroom version of CCT instead. Click here to register.

This 6-hour in-service training for caregivers provides a foundation for caregiving and behavior management for children in out-of-home care who struggle with physically aggressive behaviors.  Participants will explore the potential impacts of trauma and maltreatment on attachment, behavior and development as well as the risk factors for violent behavior in children.  Participants will closely review the newest Washington Administrative Code (WAC) related to discipline and will contrast principles of positive discipline and punishment. Skill building will focus on creating a plan to prevent a crisis; the various forms aggression may take and how to look for signs of when a child is agitated or escalating; how to intervene during a crisis; and how to manage ongoing or explosive aggressive behaviors via teaching coping skills and Collaborative Problem Solving.  Local resources and supports for the youth as well as the caregiver are discussed.

This eLearning course for caregivers provides a foundation for caregiving and behavior management for children in out-of-home care who struggle with physically aggressive behaviors.  You will explore the potential impacts of trauma and maltreatment on attachment, behavior and development as well as the risk factors for violent behavior in children.  You will review the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) related to discipline and will contrast principles of positive discipline and punishment. Skill building will focus on creating a plan to prevent a crisis; the various forms aggression may take and how to look for signs of when a child is agitated or escalating; how to intervene during a crisis; and how to manage ongoing or explosive aggressive behaviors via teaching coping skills and Collaborative Problem Solving. Resources and supports for the youth as well as the caregiver are provided.

Este curso también está disponible en español en https://allianceforchildwelfare.org/content/caregiving-children-physically-aggressive-behavior-concerns-crianza-de-ni%C3%B1os-con-problemas

This eLearning course will prepare you to work with children with sexual behaviors concerns and create an environment to keep the child and other household members safe. You will explore values and beliefs before reviewing typical child sexual development and the impacts of trauma, abuse and neglect on development and behaviors. You will explore how sexual abuse can impact development, self-image and the household supporting them. After reviewing typical sexual development, you will learn how different experiences and circumstances may lead to sexual behavior concerns and how to intervene and respond safely. As a caregiver, you will learn your role in promoting healthy sexual development, positive messaging, prevention education, the importance of establishing house rules and other ideas to maintain safety for the whole household.

Este curso también está disponible en español en https://allianceforchildwelfare.org/content/caregiving-children-sexual-behavior-concerns-crianza-de-ni%C3%B1os-con-problemas-de

Part 2 of the “Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma” series will introduce you to what trauma is and how a child’s behaviors may be evidence of a response to a traumatic experience, looking at physical, mental, emotional and developmental impacts.

While focused on trauma, this training also spends time discussing resilience. You will look at real-life scenarios that illustrate how to see positive signs in challenging behaviors, and how to foster the growth of these bright spots.

At the close of the class you will understand child trauma and the response to traumatic events, as well as what resilience is and how you as a resource parent can help promote it.

Part 4 of the “Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma” series starts looking at ways you can help your child recover from trauma and feel safe.

During this class, you will look at the difference between physical and psychological safety, and how a child who has experienced trauma will have a different definition than you do. You will look at ways you can support a child’s sense of safety, and get tools for how to make that happen, which includes a “safety message.” You will walk through elements of a safety message and discuss how deliver one effectively.

You will spend time talking about ways that children may be reminded of trauma, such as certain environments, or emotional reactions to situations that may be unexpected. You will learn some basic steps to help the child feel safe that build on the trauma-informed lens, as well as how you can help them cope.

Part 6 of the “Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma” series focuses on the power of connections and how they play a vital role in helping children heal from trauma.

During this course you will be introduced to a family story that illustrates the intergenerational nature of trauma and how different people react to the same events. You will engage in activities and discussions where you will consider how to respond to challenging scenarios.

This training also focuses on how to give a child a safe space to talk about their trauma. While it may be tempting to think the best thing for the child is to forget about past events, there are many positive things that can come out of allowing the child to discuss their experiences. You will learn many tools that will help you show active, supportive listening and create an environment in which the child feels it’s safe to share.

Part 8 of the “Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma” series focuses on you as the caregiver. In the world of trauma-informed parenting, it is essential that you understand how to take care of yourself, too.

This course focuses on the challenges of helping others manage trauma, and the effects that can have. You will be introduced to compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress, and go through a “self-care checkup” to see how well you are supporting your own health. A fundamental part of this session is helping you gain coping strategies, when you are overwhelmed by others’ trauma or when another’s trauma is a reminder of your own past experiences.

When you leave this training, you will have a plan for how to support your own self-care, with strategies for integrating activities in the short- and long-term.

Would you like more compassion in your life? In your parenting? For you? For your children? This training is for you!

Discover what compassion really is, how it starts by being compassionate with ourselves and see the positive results with our families and others.

You’ll hear about and learn the roadblocks, hurdles and challenges that often prevent this kind of parenting and discover ways to move through them so you, and your children, win!

Topics include:

• Separating the children’s behavior from who they are
• How to not take what they do or say personally
• Being compassionate with ourselves supports positive results with our families
• Learn the roadblocks, hurdles, and challenges of this type of parenting and how to move through them.
• The role self-esteem plays in all of us

You’ll learn real world concepts that work!

The CPR/First Aid blended online course teaches solutions to a range of problems that can arise from minor everyday instances such as cuts and headaches to the more serious emergencies such as allergic reactions, heart attacks and strokes. This eLearning is the first of two parts needed for full certification and includes instruction in CPR, First Aid, and AED usage. The second step is an in-person skills assessment, which will become available when covid restrictions are lifted.

CPR and First Aid for Caregivers (eLearning) follows the latest American Heart Association and ECC/ILCOR guidelines and is nationally accredited.

This is Section 5 of the 3-hour in-service level training for Social Workers that explores the principles of child development across the age ranges of birth to three years, three to five years, five to 11 years, and 11 to 17 years.  In each age range, factors that affect development across physical, social, emotional, cognitive and reproductive domains, as well as the developmental effects of abuse and neglect on those domains are examined through videos, worksheets, and case scenarios.  Information is provided about services and resources to support Social Workers and children in care.

Participants can view and get credit for completion of all or only specific sections of the elearning:

• Section 1: Foundational Concepts of Child Development (30 minutes)
• Section 2: Birth to Three Years (60 minutes)
• Section 3: Three to Five Years (30 minutes)
• Section 4: Five to 11 Years (30 minutes)
• Section 5: 11 to 17 Years (30 minutes)

This is Section 4 of the 3-hour in-service level training for Social Workers that explores the principles of child development across the age ranges of birth to three years, three to five years, five to 11 years, and 11 to 17 years.  In each age range, factors that affect development across physical, social, emotional, cognitive and reproductive domains, as well as the developmental effects of abuse and neglect on those domains are examined through videos, worksheets, and case scenarios.  Information is provided about services and resources to support Social Workers and children in care.

Participants can view and get credit for completion of all or only specific sections of the elearning:

• Section 1: Foundational Concepts of Child Development (30 minutes)
• Section 2: Birth to Three Years (60 minutes)
• Section 3: Three to Five Years (30 minutes)
• Section 4: Five to 11 Years (30 minutes)
• Section 5: 11 to 17 Years (30 minutes)

This is Section 3 of the 3-hour in-service level training for Social Workers that explores the principles of child development across the age ranges of birth to three years, three to five years, five to 11 years, and 11 to 17 years.  In each age range, factors that affect development across physical, social, emotional, cognitive and reproductive domains, as well as the developmental effects of abuse and neglect on those domains are examined through videos, worksheets, and case scenarios.  Information is provided about services and resources to support Social Workers and children in care.

Participants can view and get credit for completion of all or only specific sections of the elearning:

• Section 1: Foundational Concepts of Child Development (30 minutes)
• Section 2: Birth to Three Years (60 minutes)
• Section 3: Three to Five Years (30 minutes)
• Section 4: Five to 11 Years (30 minutes)
• Section 5: 11 to 17 Years (30 minutes)

Grief for children is the disruption of a bond, and in any foster situation, significant bonds have been disrupted or broken. This makes foster children more emotionally vulnerable when other losses occur. A friend may move, a pet dies, or a teacher goes on maternity leave. All these events placed the foster child in a very precarious position. This training will help you to understand that a lot more is on their emotional plate then on other children. You will learn how to address and support the child in a time of transition.

This training will cover:

• The stages of grief
• A condensed developmental understanding of how children grieve at different ages and understandings.
• How to communicate with children
• How transition, grief and loss might trigger old feelings for the child and caregiver
• Developing a plan and skills to support children in times of transition.

Without memories, how do you understand who you are? These slices of life are tied to emotions, learning and growth, and help us maintain connections to our personal history and life story. 

Often we use tools like photographs or stories or memorabilia to recall feelings or look back on events. The new training “Honoring Their History: Memory Preservation for Children in Care” focuses on how to support a child’s well-being through the recording of memories and other parts of their life during their time away from their family. 

This course introduces the idea of memory preservation as central to a child’s welfare, because it provides many benefits to emotional and mental health. You will be guided through how to start the process and the different methods of preservation, and will be encouraged to think about which would work best for you and your family. You also will explore a variety of ways to gather information from both the child and other important adults in the child’s life. 

At the close of this training, you will have an individual plan for documenting and preserving memories in a way that honors the child’s past and present. 
 

All children deserve the best start in life and new scientific discoveries deepen our understanding of how to create the best environments for children. The Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington (I-LABS) is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to discovering the fundamental principles of human learning, with a special emphasis on early learning and brain development.

The Alliance for Child Welfare Excellence is excited to partner with the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences in order to offer the I-LABS online training modules to caregivers for training credit. These I-LABS are available in Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, or English.

Each I-LAB module explores a particular topic in child development, such as brain development, language acquisition, or imitation. Modules share evidence-based information about how young children learn. The modules are useful for understanding everyday interactions with children and for informing systems-level programs and policies.

Currently there are 18 online modules ranging from 20-25 minutes and covering a variety of relevant topics such as a child’s first days, early interactions, learning, emotions, language, attachment, temperament, race and equality, music, literacy and more.

Coaching sessions are utilized to address a caregiver's specific needs and build specific skills. Identified goals are created and progress towards those goals is measured by both the learner and the coach after the session.

This Coaching Session provides in-depth support around specific topics identified by the caregiver as needed. The topics covered may include:

1. Understanding the child welfare system, regulations, expectations, and how to navigate available resources
2. Navigating crisis
3. Understanding and supporting child development
4. Effective communication (with birth parents, extended family, social workers, and the child in your home)
5. Self-care, secondary trauma, and healing

Coaching sessions are utilized to address a caregiver's specific needs and build specific skills. Identified goals are created and progress towards those goals is measured by both the learner and the coach after the session.

This Coaching Session for Caregivers builds upon information contained in Caregivers Core Training (CCT) and provides detailed training related to the writing and submitting of the Caregiver’s Report to the Court. Participants will understand the caregiver’s role in the court process and how to effectively communicate with the court and other parties through the Caregiver’s Report to the Court. During the session the caregiver will have the opportunity to compose an actual court report about the child in their care and receive specific feedback from the Child Welfare Trainer.

This Coaching Session for Caregivers covers the financial, legal, and emotional challenges of raising a relative’s child. Services and support when raising a relative's child can be a lifesaver. Often kinship caregivers do not access the benefits which are available to them. This coaching session will address the issues that Kinship Caregivers struggle with most at an individual level:

1. Financial Needs
2. Legal Challenges
3. Navigating public service systems
4. Needing more social services
5. Information about resources/caregiving

This class is designed for licensed and unlicensed caregivers caring for children currently or previously involved in the dependency system. Caregiver Core Training (CCT) is not a prerequisite. However, this course is supplemental to CCT for kinship caregivers, and can be a field experience during CCT.

If it’s been a while since you cared for an infant or if you’ve never cared for one before, this is the course for you. This 2.5-hour eLearning provides the basic information you’ll need to care for babies ages birth to 12 months and keep them safe. You will practice identifying the infant behaviors that are the clue to understanding your baby’s needs. You will then apply this knowledge with some of the fundamental tasks of infant care (holding, feeding, diapering, sleep and medical care) while considering how trauma may impact how you provide care in these areas. Finally, you will learn about elements of infant safety, including safe sleep and the Period of Purple Crying.

This 3-hour in-service training for caregivers provides an introduction to the adoption process including the homestudy, adoption support, the legal process and steps to adoption. This training is open to all participants: those who have not taken Caregiver Core Training, those who have, and those who are using the training as a field placement. This training helps caregivers consider their decisions around public and private agencies and whether to foster to adopt or pursue adoption only.  The focus of the training is understanding the process including the emotional impacts of commitment, changing your family, grieving and attachment. 

The training will also give information about:

• open adoptions
• the placement process
• resources
• and more.

Going through an investigation can be scary. Understanding the process, knowing your rights and being informed about the laws and process can make it a lot easier.

This course provides licensed and unlicensed caregivers a deep look at the Licensing Division (LD) Child Protective Services (CPS) and Licensing Investigation (LD) processes, starting with Intake, through the investigation, and concluding with the report and the potential for appeals. Information shared here includes a look at the laws that apply to Intake screening decisions, how determinations/finding outcomes are reached, and what a compliance agreement is and in what circumstances it is used.

You will have many interactive discussion opportunities and activities where you can talk through the learnings.

By the end of this course, you will have information about the investigation process, including what everyone’s roles are, the outcomes, and what rights you have. You will be better equipped to handle allegations, and you will know the documentation needed to help support you through the process.

The financial, legal, and emotional issues of raising a relative’s child can be challenging. Services and support when raising a relative’s child can be a lifesaver. Kinship caregiving in all of its forms is becoming increasingly common. Recent WA State child welfare data (Partners for Our Children - 1/1/2015)  show that 41 percent of children in out of home care are living with a relative. Many more children are living with relatives or other close family friends informally, without the ongoing supervision of the state’s foster care system. 

Often kinship caregivers do not access the benefits which are available to them. This class will address the issues that Kinship Caregivers struggle with most:

1. Financial Needs
2. Legal Challenges
3. Navigating public service systems
4. Needing more social services
5. Information about resources/caregiving

This 90 minute webinar is designed for licensed and unlicensed caregivers caring for children currently or previously involved in the dependency system.  Caregiver Core Training (CCT) is not a prerequisite. However, this course is supplemental to CCT for kinship caregivers, and can be a field experience during CCT.

Mandatory reporters play a key role in ensuring the safety of vulnerable children. These professionals are obligated to report concerns about abuse or neglect, and this eLearning will guide you as mandated reporter through the process of identifying and documenting those concerns.

This training breaks the process down into three parts: Recognize, Record and Report. Through the training, you will understand what indicators of abuse to look for; how to appropriately record and what information to have; and what happens when a report is filed.

You will consider the impact of biases on reporting possible child abuse and neglect, and learn about the problem of racial disproportionality in our state’s child welfare system. The training also covers the federal requirement of identification of Indian heritage and affiliation with federally recognized tribes.

At the conclusion of the training, you will feel confident in understanding your role in keeping children safe.

Este curso también está disponible en español en https://allianceforchildwelfare.org/content/mandatory-reporter-paquete-de-herramientas-para-denunciadores-de-abuso-infantil-por-mandato

This eLearning for caregivers covers the correct way to administer, log, store, and dispose of medications.

Este curso también está disponible en español en https://allianceforchildwelfare.org/content/medication-management-and-administration-caregivers-administraci%C3%B3n-de-medicamentos-para

To remember an idea, you might write it down. At an event, you might take a picture. As a caregiver, you are the custodian of the milestones and memories of a child’s life for the whole welfare team, so understanding how and why to document elements of that is crucial.

This 1.5-hour webinar training will cover best practices for documentation to prepare and support you and others involved in the child’s life, with the ultimate goal of sharing information, concerns and progress. Focused learnings around why documentation matters are central to the course – specific scenarios help translate ideas to real-life examples. You also will leave with an individualized plan for what, when and how to document, based on the process that will work best for you.

This 3 hour eLearning provides Caregivers with an introduction to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), tribal sovereignty and the impacts on foster parenting.  The Indian Child Welfare Act obliges child welfare agencies and caregivers to take certain steps to protect and preserve the rights and cultural and familial connections of children covered by the act.  For non-Federally recognized tribes (and in other circumstances), Washington State enacted policy related to Local Indian Child Welfare Advisory Committees (LICWACs) to staff tribal cases and these impacts and supports are also discussed.  This training explores the legal, historical, and social biases which have impacted and continue to have a disproportionate impact on Native American children and families.  Caregivers will review basic information and skills needed to work with families and children who are covered under ICWA and LICWAC.  The State of Washington’s legal and policy guidelines around placement and permanency preferences for children covered by ICWA and LICWAC are explored, as well as the various manners in which Tribes can take jurisdiction or chose to otherwise be involved in Child Welfare cases.  Skills and resources are also discussed to help caregivers support and develop a child’s cultural identity and tribal connection.

Parenting the Positive Discipline Way is a series of six in-service level series of trainings for foster and kinship caregivers which explores tools to teach valuable social and life skills to children instead of using any form of punishment, rewards, praise, permissiveness or logical consequences.  This six-part Positive Discipline series will help foster parents and kinship care providers to better understand why discipline with abused and neglected children is different from the discipline that typically works with children who have not been abused or neglected.  Participants will learn how to use effective discipline that is kind and firm, creates connection before correction, is empowering and encouraging to children to believe in their own capability, and keeps the joy in caregiving.  Participants will gain practice with experiential exercises, group discussions, and handouts to develop skills for getting into the child’s world to understand the belief behind behavior in order to motivate change.  Topics and techniques apply to all ages and many settings.

The six sessions are each 2.0 hours. Participants are encouraged to attend them in order, as the information in each session builds upon itself. 

Session 1: What Do You Want For Your Children? ... explores what you want for your children, curiosity questions, hugs for connection, and the introduction to Positive Discipline tool cards.

Parenting the Positive Discipline Way is a series of six in-service level series of trainings for foster and kinship caregivers which explores tools to teach valuable social and life skills to children instead of using any form of punishment, rewards, praise, permissiveness or logical consequences.  This six-part Positive Discipline series will help foster parents and kinship care providers to better understand why discipline with abused and neglected children is different from the discipline that typically works with children who have not been abused or neglected.  Participants will learn how to use effective discipline that is kind and firm, creates connection before correction, is empowering and encouraging to children to believe in their own capability, and keeps the joy in caregiving.  Participants will gain practice with experiential exercises, group discussions, and handouts to develop skills for getting into the child’s world to understand the belief behind behavior in order to motivate change.  Topics and techniques apply to all ages and many settings.

The six sessions are each 2.0 hours. Participants are encouraged to attend them in order, as the information in each session builds upon itself. 

Session 3: Not So Perfect Parenting. Session 3 explores the belief behind the behavior, the idea that it is not your job to make your children happy, and sibling rivalry and birth order.

Parenting the Positive Discipline Way is a series of six in-service level series of trainings for foster and kinship caregivers which explores tools to teach valuable social and life skills to children instead of using any form of punishment, rewards, praise, permissiveness or logical consequences.  This six-part Positive Discipline series will help foster parents and kinship care providers to better understand why discipline with abused and neglected children is different from the discipline that typically works with children who have not been abused or neglected.  Participants will learn how to use effective discipline that is kind and firm, creates connection before correction, is empowering and encouraging to children to believe in their own capability, and keeps the joy in caregiving.  Participants will gain practice with experiential exercises, group discussions, and handouts to develop skills for getting into the child’s world to understand the belief behind behavior in order to motivate change.  Topics and techniques apply to all ages and many settings.

The six sessions are each 2.0 hours. Participants are encouraged to attend them in order, as the information in each session builds upon itself. 

Session 5: Connection Before Correction. Session 5 explores connection before correction, encouragement versus praise, and the wheel of choice.

Partners Make Better Decisions brings together social workers and caregivers in a dynamic environment of dialogue, small-group activities and scenario discussions. This course mimics the way the child welfare process works, with many voices at the table, with the goal of building understanding and relationships through finding commonality and mutual respect.

Building partnerships and finding common ground with others is integral to achieving the best outcomes for children and families. When approaching decision making, it is vital that you can work effectively with all parties involved, and this training provides you the foundation for making that happen.

You will start the training by sharing and hearing from other participants about why they do the work they do, likely finding many shared values. The training also will guide you through a conversation about communication and potential barriers and breakdown points, with special consideration of the high stakes and complicated dynamics involved in this work. Finally, you will learn some tools and strategies for working together and remaining focused on the “main thing,” the interest of the child, even when distractions or disagreements arise.

When you leave the training, you will have a new understanding of and appreciation for your partners on the child’s care team, and a plan for communicating and working together.

As a caregiver you play a key role in helping youth in your care transition into adulthood. During this course you will review the impact of childhood trauma on foster youth. You will explore the rights of youth in care and recognize your responsibilities for insuring those rights are met. You will explore ways to engage youth in conversations and activities in your home and community to develop life skills for launching into adulthood.

Este eLearning le enseñará al participante los pasos para iniciar y monitorear los esfuerzos completados por la unidad de Búsqueda Relativa. Cuando un niño necesita cuidado fuera del hogar, el Departamento debe buscar activamente la colocación de niños con parientes. La unidad de búsqueda de parientes centralizada ayuda al personal a localizar e identificar a los familiares y esta capacitación ayudará al personal a aprender sobre el proceso, los formularios requeridos y cómo recopilar información detallada de FamLink. 

This course is also available in English at https://allianceforchildwelfare.org/content/relative-search-caregivers-elearning

You made the choice to step in and provide care for a child when they needed it. This choice changed your life, the life of the child or children you are caring for, and potentially many other family members. This course explores how to navigate changing relationships between adults as well as the feelings and behaviors of the children. You’ll spend time in class focusing on yourself, too, looking at how you can cope and care for yourself through the inevitable ups and downs. You will discuss strategies around solution-focused communication and learn about resources and sources of support that will help you and the children in your care thrive.

Getting a new placement is a big transition, and there are many ways you can prepare for and navigate the process to make it as successful as possible for yourself, your family and the youth or child. This webinar addresses both the emotional elements to new placements and the practical details of requirements, paperwork, forms and expectations.

You will focus on four areas: Getting Ready; The First Day, Week and Month; Settling In; and Working With the System. You will share ideas with other participants around how to prepare for a new placement, including ways to make them feel comfortable and safety precautions to take. A big part of this training is understanding which forms you will receive and what they mean; what meetings, appointments or hearings you need to be aware of; and who the key players are during this time.

You will leave the training with an understanding of what is expected during the first 30 days of a new placement. You also will know how to access resources when you have questions – you will probably have many, but there is a great community of support available to you and the new child in your care.

Treehouse Education Advocates work with schools, caregivers, social workers and youth in foster care statewide to resolve difficult issues and remove barriers to school success.

In this training, learn how to access education-related support services; including special education services; and how to advocate for youth who may experience discipline or behavioral issues at school. Treehouse facilitators will also discuss the importance of stabilizing school placements and the educational rights of students experiencing foster care. Finally, caregivers will have the opportunity to learn about the basics of establishing and maintaining positive school relationships in order to create educational success for children and youth in foster care.

In this facilitated discussion group, we will share experiences, resources, and best practices for caring for infants and children who have been exposed to chemicals in utero. We will discuss signs of withdrawals in infants; what works best in caring for an impacted infant including therapeutic handling techniques and share parenting experiences and Resources. We will also discuss issues, behaviors, interventions, effective parenting techniques, and resources for the children in your care.

Join us for a Book Club! The CaRES team leads you through a reading and discussion of “Trying Differently Rather Than Harder: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders” by Diane Malbin. “Trying Different Rather Than Harder” is a readable, narrative discussion of the neurobehavioral approach to working with children and youth with FASD. The book focuses on understanding behaviors differently through case studies and examples of how FASD impacts everyday life. During four sessions, you will be discussing themes including: adaptions, common challenges, cognitive changes and strategies to address them, working with memory disruptions, and talking about FASD in a supportive informative manner.

Welcoming a child into your home, even temporarily, means accepting and affirming their whole selves. When a child has a different racial, ethnic, or cultural background than yours, it can be challenging to know the best ways to properly care for their unique physical, spiritual, and cultural needs.  

During this facilitated discussion, caregivers will share their racial, ethnic, or cultural perspective and develop strategies for meeting the needs of a child who has a different background or perspective. The discussion will also include some tips and tricks for finding resources, maintaining community connections, and addressing biases in the community.   

Facilitated by caregivers with lived experience in transracial and multi-cultural caregiving, this group aims to discuss the full scope of multi-racial, ethnic, and cultural foster families. 

When you have children who live at home with you, becoming a foster parent also means becoming a foster family. Growing up with foster siblings comes with unique challenges but there are strategies you can use to help your bio and adopted kids adapt and thrive!

During both sessions of this supportive facilitated discussion, you will collaborate with fellow caregivers to identify some of the unique challenges bio and adopted kids face, consider the impact fostering may have on your children, and share strategies you can use to nurture strength and resilience as a family unit.

As a parent of an infant or toddler, the earliest development years are among the most critical to a child’s long-term development. Children under 2 who are in foster care often require supports and approaches that are not so typical for their peers. You will talk through their needs, develop strategies to address those needs, and identify the resources available to help you support the littlest lives in care. You will also be able to build community with other caregivers of kids under 2 to share resources, experiences and problem-solving strategies.

Ready access to smart phones, tables, and computers has created a whole new world of challenges for parents of pre-teens and teens.  Youth do not need to leave their bedrooms be introduced to risky situations. And it is challenging for caregivers to know how guide children to appropriate use while keeping them safe. 

During this single session supportive discussion group, you will talk with fellow caregivers about the challenges of parenting in the digital age.  You will learn some warning signs of when a child’s internet usage has become unsafe and potentially dangerous. You will discuss basic internet programs, apps, geo tracking data, dangers in sharing pictures, videos, and personal information online.  And you will have the opportunity to practice having a conversation about internet safety with your pre-teen or teen. 
    
 

It isn’t always easy to meet the complex needs of a child while navigating a new parental role. Foster parenting calls for a trauma-informed, mindful, and positive response to a wide variety of behaviors. In this supportive facilitated discussion group, you will work with fellow caregivers to develop practical parenting strategies that are trauma-informed, appropriate for the child, and suited to your home.

During the 2 sessions, you will talk through challenges you have faced, share useful solutions, and practice using new strategies in a way that is true to you. Parenting well takes practice! Join us and fellow caregivers for this opportunity to work through some proven parenting tools.

The CaRES team leads you through a reading and discussion of The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis. 

The Connected Child lays out the foundational principles for Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), a therapeutic model that trains caregivers to provide effective support and treatment for at-risk children. 

We’ll dive into the meaning and topics of TBRI during the five weekly meetings, plus discuss new strategies for building connection and managing behaviors. 

The series includes...

• The connection between what children have experienced, their struggle with difficult behaviors, and how we can move forward with connection.
• Providing structure and a nurturing environment for children, which includes disarming fear and providing felt safety.
• Nurturing while addressing challenging behaviors and strategies to make life easier during those challenges.
• Brain chemistry and impact of trauma on the brain. 
• Addressing your own needs, healing, and self-care as caregivers.

Reading with your children can do much more than support their academic growth! During this supportive facilitated discussion caregivers will discuss strategies they can use before, during, and after reading to build social-emotional learning with the children in their care. Caregivers will also collaborate to identify techniques they can use to increase attachment with their child through reading and story time. Whether it is picture books, a chapter book or a series, reading with the children in your home can lead to deeper attachment and improved social-emotional skills! 

Participants will also receive a pdf resource with book lists for various age ranges and topics. 

Are you thinking about how life will change once you welcome new children into your home? You may have questions about how your relationship with family and friend might change. Maybe you are wondering about how you are going to introduce this child to your community without breaking confidentiality or what it’s going to be like opening your home not only to children needing care, but everyone on their care team. Join fellow caregivers to share in a discussion of these and other changes you might experience when becoming a caregiver.

Transitioning a child into your home elicits many emotions for the caregiving family and the foster child entering your home for the first time. How are you going to make a child feel safe, welcome, and sure that their needs will be met? How are you going to handle bath time, bedtime, communications, food, and all the other factors that go into those first few nights in the home? Join fellow caregivers who are also preparing their homes to share in a discussion of challenges and opportunities and develop a plan of action.

You have thought long and hard about what it means for you to be a foster parent. You may even have ideas of how many and what types of children you would like to welcome into your home. While you wait for your license or first placement to arrive, this facilitated discussion will help you consider some of the needs in the fostering community and how you are suited to meet them. You’ll work toward developing a set of parameters for accepting your first placements to promote a good fit for both you and the child(ren) placed in your care.

Recent research has shown that children have very complex understandings of differences and how they make meaning of stereotypes. Far from being color-blind, most children are aware of how their own skin color is an advantage or disadvantage.  They also judge their peers based on these differences — even though many adults believe young children in today’s generation don’t stereotype. Because of this, it is important to give children anti-bias messages, through actions and words that actively counter what they are internalizing and witnessing in the world.

In this workshop we will explore how children and youth learn and practice racism and privilege. Participants will learn strategies to for acting on teachable moments and ways to create counter narratives. 

This training is presented by Dr. Caprice Hollins and/or Ilsa Govan, M.A., co-founders of Cultures Connecting, LLC. 

Dr. Hollins received her doctorate in clinical psychology with an emphasis in multicultural and community psychology in 1998. She has over 14 years of experience teaching graduate courses, working with historically marginalized populations, researching, studying, and facilitating race related conversations. Her experience includes opening and directing the Department of Equity & Race Relations for Seattle Public Schools, developing and implementing district-wide and school-based trainings, while utilizing her background in psychology to assist district leaders and staff, institutionalize change to promote equity and social justice. She also currently works as a part-time core faculty in the department of counseling at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology.

Ilsa Govan, M.A. has more than 15 years of experience as a classroom teacher and anti-racist community activist. She began her work for social and environmental justice in high school with her involvement in advocating for Native American rights. Since then she has facilitated, organized and participated in numerous workshops, study circles and conferences across the country. Ilsa worked as an Equity and Race Specialist for Seattle Public Schools, addressing institutional racism in a large organization. She has also served on the planning teams of the Seattle Race Conference and the White Privilege Conference. Ilsa earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education from Western Washington University and her Master’s Degree in Bicultural Human Development from Pacific Oaks College Northwest. For her thesis, she spent a year studying effective European American teachers of African American students in three Seattle elementary schools.

TBRI® is an attachment-based approach to parenting that is designed to meet the complex needs of children. TBRI uses the Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviors.

This training module is designed to give participants insight into the roots of self-regulation difficulties common among “children healing from trauma.” This module aims to give participants practical tools to facilitate learning and practicing self-regulation skills.

This training is the second of a three part series.