Alliance Course Catalog

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 1-hour individual support session will help caregivers who need to understand the complexity of caring for African American and biracial hair and skin.  Participants will gain skills and knowledge to be culturally responsive to the needs of children/youth in their care.  The provider can consult on how to properly wash, dry and style (including braiding) hair and appropriate skin products for African American children and youth in their care.  The participants will gain knowledge, skills, and tools to utilize with the children/youth in their care.  Participants will learn how to seek necessary resources and support to promote a healthy self-concept for the children/youth in their care.  Consultation will be provided by SAKS Salon.

This 6 hour focused topic training for caregivers provides an in-depth exploration of Drug Impacted Infants and Toddlers. The training focuses on how to identify and address the impacts drugs have on infants and toddlers; how to recognize symptoms; set up a successful environment and work together with the team in providing care for the child. The takeaway from this training is feeling empowered to care for a drug impacted Infant as they grow through infancy, toddler and preschool

This 6 hour focused training for caregivers provides a foundation for understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and challenging or escalating behavior among children in out-of-home care.  The training provides specific behavior management skills for caregivers to deescalate and manage behavior including trauma informed caregiving, authoritative parenting, therapeutic environments, engagement, and more.  

This workshop will give caregivers practical tools to help manage behaviors such as:

• Oppositional defiance
• Property damage and juvenile delinquency
• Attention deficit hyperactivity
• Running away
• Power struggles and escalated tantrums
• Verbal and physical aggression

Did you know more than half of children’s car seats are installed incorrectly? The car is a dangerous place for a child to be, but there are many resources that can help ensure you’re following all safety and legal guidelines. This brief eLearning is the perfect spot to start, helping you select, fit and install the correct seat each time you need to transport a child. You will find an overview of basic requirements and Washington state laws as well as real-world installation examples and tips. The course is full of useful, surprising facts — the appropriate time to transition a child out of a booster seat might surprise you! You will also find links to many outside resources for more in-depth information.

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.

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 6-hour in-service course will prepare caregivers to work with children with sexual behaviors concerns and create an environment to keep the child and other household members safe. Participants will explore values and beliefs before reviewing typical child sexual development and the impacts of trauma, abuse and neglect on development and behaviors. Participants will explore how sexual abuse can impact development, self-image and the household supporting them. After reviewing typical sexual development, participants will learn how different experiences and circumstances may lead to sexual behavior concerns and how to intervene and respond safely. Caregivers will learn their role in promoting health sexual development, positive messaging, prevention education, the importance of establishing house rules and other ideas to maintain safety for the whole household.

This is the first in an eight-part training series focusing on “Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma.” Over the entire course, you will work through what trauma is, how it affects children and those around them, and how you can support the child and yourself.

Part 1 is an introduction to the concept of trauma as an underlying factor in the challenging behaviors of some foster children. You will get a look at “real world” examples of situations in which a child’s trauma is manifesting in different ways. You also will be guided through the “Essential Elements of Trauma-Informed Parenting,” tools you may find helpful immediately. When you are done you will be able to describe trauma-informed parenting and its benefits, which will set you up for success as you move forward in this course.

Part 3 of the “Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma” series walks you through the profound impact trauma has on a child’s development and functioning.

At the start of the class, you will engage in an exercise that sheds light on how the brain receives information about danger. This puts you in a mindset to understand how the brain can be shaped by trauma. The training ties this to how a child’s development can be affected at different ages and what impact trauma can have on behavior.

There are many things you can do as a resource parent to help children overcome trauma and build new pathways in their brains. In this class you will learn about the “Invisible Suitcase,” and how trauma-informed parenting can help “repack” it in a positive way.

Part 5 of the “Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma” series dives into deeper discussions about the relationship between trauma and psychology.

In this session you will be introduced to the Cognitive Triangle, a tool that helps with recognition of the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviors. You will discuss how trauma affects these aspects and why a child who has experienced trauma may act out.

You also will spend a lot of time talking about your role as a resource parent and how you can help, through understanding the child’s needs. You have the opportunity to build new, positive experiences that can help reshape the brain and support the child’s development of emotional skills.

Part 7 of the “Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma” series broadens the discussion about trauma to look at your role within the team of people involved in the child’s life.

Trauma-informed advocacy involves many of the same aspects as trauma-informed parenting – once you understand the latter you can work toward sharing this perspective with other people who are supporting the child. During this training you will talk specifically about what this looks like, and engage in a role-play scenario that will support your skill building and interactions with the child’s team.

In this session you also will discuss the times when you may need to seek additional help for the child in your care. You will look at the behaviors that point to a need for therapy, and how you can support this by seeking trauma-informed treatment and evaluating that treatment in an ongoing way.

Many children in foster or kinship care have a history of exposure to trauma. Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: A Workshop for Resource Parents (RPC) Session 1 is a 4 module, 6 hour focused topic training which includes nine case studies of representative foster children from the ages of eight months to 15 years, as well as cases of secondary traumatic stress in parents.

Many children in the foster care system have lived through traumatic experiences.  Understanding how trauma affects children can help you make sense of your child’s sometimes baffling behavior, feelings and attitudes.  Once you understand why your child behaves the way he or she does, you’ll be better prepared to help him or her cope with the effects of trauma.  In this workshop, you’ll improve your ability to communicate with your child, learn skills and techniques to influence your child’s behavior and attitudes, and learn ways to reduce the stress of parenting a traumatized child.  The goal of this workshop is to make you a more effective resource parent, and to enable you to have more of the positive experiences that make being a resource parent so worthwhile.

Session 1 is a 4 module, 6 hour training, including:

• Module 1: Intro on Trauma Informed Parenting
• Module 2: Trauma 101
• Module 3: Understanding Trauma’s Effects
• Module 4: Building a Safe Place

This 6 hour focused training for caregivers provides an in-depth exploration of secure attachment and challenges to attachment as well as building caregiver skills to enhance attachment with children in out of home care.  

This training is for licensed and unlicensed caregivers and relative / kinship providers to support LGTBQ+ youth in their care.

Research shows that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and two spirit (LGBTQ+) youth are overrepresented in the foster care system. LGBTQ+ youth in out of home care face additional challenges such as discrimination, stigma and bullying. LGBTQ+ children/youth feel unsafe and face rejection from their families, schools and community. Many times, LGBTQ+ youth do not have access to appropriate health care and mental health resources.

This eLearning course was developed from Connecting, a prevention-focused program specifically for foster parents and relative caregivers, and teens in out of home care. Connecting was created using input and advice from social workers, caregivers, and LGBTQ+ foster youth.

This eLearning will provide caregivers an overview of the:

• Myths and stereotypes about LGBTQ+ children/youth and will provide facts and realities;
• Fundamental facts and terms about LGBTQ+ children/youth;
• Provide opportunities for activities for caregivers and children/youth;
• Address safety issues and develop plans for children/youth safety; and
• Learn how to promote the health, safety and well-being of the children/youth in care. 

This eLearning will allow the caregiver to complete activities on their own as well as together with the LGBTQ+ children/youth in their care.

If you are a first time foster parent or a new respite provider, you are required to complete a CPR/First Aid and Blood Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) class. This class is a blended online course with three parts – two online eLearnings and a skill based in person class. The BBP online course covers what you need to know as a caregiver when in contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials. The CPR/First Aid online course provides the knowledge needed when dealing with the 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. Once both eLearnings are completed, the final part is the skill evaluation with an instructor where you will get to apply and practice the techniques you have learned. A certificate will be issued once all three parts are successfully completed and will be valid for two years. The BBP class only needs to be completed once for the initial license.

PLEASE NOTE: Each participant MUST REGISTER SEPARATELY in order to receive their certification.  If a couple or group plans to complete the training together, each member must still register and go through the online course individually. You must be logged in and on the course page to see the registration button.

This Foster Parent Initial Licensing: CPR/First Aid/Bloodborne Pathogens Certification consists of the following 3 classes:

• ProBloodBorne: Healthcare Bloodborne Pathogens (eLearning) - 1 hour

Bloodborne Pathogens Training is an OSHA mandated training program for any person who may be reasonably anticipated to face contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials as the result of performing their duties as a caregiver. ProBloodborne is for individuals who must comply with OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.1030. This course is aimed specifically at those in the healthcare industry and applies to Caregivers in WA state who are seeking to be a licensed Foster Parent for the first time. The BBP certification only needs to be completed once for the Foster Parent licensing process.

• ProFirstAid: CPR + First Aid for All Ages (eLearning) - 4.5 hours

ProFirstAid is a blended training where students complete an online course for CPR, First Aid, and AED usage and then later schedule a skill evaluation with an instructor. Once the instructor has confirmed a passing score, the student will receive their electronic CPR Certification card via email with an option to request a physical copy mailed to them within 7-10 business days. CPR certification is valid for 2 years.

• ProFirstAid: CPR Skills Evaluation - 1 hour

Note: Due to limitations for classroom trainings related to COVID-19 public health considerations, the CPR skills evaluation is currently on hold per DCYF. Those seeking their first foster care license may complete the BBP and CPR eLearnings and submit their certificates for licensure. Once the CPR skills assessment is opened back up, you will be required to return here to complete the skills assessment to be certified in CPR.

Foster Parent Initial Licensing: CPR/First Aid/Bloodborne Pathogens Certification follows the latest American Heart Association and ECC/ILCOR guidelines and is nationally accredited.

The eLearnings are available in English or Spanish.

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 webinar 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 team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This 1 hour class covers the following:

• How brains are built. An enormous amount of brain development occurs in the first five years.
• Early childhood experiences shape the physical development of the brain.
• The strength of connections formed in a child’s brain depends, to a certain extent, on the frequencies of experiences they have in their lives.

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 team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following key points:

• From the first day of life, children watch others and imitate their actions to learn about the physical world and their culture.
• As they grow older, they can remember actions for longer (deferred imitation), and use them to navigate situations (generalizations).
• Children’s brains seem ready to imitate-studies have found similar changes in infants’ brain activity whether they are doing an activity or just watching it.

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 team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following points:

• Language learning begins before birth. A young brain is particularly ready to learn language.
• When listening to language, infants engage in statistical learning. This helps them become sensitive to the specific sounds of their native language.
• Face-to-face interactions are critical for language learning. In the first year of life, social interactions expose children to language. They also prepare the infant brain for speaking.

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 team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following points:

• Attachment is a dyadic relationship. This means that an attachment relationship depends on both the adult and the child.
• Attachment security is on a continuum. Children’s attachment behavior can be more or less secure. Their behavior depends on the caregiving they receive.
• A child is more likely to form a secure attachment when her caregiver provides consistent and sensitive care.

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 team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following points:

• Babies begin making vowel-like sounds soon after birth. They soon add consonant sounds. Then they transition to syllables, words, and finally sentences. This pattern is similar across different cultures and languages.
• Children use different strategies to learn words and word combinations. During the process of learning, they sometimes make errors in word or sentence use. As they hear more language, their use of words and sentences becomes more adult-like.
• Language learning begins at birth! Those children who hear more language and experience more high quality interactions tend to produce more words and longer sentences.

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 team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following points:

• Babies are born with different temperaments or ways they approach everyday events and challenges. Biology helps determine temperament, but environment and experiences also influence a child’s temperament and development.
• Temperament consists of three dimensions: positive reactivity; negative reactivity; and attention, soothability, and regulation. Each dimension is a continuum, meaning a child can show more or less of a behavior.
• You cannot change a child’s temperament, but you can adapt your behavior and environment to meet the child’s needs. This is creating goodness of fit between your expectations and a child’s temperament.

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 team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following points:

• Race is meaningful in our social world and racism still exists today.
• Our actions matter - what parents do – or don’t do – is a strong indicator of children’s attitudes about race.
• Our words matter too! Research suggests that not talking about race with kids increases racist thinking and racism. But talking about race can be one of the best ways to counteract racism.
• Kids are aware of race, form racial identities and observe and integrate ideas about race from those around them and reflect it in their own attitudes and behaviors.
• Preventative and Reactionary ‘race chats’ are an effective way to discuss race and racism with children. These conversations with evolve and change over time, as a child grows.
• We do not need to have all the answers to have effective ‘race chats’ with children. We just need to be open, and be able to offer a safe space to talk.

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 team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following points:

• Spoken language skills serve as the foundation for literacy development. Literacy involves years of systematic instruction and practice.
• Children may enter kindergarten with a range of pre-literacy skills. It is important for teachers to provide a rich literacy environment for all children. Reading to and with children is a great way to boost pre-literacy skills.
• The brain is not born to read. With practice, our brains learn to recognize words, match words with sounds, and associate those words with meaning.
• Some people have more difficulty learning to read than others. But this does not mean that they won’t ever learn how or that they are less intelligent. Many different factors contribute to a child’s pre-literacy skills.

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 team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following points:

• In the first year of life, babies already start to make predictions about what things are causes and what are effects.  By the time they are in preschool, children are proficient causal learners, ready to engage in and learn from causal lessons.
• Children of all ages learn how to make things happen on their own from watching what other people do.  They do this even if the people they are watching make mistakes or things don’t work perfectly.
• Cause-and-effect relations also occur between living things. Figuring out how to cause people to change their behavior is important for children’s social development.  
• Lessons about cause-and-effect happen at home and in the classroom all the time, with little or no need for special tools, toys, or preparation.

This 90-minute in-service level course will help caregivers identify and support youth who are at risk for or are being commercially sexually exploited.  The training will provide a framework for understanding this issue that greatly impacts adolescents in the child welfare system, as well as for understanding the basic practices that support helping these youth reach positive outcomes. 

Learning Objectives:

• Know the legal definition of commercial sexual exploitation of children
• Understand how commercial sexual exploitation might happen to a youth
• Understand how experiencing commercial sexual exploitation may impact a youth
• Be able to spot signs that youth are at risk for becoming (or are) commercially sexually exploited
• Have strategies for caring for youth who are at risk for becoming (or have been) commercially sexually exploited

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.

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 additional training around the importance of visitation. Caregivers will learn their role in visitation, including how they can support the child, and will more deeply understand the pivotal role that visitation plays in supporting children’s relationships with birth families. Participants will gain skills to successfully team with others involved in the child’s visitation, and will explore how to be a resource to birth families. This coaching session includes activities that allow the caregiver to assess the effects of visitation on the child(ren) in their care and create a plan to address any concerns which may arise in the future.

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.

This workshop will provide foster parents, caregivers, relatives and fictive kin with information to assist them in navigating the system, managing the investigative process of allegations, but more importantly, learn ways to minimize the risks of allegations.

• Share ways to minimize the risk of an allegation.
• Learn how the investigative process works.
• Review common practices and procedures.
• Explore and practice documentation and reporting.
• Discuss how best to survive the allegation process.

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 In-Service level training 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.

This first of seven part, sequential course develops an understanding of the underlying causes of a youth’s behavior is one of the first steps in supporting their well-being. For children with behavioral challenges, this is especially important. The first part in the “Parenting Teens” series is a dive into trauma-informed parenting.

This multimedia-driven course will expose you to a variety of composites of youths facing trauma and you will learn how events can affect long-term behaviors. A large portion of this training involves lessons about brain function and how trauma or disruptions manifest. Key learnings will include how to transition this information into real-life parenting situations, including how to get to a place where you can understand the “why” behind the behavior.

At the close of the course you will be able to define trauma and recognize how traumatic stress and adversity impact a youth’s development. You also will understand the importance of responding to the underlying cause of a youth’s behaviors. You will leave with handouts and other resources to support your learning going forward.

Each part of the Parenting Teens series should be taken in sequential 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 2.5 hours and may be taken individually or in any order. 

Session 2: What Is Positive Discipline? Session 2 explores what Positive Discipline is, how to be kind and firm, the three R’s of punishment, the 5 criteria, Positive Discipline no-nos, understanding the brain, and how to implement positive time outs.

The Alliance also offers An Introduction to Positive Discipline for those who are interested in experiencing a 2 hour sample of Positive Discipline training around techniques and principles for your home.

In addition, the Alliance offers individual coaching sessions around implementing Positive Discipline techniques.  The coaching session requires that a participant has completed at least one of the sessions of Positive Discipline.

Additional Resources

Click one of the images below to hear about Positive Discipline from Dr. Jane Nelsen (author and co-founder of Positive Discipline), and Darcey Hancock (Statewide Administrator of the Division of Licensed Resources in Washington).  You will hear them discuss some of the foundational concepts of Positive Discipline, and how WA State Law around discipline fits with Positive Discipline techniques.

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 2.5 hours and may be taken individually or in any order. 

Session 4: Why Children Misbehave. Session 4 explores childhood decisions, natural consequences, logical consequences, solutions, family meetings, and routine charts.

The Alliance also offers An Introduction to Positive Discipline for those who are interested in experiencing a 2 hour sample of Positive Discipline training around techniques and principles for your home.

In addition, the Alliance offers individual coaching sessions around implementing Positive Discipline techniques.  The coaching session requires that a participant has completed at least one of the sessions of Positive Discipline.

Additional Resources

Click one of the images below to hear about Positive Discipline from Dr. Jane Nelsen (author and co-founder of Positive Discipline), and Darcey Hancock (Statewide Administrator of the Division of Licensed Resources in Washington).  You will hear them discuss some of the foundational concepts of Positive Discipline, and how WA State Law around discipline fits with Positive Discipline techniques.

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 2.5 hours and may be taken individually or in any order. 

Session 6: What is My Part? Session 6 explores lifestyle priorities, mistakes as opportunities to learn, and empowering versus enabling.

The Alliance also offers An Introduction to Positive Discipline for those who are interested in experiencing a 2 hour sample of Positive Discipline training around techniques and principles for your home.

In addition, the Alliance offers individual coaching sessions around implementing Positive Discipline techniques.  The coaching session requires that a participant has completed at least one of the sessions of Positive Discipline.

Additional Resources

Click one of the images below to hear about Positive Discipline from Dr. Jane Nelsen (author and co-founder of Positive Discipline), and Darcey Hancock (Statewide Administrator of the Division of Licensed Resources in Washington).  You will hear them discuss some of the foundational concepts of Positive Discipline, and how WA State Law around discipline fits with Positive Discipline techniques.

This eLearning focuses on how caregivers can best support and care for pregnant and parenting youth (and their children) who are living in foster care. Participants will identify their roles and responsibilities and determine what they are able and willing to do. They will also gather information about supports, resources and partnering with the other members of the child welfare team.

This e-learning on Prudent Parenting is for both Caregivers and Social Workers. This training discusses the parenting decisions that fall to the Caregiver according to the Prudent Parent Law, provides a few additional considerations when making prudent parenting decisions for children in care, and presents several scenarios that address frequently asked questions related to the Prudent Parent Law.

You made the choice to step in and provide care for a child when they needed it. This choice changed the day-to-day rhythms of your life and the life of the child or children you are caring for. As a grandparent or relative caregiver, this choice also changed your relationship with the child(ren)’s parents and sometimes with other adults in your family. In this course, we will explore how family relationships between adults have change and how you feel about these changes. We will learn and practice solution-focused communication skills that might help in navigating relationships with the parents of the child(ren) you are caring for. Lastly, we will review resources and sources of support to help lighten your load.

LEARN is a suicide awareness training that helps participants identify and act on signs of suicide.  The training was developed in the School of Social Work by noted Suicidologist, Dr. Jennifer Stuber, and is based on best practices outlined by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). LEARN is designed to empower individuals to help others move in the direction of hope, recovery, and survival.

Join us for Book Club! 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.

As a new caregiver, the very best thing you can do for those who depend on you is to take care of yourself. This group will engage in conversations around how to make sure you see how valuable your contribution is, as well as also how demanding it can be. You can talk about challenges you’re facing when thinking about self-care, because real life does sometimes make it hard to prioritize. You’ll work toward developing an action plan that takes into account your unique circumstances and proactively addresses things that might derail your self-supporting activities.

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 from hard places.” 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.

As a caregiver the very best thing you can do for those who depend on you is to take care of yourself!

Caregivers are expected to welcome children who have been traumatized into their homes and invest emotionally and physically into the children. Caregivers are expected to separate gracefully when the time comes for the children to move on. The caregiver’s responsibilities and personal sacrifices in caring for someone else can be challenging for even the most experienced caregivers.

This 6 hour focused topic training for caregivers teaches how to reduce your stress, find more energy and improve your resilience while you care for difficult children and demanding expectations.  The course includes opportunities for self-reflection and insight, short term goal setting and practical self-care and stress reduction techniques.

Luanne Hawley has been a licensed foster parent for 25 years, as well as a relative care provider and adoptive parent. She has been an advocate for Foster Parents and Care Providers having provided support services through the FIRST (Foster Intervention and Retention Support Team) program for many years.

As a caregiver, you can play multiple roles on a child’s care team, including being a supervisor for Family Time. This training gives you an introduction to the requirements of these visits and will guide you through evaluating your own potential appropriateness to take on this responsibility.

If you aren’t familiar with Family Time, the course gives a clear definition of what it is and how you are both expected and invited to participate. (If you are interested in learning more before taking this training, the webinar “Caregiver’s Responsibility in Supporting Family Time” is recommended as a starting point.) Then you will move into the core of the course, learning the expectations around Family Time supervision and understanding who can play that role. You will be guided through what you need to know if you take on the role of supervisor, including how to establish rapport with parent and child, guidelines around intervention in visits, and what to document and how.  Many real-life scenarios will help you put the lessons into practice and be better prepared to implement the tools you learn.

When you leave the course you will understand how you can best support the supervision of Family Time, the valuable way parents and children can stay bonded.

The goals of this workshop include:

• Developing skills to manage children with behavioral challenges in a non-violent crisis intervention manner;
• Skill building for empathetic listening;
• Identifying children’s needs and creative strategies to help children manage their emotions in difficult situations.