Fostering a child is a rewarding yet challenging journey, and in Oklahoma, the Department of Human Services (DHS) is committed to providing comprehensive training and support for foster parents. Understanding the resources available is crucial, especially amidst questions surrounding the future of home care programs. While concerns may arise about the landscape of support services, it’s important to recognize the ongoing commitment to foster care training as a cornerstone of ensuring children receive quality home-based care. This article delves into the details of Oklahoma DHS foster parent training, outlining the requirements, curriculum, and resources available to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide safe, nurturing homes for children in need.
Comprehensive Foster Parent Training Programs
Oklahoma DHS provides foster parent training at no cost, recognizing the vital role training plays in successful foster placements. These training opportunities are available throughout the year and are arranged in coordination with your resource specialist, ensuring accessibility and convenience for prospective and current foster parents.
Mandatory Pre-Service Training
Pre-service training is a mandatory step for anyone seeking to become a certified foster parent in Oklahoma. This foundational training ensures that all foster parents are equipped with the essential knowledge and skills to care for children in DHS custody.
Traditional Foster Care Pre-Service Training:
For those interested in Traditional Foster Care, both applicants and adult household members who will be involved in caring for a foster child must complete a comprehensive twenty-seven (27) hour pre-service training course. This curriculum is designed to instill the reasonable and prudent parent standard and emphasizes the core values and guiding principles critical for nurturing children who have experienced maltreatment.
The training is structured to build upon each session, ensuring a progressive understanding of foster care principles and practices. Due to the sensitive nature of the material and to facilitate effective learning, class sizes are limited. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact their resource specialist to enroll and obtain detailed information regarding dates, times, and locations of upcoming training sessions.
The Traditional Foster Care pre-service training curriculum encompasses the following key areas:
- Protecting and Nurturing Children: Strategies for safeguarding and nurturing children who have suffered abuse, emotional maltreatment, or neglect.
- Promoting Healthy Development: Methods to foster the healthy physical, emotional, and cognitive development of children in foster care.
- Trauma-Informed Care: Understanding the impact of trauma on children and the importance of promoting safety and security for children with traumatic experiences.
- Supporting Family Connections: Guidance on supporting and maintaining relationships between foster children and their biological parents, siblings, and extended family, as directed by DHS.
- Team Collaboration: Building safe, nurturing relationships for children and fostering effective collaboration with DHS as part of a child welfare team.
Therapeutic Foster Care and Intensive Treatment Family Care Pre-Service Training:
For individuals pursuing Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) or Intensive Treatment Family Care (ITFC), the pre-service training requirements are more specialized and intensive. Applicants and adult household members must complete an initial thirty-six (36) hours of pre-service training based on the Pressley Ridge Treatment Foster Care curriculum. This specialized training is required before becoming certified as a TFC or ITFC parent.
This specialized pre-service training covers critical topics including:
- Introduction to Treatment Foster Care: An overview of the principles and practices of therapeutic foster care.
- Professional Parenting I & II: Developing professional parenting skills tailored for children with complex needs.
- Understanding Childhood Development I & II: In-depth exploration of child development stages and considerations for children with trauma histories.
- Developing Healthy Relationships: Strategies for building and maintaining healthy, therapeutic relationships with foster children.
- Therapeutic Communication: Effective communication techniques for therapeutic interactions with children.
- Understanding Behavior: Analyzing and understanding the underlying causes of challenging behaviors in children.
- Changing Behavior: Positive behavior management techniques and interventions.
- Skill Teaching: Methods for teaching children essential life skills and coping mechanisms.
- Conflict Resolution: Strategies for resolving conflicts constructively and therapeutically.
- Understanding and Managing Crisis: Preparing for and managing crisis situations effectively.
Black girl at whiteboard thinking.
Ongoing In-Service Training Requirements
Beyond the initial pre-service training, ongoing in-service training is a vital component of maintaining foster parent certification and ensuring continued professional development. These annual training requirements are designed to keep foster parents updated on best practices, new therapeutic approaches, and evolving child welfare policies.
Annual In-Service Training Hours:
- Traditional Foster or Kinship Care: Each adult in the home is required to complete 12 hours of training annually.
- Therapeutic Foster Care: Each adult in the home must complete 18 hours of training annually.
- Intensive Treatment Family Care: Each adult in the home is required to complete 20 hours of training each year, with six (6) of these hours specifically focused on clinical topics.
Acceptable In-Service Training Activities:
Oklahoma DHS recognizes a variety of activities that can contribute to in-service training hours, offering flexibility and diverse learning opportunities for foster parents. These include:
- Workshops/Conferences/Seminars: Attending relevant workshops, conferences, or seminars focused on child welfare, trauma-informed care, or related topics.
- Support Groups: Participating in DHS-approved foster parent support groups. Meetings that include a training component are typically credited as two training hours. Social activities without a training component do not qualify for in-service credit.
- Peer Meetings/Gatherings: Engaging in peer mentoring, advisory committees, or foster parent associations. A maximum of six hours of annual training credit can be earned through peer meetings and gatherings.
- Parent Skills Training: Participating in specialized parent skills training programs such as Sooner Start, Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), or Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT).
- Independent Study: Engaging in self-directed learning through reading books, articles, or DHS Monthly Resource Reminders. A maximum of six hours of yearly training credit can be obtained through independent study.
- Videos/Webinars/Podcasts: Utilizing online learning resources such as videos, webinars, computer-based training modules, and relevant podcasts.
- Medical/Developmental Care Skills Training: Participating in training focused on medical or developmental care skills relevant to foster children’s needs.
Documentation and Verification of Training
To receive credit for completed training, it’s essential to properly document and verify participation.
Certificates and Agendas:
For trainings that issue a completion certificate, foster parents should submit the certificate to their resource worker, along with a training agenda or other documentation verifying the training content and duration.
In-Service Training Verification Form:
For all other types of training activities, foster parents must complete and submit the In-Service Training Verification Form. This form ensures proper recording of training hours.
In-Service Training Verification FormDownload
Training Credit Hour Guidelines
DHS provides guidelines for converting training minutes and pages read into training credit hours, ensuring a standardized approach to credit calculation.
In-Service Training Credit Hours Based on Time:
| Minutes | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| 30 | .5 |
| 60 | 1 |
| 90 | 1.5 |
| 120 | 2 |
| 150 | 2.5 |
| 180 | 3 |
In-Service Training Credit Hours for Books/Articles (Pages Read):
| Number of Pages Read | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| 50 | 1 |
| 51-100 | 2 |
| 101-150 | 3 |
| 151-200 | 4 |
| 201-250 | 5 |
| 251-300 | 6 |
It is always recommended to confirm with your resource worker for pre-approval if you have questions about whether a specific activity will qualify for training credit before completing the training.
Expanding Your Knowledge: Additional Training Resources
Oklahoma foster parents have access to a wealth of additional training resources to further enhance their skills and knowledge. These resources cover a wide range of topics and learning preferences.
TBRI® Training for Foster and Adoptive Caregivers: TBRI® Training
This two-day training provides an overview of Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) principles, a trauma-informed approach, and offers practical strategies for applying these principles in the home. It explores the impact of trauma on the brain, attachment theory, and empowering and correcting strategies.
Empowered to Connect: Empowered to Connect Resources
Empowered to Connect offers readily accessible written and video training resources featuring insights from Dr. Karyn Purvis, a renowned expert in trauma-informed care. These resources are specifically designed for parents and caregivers of children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, stress, and maltreatment.
Foster Care & Adoption Learning Management System (LMS): Foster Care & Adoption LMS
Oklahoma foster parents can request enrollment in the DHS Foster Care & Adoption Learning Management System through their CW Specialist. This LMS offers a variety of training modules, each typically providing one hour of training credit upon completion of a quiz. Certificates can be printed upon completion and submitted to the CW Specialist.
Oklahoma Adoption Competency Network (OACN): Oklahoma Adoption Competency Network Events
The Oklahoma Adoption Competency Network (OACN) provides a platform for learning, discussion, and support for foster and adoptive parents, adoptees, biological families, and adoption professionals. OACN offers events such as webinars, book clubs, support groups, and adoption competency trainings covering essential topics related to adoption and foster care.
Oklahoma Complete Health Child Welfare Training and Education: Oklahoma Complete Health Training
Oklahoma Complete Health Children’s Specialty Plan offers free trainings to providers, partners, caregivers, foster parents, and adoptive parents. Training topics include: Introduction to the Children’s Specialty Program, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Understanding Emotions in Children, Creating Normalcy Experiences for Youth in Foster Care, Problem Sexual Behavior in Children, Promoting Understanding and Healing in Adoption and Foster Care, and Trauma 101. Trainings are available virtually and in-person at no cost.
Foster Club Training: Foster Club Training *
Foster Club offers a range of online courses for foster parent training, requiring a subscription for credit. Courses range from 1.5 to 3.0 credit hours. Bulk rates are available for agencies.
Foster Parent Training: Foster Parent Training*
FosterParentTraining.com provides extensive in-service training materials (250 hours) through a yearly subscription model. Materials can be downloaded and printed. Subscriptions are available for individuals and couples. Printable training certificates are provided upon completion requirements.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Courses *
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension offers various online courses related to childcare and behavioral health. Official training credit requires passing a course exam and paying a processing fee for a certificate. Courses are available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
FosterParentCollege.com: FosterParentCollege.com **
FosterParentCollege.com offers a vast library of online, research-based, self-paced courses (+70 in English, +20 in Spanish) accessible 24/7. Course enrollments are free through a training account registered via the National Resource Center for Youth Services. Certificates can be emailed or printed and provided to the worker. Registration link: https://nrcys.ou.edu/rft/training/registration.
Foster Care & Adoptive Community (FCAC) Training: Foster Care & Adoptive Community Training **
Foster Care and Adoptive Community (FCAC) Training offers a wide selection of online courses (154 and growing) for a fee per training. Certificates are generated immediately upon passing a course test and can be emailed or downloaded.
Note: Foster Club Training, Foster Parent training, and Texas A&M Extension subscriptions/fees are the responsibility of the resource parent.
Note: DHS provides 12 pre-paid online in-service training hours annually through Foster Care & Adoptive Community (FCAC) or Foster Parent College (FPC) for DHS and Tribal foster, kinship, and adoptive parents. Access is through the National Resource Center website: https://www.nrcys.ou.edu/oklahoma-programs/rft/rft-. Foster parents need their foster care contract number (obtainable from their worker) to access these pre-paid hours. Direct enrollment and payment on FCAC or Foster Parent College websites are not reimbursable. These pre-paid hours are not available for Therapeutic Foster Care or contracted agency care; these families should discuss in-service training with their contractor agency.
Community Trainings, Events, & Conferences:
Foster parents can also seek approval from their resource worker for training credits for relevant trainings offered in their community, such as at churches or workplaces.
The Power of Support Groups
Oklahoma DHS emphasizes the importance of support for kinship, foster, and adoptive parents. The Oklahoma Kinship, Foster, and Adoptive Family Support Network, facilitated through a contract with the OU Outreach National Resource Center for Youth Services, provides vital support through local support groups.
These Network support groups offer:
- In-service training opportunities tailored to the needs of resource parents.
- Communication channels for connecting with other resource families and DHS.
- Resource sharing, including information, materials, website resources, and peer support.
Group composition is community-based to best serve local resource families. Virtual support groups are also available monthly, with information disseminated via email to resource parents.
Membership in Network Support groups is open to all approved resource parents/families through DHS, contracted agencies, or Tribes with DHS contracts. Resource parents from contracted agencies are welcome to attend DHS Network support groups in their area, even if their agency sponsors its own groups.
DHS Network support groups are led by trained resource parent facilitators supported by the National Resource Center for Youth Services (NRCYS). Attending a support group meeting with a training component earns resource parents two in-service training credit hours towards their annual requirement. Training topics are tailored to the specific needs of each local Family Support Network group.
Recommended Reading: Books, Magazines, & Articles
Oklahoma DHS also recognizes the value of reading and offers credit for independent study using books, magazines, and articles. While the following list is not exhaustive, it provides excellent suggestions for relevant reading materials. Always check with your Resource Specialist for approval before reading materials for training credit.
Recommended Books:
- No Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.: Explores the connection between child neurological development and discipline, offering compassionate, effective strategies for managing misbehavior.
- The Whole Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.: Demystifies child brain development and provides practical approaches to understanding and navigating children’s emotional responses.
- The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family by Karen B. Purvis, Ph.D., David R. Cross, Ph.D., Wendy Lyons Sunshine: A resource specifically for adoptive parents of children with histories of early trauma or deprivation, focusing on healing and connection.
- The Kinship Parenting Toolbox Edited by Kim Phagan-Hansel: A comprehensive guide for kinship caregivers, covering topics from organization and finances to support systems.
- The Foster Parenting Toolbox Edited by Kim Phagan-Hansel: A practical handbook for foster parents addressing transitions, grief, loss, anger, and family dynamics in foster care.
- The Power to Connect by Teresa and Chuck Easter: Explores effective communication skills for building strong relationships.
- Completing the Circle by Thomas Poplawski: Discusses the importance of home-school collaboration in supporting child development, particularly through Waldorf education principles.
Recommended Magazines:
- Fostering Families Today Magazine: A bimonthly publication offering guidance and information for foster parents on their fostering journey.
- Adoption Today Magazine: An award-winning publication focused on the well-being of adoptees and adoptive families, covering physical, psychological, and emotional aspects of adoption.
Change a Child’s Life in Oklahoma
Every child in Oklahoma deserves a safe, loving home. Oklahoma DHS is dedicated to providing the training and resources necessary for foster parents to offer just that. By participating in comprehensive training programs and utilizing ongoing support systems, individuals can make a profound difference in the lives of children in foster care, ensuring they receive quality home care and a brighter future.
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