Foster Parent Training

Extensive training is required before being licensed as a foster parent, and rightly so. 

The first class we attended was a GPS class, or Group Process Selection. The class was on the small side, with only 3 families participating. By the next week, we were the only couple left, so the social worker changed our curriculum to Deciding Together. 

"Deciding Together is a program to help 

families make an informed decision 

about becoming foster or adoptive parents 

while also preparing them for the role 

of foster or adoptive parents."

In the introductory group class, we were given a great deal of information, and I'm a note taker, so I took down several pages of notes. I appreciated that we were given the opportunity to ask questions and there was a lot of class participation.

We have taken two classes using the Deciding Together curriculum. The pace is slower, the lessons more in depth. We met last week with our social worker in our home, which did make me a little nervous initially, but  if we do become foster parents, this will be a common occurrence. It makes sense to start getting used to the idea now. 

I had an irrational fear that our home would be viewed with dust finding gloves and dirty laundry seeking glasses, but to the contrary, our UMCH (United Methodist Children's Home) representative viewed our home as a human being who recognizes everyone has laundry in their laundry room and dishes in their sink. It was such a relief. We have another class tonight, and of course, I still made sure to clean the house. Some things can't be helped.  We haven't had our home inspection yet, that will be after the classes, and I feel sure there will be some things at that point that will need correction.

Each week, there are worksheets to be completed called Strengths/Needs Assessments. These are intended to help you reflect on where your strengths and needs lie and also to inform the social worker where to focus their training and what type of child might be a good fit for your family. I would say one of our needs is that any child placed with us would need to attend an after school program, because my husband and I both work full time. A strength would be that our church and family have been extremely supportive and open to the idea of us becoming foster parents.

The training is helping me think about what a child in foster care may have experienced in their life, how it might cause them to behave, and that behavior is a result of what they have endured, not that the child is a "bad" child. It is also helping me to picture caring for someone else's child in my home.