Vol. 7, No. 1• November 2002

Exciting New Foster Parent Training

Exciting news! The N.C. Division of Social Services has announced a new training opportunity for foster parents. Beginning in 2003 the Division plans to offer a “train the trainer” course for MAPP/GPS certification for foster parents who have two or more years of experience. Completion of this training will certify foster parents to co-lead MAPP groups in partnership with a county DSS or a private child-placing agency.

The Child Welfare Institute, author of the MAPP/GPS curriculum, strongly recommends that MAPP be presented to prospective foster and adoptive parents by a pair of trainers, one of whom is an agency representative and one of whom is a foster parent. Yet in the past, the MAPP certification process has been difficult for foster parents to attend because it has only been held on weekdays during working hours. To make it easier for foster parents to become certified to co-train MAPP, the Division will begin holding this certification training at what we hope is a more convenient time. The training will be :

• Provided in 7 days rather than 8
  
  
• Offered on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of one week and then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday approximately 2 weeks later to reduce the amount of time participants must take off from work
  
  
• Covering information on training and presentation skills, as well as other topics pertinent for foster parent leaders
  
  
• Offered in the Greensboro area to provide centralized access for all areas of the state
  
  
• Offered at no registration cost (hotel, travel, and food expenses will be the responsibility of the participant or the sponsoring agency)

Contact Clarence Lamb of the NCDSS Staff Development Team at 919/733-7672 after December 1, 2002 for a registration packet and details of the training.

Copyright � 2002 Jordan Institute for Families