Ongoing Caregiver Training
Resource families(formerly named foster caregivers) are required by the State of Ohio to complete 30 hours of training every two years to maintain their foster care license. Treatment resource families are required to complete 45 hours. The curriculum is developed in accordance with the caregiver’s Individual Training Needs Assessment (ITNA) and Individual Development Plan (IDP).
Registration Instructions:
If you are a resource family through LCCS, enroll yourself in training sessions through CAPS LMS:
Should you need assistance, please contact Catrina Carwell at 419-213-3505 or by e-mail catrina.carwell@jfs.ohio.gov
If you are a resource family through another agency, or if you are a daycare provider for LCCS, you will NOT be in CAPS LMS. Please contact Mrs. Bennett-Kanu to register as a guest.
~ Training Schedule ~
Class will be closed to anyone arriving more than fifteen (15) minutes late.
*VIRTUAL*
Partnering with Primary Families
Saturday, March 1, 2025 | 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Dave Zidar, Instructor
Locator# 19435
1.5 Credit Hours
This course, part of the Preservice training series, helps learners understand their need to partner with the primary family for the child’s benefit. The importance of empathy is explored, and learners consider child protection from the perspective of the primary family. Learners will hear about the value of partnering from those with lived experience.
*VIRTUAL*
Attachment
Saturday, March 8, 2025 | 10:00am -12:00pm
Carmen Toro-Wooten, Instructor
Locator# 19437
2 Credit Hours
Resource Readiness -TRAUMA AND ITS IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND THE FAMILY, PROMOTING ATTACHMENT
This course helps participants understand the importance of attachment in parenting, both for the children and parents who are fostering or adopting. It covers the impact of fractured attachments/lack of attachments on children’s ability to attach and identifies strategies to develop healthy attachment bonds. This course also covers developing trust and developing children’s sense of connectedness and belonging. How to be attuned to children and recognizing and honoring children’s primary attachment to their families is also highlighted.
*VIRTUAL*
Separation, Grief, and Loss
Saturday, March 8, 2025 | 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Carmen Toro-Wooten, Instructor
Locator# 19440
2 Credit Hours
Resource Readiness -TRAUMA AND ITS IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND THE FAMILY, PROMOTING ATTACHMENT
This course helps participants understand the impact of separation and ambiguous loss, and the different ways children grieve. Life-long grieving and the importance of providing opportunities for grieving is explored. Strategies to help children deal with grief and loss are identified. Participants will understand loss and fractured attachments with birth family members and previous placements; recognize the importance of establishing and maintaining essential relationships with and for children; understand the impact of frequent moves and the importance of managing transitions for children; and understand the separation, grief and loss experienced by all members of the foster/adoption network.
*VIRTUAL*
Kinship Parenting
Monday, March 10, 2025 | 6:30pm – 8:20pm
Lauri Wolfe, Instructor
Locator# 19442
1.83 Credit Hours
This one hour and 50 minute course acknowledges the complexities associated with caring for children who are related, including divided loyalties, redefining roles, and relationships, setting boundaries with parents and other relatives, and the range of emotions, including anger, resentment, guilt, and/or embarrassment that caregivers can feel. Strategies for managing family dynamics and conflicts, identifying triggers, and effectively managing stress are shared.
Management of Children with Challenging Behaviors
Saturday, March 15, 2025 | 9:00am – 4:00pm
Dave Zidar, Instructor
Locator# 19443
5.5 Credit Hours
This course addresses a variety of behaviors that all children may present, including stealing and physical assault. The course’s goal is to provide the skills to manage these behaviors with a reduced level of reactivity. This class is recommended for anyone who works with or manages an environment where children are present with these issues.
*VIRTUAL*
Verbal De-escalation in Child Welfare
Monday, March 17, 2025 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Brian Lowery, Instructor
Locator# 19444
2.75 Credit Hours
Resource Readiness – FAMILY SAFETY
This class will examine how pre-placement experiences and current stressors may affect a foster child’s emotions, leading to escalating behaviors. This workshop reviews the skills of active listening, non-violent communication, and de-escalation. Levels of crisis development and the conflict cycle are discussed, emphasizing appropriate foster parent response. Trainees will participate in exercises and demonstrations concerning personal space, body posture and motion, which will enable them to more successfully deal with emotional or physical crisis which can occur with children living in out of home care.
*VIRTUAL*
Trauma-Informed Care: The Neuroscience of Trauma and Resilience
Friday, March 21, 2025 | 9:00am -4:00pm
Laura Perkins, Instructor
Locator# 19445
5.5 Credit Hours
Participants will learn about the individualized nature of trauma, and how our clients’ trauma responses can present as myriad maladaptive behaviors or symptoms. Using Dr. Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics and an orientation to Developmental Trauma, trauma will be explained from a biological perspective as well as an emotional one. We will learn how the brain is shaped by life experiences and discuss neuroplasticity in the context of both trauma and resilience. Participants will learn the importance of assessing for trauma to ensure trauma-responsive interventions and how to teach families about the impact of trauma on behavior, emotions, thinking, and relationships. They will learn how to deliver Trauma-informed care in their interactions with clients and will learn how to enhance resilience for both clients and themselves.
AHA Pediatric Heartsaver First Aid and CPR Without Skills Testing
Saturday, March 22, 2025 | 9:00am -4:00pm
Ryan Hennessey, Instructor
Locator# 19462
6 Credit Hours
This course utilizes the American Heart Association Pediatric First Aid and CPR course materials but does not include skills testing. The participant receives a comprehensive overview of first aid basics for children, as well as CPR and AED use for all ages. This workshop is approved for OCWTP training hours only and does not certify the participant in CPR or First Aid.
**Please note that there is 2-hour mandatory hands-on skills testing for Lucas County Children Services licensed caregivers only from 2:00pm-4:00pm.
** For caregivers from other counties who wish to seek certification can attend this portion for a fee, payable to the trainer.
Class will be closed to anyone arriving more than fifteen (15) minutes late.
*VIRTUAL*
Cyber Bullying: Safety in Cyberspace
Tuesday, April 1, 2025 | 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Brian Bethel, Instructor
Locator# 21156
2.75 Credit Hours
Children have confronted the experience(s) of bullying for decades. However, the aggressive tactics in recent years have moved from the playground to the digital world and created a phenomenon known as Cyberbullying. By definition cyberbullying is the intentional, repeated harm to another person through the use of digital and communication technology. As such, it is important for caregivers and family members to have an understanding of cyberbullying and develop strategies to assist children who may be victims of these experiences. This training will highlight general information regarding the current trends and evolution of cyberbullying and offer strategies for mitigating its impact in the lives of children.
Curly Hair and Skin Care: A Course for Multiracial Families
Monday, April 14, 2025 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Lauren Burnette, Instructor
Locator# 20864
2.75 Credit Hours
The need for hair and skin care education within transracial families, especially with ethnic undertones, is vital. While a percentage of foster parents are predominantly Caucasian, research shows that the percentage of African American children in foster care is on the rise. This supply and demand leaves gaps in cultural needs and knowledge while hair care is no exception.
Curly Hair and Skin Care: A Course for Multiracial Families
Monday, April 14, 2025 | 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Lauren Burnette, Instructor
Locator# 20865
2.75 Credit Hours
The need for hair and skin care education within transracial families, especially with ethnic undertones, is vital. While a percentage of foster parents are predominantly Caucasian, research shows that the percentage of African American children in foster care is on the rise. This supply and demand leaves gaps in cultural needs and knowledge while hair care is no exception.
*VIRTUAL*
NCTSN: Feelings, Behaviors, Connections, and Healing
Thursday, April 17, 2025 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Viola Larkin, Instructor
Locator# 21158
2.75 Credit Hours
This workshop introduces caregivers to the cognitive triangle and the impact of trauma on children’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Caregivers will learn techniques for helping traumatized children to understand and control their emotional and behavioral reactions. It also explores how identity is created through connections and the impact trauma may have on these connections. Caregivers will understand why it is important for children to talk about their traumatic experiences, and how they can make the child feel safe while sharing. This workshop is third in a series of four workshops developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
*VIRTUAL*
Helping Youth Who are in Substitute Care Find Mentors
Thursday, April 17, 2025 1:00pm – 4:15pm
Viola Larkin, Instructor
Locator# 21157
3.00 Credit Hours
This learning opportunity will assist resource families in supporting youth to see the benefits of having a mentor. It also highlights their role in helping youth select mentors. This session is designed to provide hands-on activities to increase transfer of learning, practical strategies, and resources on how to find mentoring support in their area. Resource families will also learn how they can serve in a mentoring role to youth.
*VIRTUAL*
Effects of Caregiving
Wednesday, April 23, 2025 | 9:00am – 11:00am
Lamar King, Instructor
Locator# 21159
2.00 Credit Hours
This course, part of the Preservice training series, will help learners take a realistic look at caregiving including stressors and challenging events. This course defines burnout and secondary stress and explores the risk to caregivers. Learners will understand the importance of self-care and develop a self-care plan.
*VIRTUAL*
Trauma Related Behaviors
Wednesday, April 23, 2025 | 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Lamar King, Instructor
Locator# 21160
2 Credit Hours
Resource Readiness: TRAUMA AND ITS IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND THE FAMILY, PROMOTING ATTACHMENT
This course helps participants learn how chaos, threat, neglect, and other adversity during development can alter the developing brain and that, in turn, can change the ways children think, feel and act. Participants will understand the major stress-responses we use to cope with perceived and actual threat and the reasons for and range of adaptive symptoms from inattention and distractibility to avoidance and shutdown. Also covered are the reasons for rejection and testing and recognition of the survival skills and coping strategies that result in a complex range of behaviors.
AHA Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid and Adult and Child CPR Without Skills Testing
Saturday, April 26, 2025 | 9:00am – 4:00pm
Thasia Awad, Instructor
Locator# 21155
6 Credit Hours
This course utilizes the American Heart Association Pediatric First Aid and CPR course materials but does not include skills testing. The participant receives a comprehensive overview of first aid basics for children, as well as CPR and AED use for all ages. This workshop is approved for OCWTP training hours only and does not certify the participant in CPR or First Aid. **Please note that there is 2-hour mandatory hands-on skills testing for Lucas County Children Services licensed caregivers only from 2:00pm – 4:00pm. ** For caregivers from other counties who wish to seek certification can attend this portion for a fee, payable to the trainer.
*VIRTUAL*
Discipline Foundations
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | 9:00am – 11:00am
Megan Wendling, Instructor
Locator# 21284
2.00 Credit Hours
This course, part of the Preservice training series, discusses the knowledge and skills needed to appropriately discipline children. Learners will consider the importance of re-framing behavior and taking an approach that focuses on relationship, managing their emotions, and being intentional. Learners will also discover how to determine if a discipline strategy is appropriate.
*VIRTUAL*
Impact of Substance Use
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 | 11:30am – 1:00pm
Megan Wendling, Instructor
Locator# 21282
1.50 Credit Hours
Resource Readiness – Substance Abuse
This course helps participants understand the short and long-term impact on children exposed to substances prenatally including FASD. Also covered are issues that may be present if parents use(d) substances and medical issues that can arise due to substance exposure including a higher risk of later addiction. The genetic component of addiction and addiction as a chronic disease is described. This course also shares parenting strategies for children exposed to substances prenatally.
Class will be closed to anyone arriving more than fifteen (15) minutes late.
*VIRTUAL*
Lifebooks: A Journey to the Future While Embracing the Past
Friday, February 7, 2025 | 9:00am -4:00pm
Linda Davis, Instructor
Locator# 19318
5.5 Credit Hours
This workshop will discuss and answer the following questions about Lifebooks: why, who, what, when, and how. Philosophy, theory, and State Guidelines will be outlined to emphasize the importance of starting a Lifebook early in the child’s life. Techniques will be presented to guide the caseworker, parent, foster caregiver, and child to work together to create a natural opportunity to understand the circumstances of the foster care and/or adoptive placement. Resources and sample pages of Lifebooks will be discussed and provided.
*VIRTUAL*
A World of Opportunities: Substance Use Indicators-Hidden in Plain Sight
Saturday, February 8, 2025 | 5:30pm – 8:30pm
Tamme Smith, Instructor
Locator# 17051
2.75 Credit Hours
Learn about Ohio’s drug trends while virtually exploring various settings and types of drug paraphernalia. Learn how to identify possible substance misuse through symptoms/signs. Finally, arm yourself with resources to support someone struggling with a substance use challenge.
AHA Pediatric Heartsaver First Aid and CPR Without Skills Testing
Saturday, February 8, 2025 | 9:00am -4:00pm
Thasia Awad, Instructor
Locator# 16495
6 Credit Hours
This course utilizes the American Heart Association Pediatric First Aid and CPR course materials but does not include skills testing. The participant receives a comprehensive overview of first aid basics for children, as well as CPR and AED use for all ages. This workshop is approved for OCWTP training hours only and does not certify the participant in CPR or First Aid.
**Please note that there is 2-hour mandatory hands-on skills testing for Lucas County Children Services licensed caregivers only from 2:00pm-4:00pm.
** For caregivers from other counties who wish to seek certification can attend this portion for a fee, payable to the trainer.
Dual System Youth: Providing Trauma-Informed Care and Advocacy for Youth Involved in both Child Protection and Juvenile Justice
Thursday, February 13, 2025 | 9:00am -12:00pm
Lauri Wolfe, Instructor
Locator# 19335
2.75 Credit Hours
Resource Readiness: Legal and Ethical Issues
At-risk youth involved in child protection services and the juvenile justice system often experience additional trauma and heightened stress due to dual system involvement. This can result in increased behavior issues and academic difficulties. Resource caregivers need to be prepared and equipped to manage these challenges. A crucial aspect of readiness involves understanding and advocating for the youth; and educating the youth about the legal procedures, the connection to their care, and available supports and/or programs.
Confidence in the Court Process for Resource Caregivers
Thursday, February 13, 2025 | 1:00pm -4:00pm
Lauri Wolfe, Instructor
Locator# 19336
2.75 Credit Hours
A court-involved child protection case can be overwhelming due to the complex process, including understanding the timeline and hearings, preparing youth, and testifying. This course aims to provide a clear explanation of those issues as well as strategies to manage them. Additionally, the course will describe attorney tactics and identify tools to help individuals prepare for and effectively testify in court.
Interventions with Lying and Stealing
Saturday, February 15, 2025 | 9:00am -4:00pm
Dave Zidar, Instructor
Locator# 19427
5.5 Credit Hours
This course helps foster parents and staff develop interventions with children who lie or steal. The central goal of this course is to provide a better understanding of the “function” of these behavior. – Why do foster children lie and steal? Central to the discussion are the development of empathy for these children and determining the types of interventions that work best.
*VIRTUAL*
Trauma-Informed Care: The Neuroscience of Trauma and Resilience
Tuesday, February 18, 2025 | 9:00am -4:00pm
Laura Perkins, Instructor
Locator# 19429
5.5 Credit Hours
Participants will learn about the individualized nature of trauma, and how our clients’ trauma responses can present as myriad maladaptive behaviors or symptoms. Using Dr. Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics and an orientation to Developmental Trauma, trauma will be explained from a biological perspective as well as an emotional one. We will learn how the brain is shaped by life experiences and discuss neuroplasticity in the context of both trauma and resilience. Participants will learn the importance of assessing for trauma to ensure trauma-responsive interventions and how to teach families about the impact of trauma on behavior, emotions, thinking, and relationships. They will learn how to deliver Trauma-informed care in their interactions with clients and will learn how to enhance resilience for both clients and themselves.
*VIRTUAL*
Cultural Humility
Saturday, February 22, 2025 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Carmen Toro-Wooten, Instructor
Locator# 19432
1 Credit Hours
Resource Readiness: CULTURAL AND DIVERSITY ISSUES
This course provides participants with an overview of cultural humility and helps participants recognize the importance of honoring children’s cultural identity and respecting families from varying races, religions, ethnicities, and economic statuses. Openness to a child’s sexual orientation and gender identity and expression and viewing these differences from a strengths-based perspective is highlighted. This course shares strategies for parents who are fostering or adopting to respect as well as navigate differences in values from the children and families, while acknowledging imbalances of power and inequities.
*VIRTUAL*
Trauma Informed Parenting
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Carmen Toro-Wooten, Instructor
Locator# 19433
2 Credit Hours
Resource Readiness: TRAUMA AND ITS IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND THE FAMILY, PROMOTING ATTACHMENT
This course helps participants learn the three Rs (Regulate, Relate, Reason) and other practical trauma-informed parenting strategies. Trauma support resources for children are described. Participants will recognize the importance of finding activities to have fun with children; recognize the importance of connected parenting and the relationship as the foundational cornerstone; understand how to promote healthy behaviors; and recognize the importance of parent’s self-regulation. Also highlighted are ways to be proactive versus reactive and the difference between discipline and punishment.
Class will be closed to anyone arriving more than fifteen (15) minutes late.
Lifelong Connections: Permanency for Older Youth
Saturday, June 7, 2025 | 9:00am – 4:00pm
Brian Lowery/Lamar King, Instructors
Locator# 20876
6.00 Credit Hours
When planning for permanency with adolescents, we have to think and use approaches differently from when planning for younger children. Permanency for older youth is not centered around the living arrangement; it is not simply providing independent living services; and it is not just offering adoption. Instead, it provides youth with the opportunity to forge lifelong permanent connections to people they identify as important. This training allows participants to experience the impact of permanent connections and grasp why they are important. Finally, participants will come to understand how adolescent development relates to permanency. It is strongly recommended that participants attend Positive Youth Development: The Vital Link prior to attending this workshop.
Engaging Youth in Transition Planning
Thursday, June 12, 2025 | 9:00am – 4:00pm
Lamar King, Instructor
Locator# 20965
6.00 Credit Hours
Transition planning is a personal process, and young people must fully participate. The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoption Act of 2008 includes a requirement that a youth-directed transition plan be developed 90 days prior to a youth turning 18. However, it is important that we recognize that transition planning begins well before this time. This training provides a definition of transition planning, examines the benefits of youth engagement, and outlines the transition planning process. In addition, participants will learn about the Foster Club’s Transition Planning Toolkit – a document that helps transitioning adolescents develop their plans for the future. It is strongly recommended that participants attend Positive Youth Development: The Vital Link prior to attending this workshop.
Youth Development: Vital Link
Friday, June 13, 2025 | 9:00am – 4:00pm
Lamar King, Instructor
Locator# 20966
6.00 Credit Hours
Youth are a tremendous and often overlooked resource. Agencies can improve their independent/transitional living programs by utilizing the skills youth possess. Not only will youth enhance agency programs, youth themselves will develop confidence and self-esteem through the contribution of their experiences. Participants will learn creative ways of empowering youth by allowing them to take on leadership roles, aid in decision-making, and assist in program implementation. Barriers and benefits will be discussed as well as attitudes regarding youth as resources. Participants will explore levels of youth involvement in independent/transitional living programs which will include advisory boards, mentor programs, peer helping and community involvement.
AHA Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid and Adult and Child CPR Without Skills Testing
Saturday, June 14, 2025 | 9:00am – 4:00pm
Thasia Awad, Instructor
Locator# 16493
6 Credit Hours
This course utilizes the American Heart Association Pediatric First Aid and CPR course materials but does not include skills testing. The participant receives a comprehensive overview of first aid basics for children, as well as CPR and AED use for all ages. This workshop is approved for OCWTP training hours only and does not certify the participant in CPR or First Aid. **Please note that there is 2-hour mandatory hands-on skills testing for Lucas County Children Services licensed caregivers only from 2:00pm – 4:00pm. ** For caregivers from other counties who wish to seek certification can attend this portion for a fee, payable to the trainer.
*VIRTUAL*
Effects of Fostering
Monday, June 16, 2025 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Cherylanne Norwood, Instructor
Locator# 21161
2.75 Credit Hours
This training is specifically designed for licensed resource caregivers in the early years of their caregiving development. This training will assist participants in identifying what factors contribute the most to their stress as caregivers and what strengths they bring to caregiving. Participants will learn to identify indicators that they or someone in their family may be experiencing burn out or secondary traumatic stress. Strategies to prevent or mitigate the stress of caregiving will also be addressed. This training is part of the Fundamentals of Fostering series.
*VIRTUAL*
Using Discipline to Teach Self-Regulation
Monday, June 16, 2025 | 1:00pm – 4:15pm
Cherylanne Norwood, Instructor
Locator# 21293
3.00 Credit Hours
This training, part of the Fundamentals of Fostering series, focuses on helping caregivers understand discipline as a series of teachable moments rather than a way to control behavior. Participants will consider the importance of self-regulation and how various parenting styles influence discipline. Participants will learn discipline strategies for teaching children how to regulate their emotions and behaviors.
*VIRTUAL*
The Broken Bond: An Overview of Attachment Disorders and Strategies for Interactions
Monday, June 23, 2025 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Brian Bethel, Instructor
Locator# 21323
2.75 Credit Hours
Reactive Attachment Disorders are a group of mental health disorders in which the child is unable to form healthy relationships, particularly with their primary caregiver. While Attachment Disorders are complex, parents and caregivers can serve as important resources for advocating and guiding children through the treatment process. Since early intervention is key to the most positive of outcomes it is important that caregivers are competent in the recognition and awareness of attachment challenges. This training provides an introductory overview of Reactive Attachment Disorders and emphasizes the importance of early intervention and research-supported treatment for empowering children with attachment disruption.
*VIRTUAL*
An Overview of Hoarding: A Clean Sweep
Monday, June 23, 2025 | 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Brian Bethel, Instructor
Locator# 21326
2.75 Credit Hours
Hoarding Disorder is recognized as a mental and emotional disorder that is characterized by the excessive accumulation and difficulty discarding of possessions. Although a relatively new diagnosis, Hoarding Disorder is a complex and challenging disorder for social service professionals. While this disorder impacts individuals from all demographics, research has indicated that hoarding is relatively common among individuals who have experienced trauma. This training will explore the clinical features of Hoarding Disorder and highlight the research supported treatment, with particular focus on interventions for children and adolescents.
Visit Information For Current Foster Parents,
for additional information about ongoing training requirements and resources.
