Foster Parent Preservice Training
2022 Schedule
We now offer both “In-Person” and “Virtual” preservice training options. In-Person training is held in Lucas County at The Northwest Ohio Regional Training Center. Virtual training includes four (4) classes that are live-streamed (and must be attended at the time listed); and seven (7) self-paced courses (that you complete according to your schedule). Please register for either In-Person or Virtual sessions (not both).
Once selected, you must complete either all in-person sessions or all virtual sessions. Switching and/or mix-matching modules is not encouraged.
Virtual Training
“Virtual” training allows you to participate in preservice training from your home or other location where you have internet access (it is not recommended that you utilize a smart phone for virtual training). The virtual program incorporates two types of classes:
Real-Time: Our trainer presents course material live, at a designated time, and participants watch and participate as if they were attending a regular class. Modules 2, 4, 7, and 10 are provided in this format. You must complete all modules in a single round of training.
Self-Paced: Seven modules are provided by Foster Parent College and are available as self-paced classes–taken at your convenience. There are no specific dates to attend, but you are encouraged to complete the entire curriculum in one session, along with the real-time classes. Preservice modules 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12 are self-paced. You must register in advance before beginning the virtual program, and after completing module 1 (orientation), you are responsible for downloading your training certificate and writing in your information. If you do not download and print the certificate, you will be asked to re-take this module. After modules 1 through 11 are completed, a NWORTC representative will contact you to schedule Module 12.You have 2-weeks to complete Module 12.
2022 Virtual Foster/Adoptive Parent Preservice Training Schedule
| Module | Module Name | Training Type | Training Date(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Module 1 | Orientation | Self-Paced |
ANYTIME |
| Module 2 | The Child Welfare Team | Virtual | Select One Date: • Monday, August 22, 2022 | 6–8pm • Monday, September 19, 2022 | 6–8pm |
| Module 3 | Child Development | Self-Paced |
ANYTIME |
| Module 4 | Youth Development | Virtual | Select One Date: • Tuesday, August 23, 2022 | 6–8pm • Tuesday, September 20, 2022 | 6–8pm |
| Module 5 | Child Abuse and Neglect | Self-Paced |
ANYTIME |
| Module 6 | Caring for Children Who Have Been Sexually Abused | Self-Paced |
ANYTIME |
| Module 7 | Minimizing the Trauma of Placement | Virtual | Select One Date: • Wednesday, August 24, 2022 | 6–8pm • Wednesday, September 21, 2022 | 6–8pm |
| Module 8 | Working Together with Primary Families | Self-Paced |
ANYTIME |
| Module 9 | Cultural Issues in Parenting | Self-Paced |
ANYTIME |
| Module 10 | The Effects of Caregiving | Virtual | Select One Date: • Thursday, August 25, 2022 | 6–8pm • Thursday, September 22, 2022 | 6–8pm |
| Module 11 | Understanding Behavior in Foster Children | Self-Paced |
ANYTIME |
| Module 12 | Adult, Child, and Baby First Aid/CPR/AED Red Cross | Scheduled Individually | Only available to participants who have completed courses 1 through 11. **An NWORTC representative will contact you to schedule this class. |
How to register for Foster/Adoptive Parent Virtual Preservice Training
Call the LCCS Recruitment unit at 419-213-3336
or complete the online form below (click BLUE button )
Thank you for your interest in becoming a foster/adoptive parent.
If you have any questions, please call 419-213-3336 or email Lucaskids-Recruitment@jfs.ohio.gov
Self-Paced Training: Foster Parent College (1 hour – Anytime)
Introduces the child welfare system and the Homestudy process.
Participants also explore the differences between foster care, adoption, and kinship care.
Virtual Training: Real-Time (2 hours – select date/time)
Discusses the history and goals of the child welfare system and examines the role of foster care, kinship and adoptive families within the system.
Self-Paced Training: Foster Parent College (4 hours – Anytime)
Explores typical child development, developmental domains and stages, temperament and goodness of fit, and the effects of abuse and neglect on a child’s health and behavior.
Virtual Training: Real-Time (2 hours – select date/time)
Explores the necessity of normalcy for youth in care and Introduces the concept of the reasonable and prudent parenting standard. Participants will also consider how to prepare youth for independent living.
Self-Paced Training: Foster Parent College (4 hours – Anytime)
Examines the characteristics, symptoms and reporting standards for child abuse and neglect. Caution: contains graphic images
Self-Paced Training: Foster Parent College (4 hours – Anytime)
Explores the emotional and behavioral effects of child sexual abuse on children in care and offers strategies to help overcome the challenges foster parents face.
Virtual Training: Real-Time (2 hours – select date/time)
Addresses strategies families can use to help the child feel safe and accepted in their home and community. The importance of gathering background information and maintaining connections is stressed.
Self-Paced Training: Foster Parent College (4 hours – Anytime)
Explores the benefits and challenges of building a working relationship between foster and primary families, and offers strategies for developing respectful, positive communication.
Self-Paced Training: Foster Parent College (4 hours – Anytime)
Examines how parents can support children’s cultural development and why that is important to their healthy growth and development.
Virtual Training: Real-Time (2 hours – select date/time)
Examines the impact of foster care, kinship care, and adoption on individuals and families. Participants are introduced to coping strategies that combat burnout and secondary traumatic stress.
Self-Paced Training: Red Cross (3 hours – Anytime)
Scheduled individually after Modules 1-11 are completed
Explores problematic behavior in foster children and how foster parents can better understand the purpose of a child’s behavior through careful observation.
Self-Paced online course (3 hours)
Only available to participants who have completed courses 1 through 11.
* An NWORTC representative will contact you to schedule this class.
** Time limit: 2 weeks
Prepares you to recognize and care for a variety of first aid, breathing and cardiac emergencies involving adults, children, and infants.
If you are married or if you have a partner (living in your home), both of you will need to attend preservice training.
The 24-hour preservice training, home study and licensing must be completed in 18 months or less. The time starts from the first day of training to approval of the homestudy.
It depends on how quickly you complete your paperwork, get your fingerprints done and get the appropriate references and letters. From there, we have a home study worker meet with you in your home for a site and safety inspection and to review the types and number of children you’re interested in fostering or adopting. The entire process can take anywhere from two to six months. It must be completed within 18 months without starting the entire process over again.
Everyone in the household over the age of 18 must do a BCI criminal record check and be fingerprinted. JIS checks are also done for any children over the age of 10.
No, but they need their own bed. Same-gender children may share a bedroom with other foster children or your own children. Bunk beds are acceptable for children over 6. Children cannot share sleeping quarters with you if they are over 12 months old.
Once you are licensed, it could be at any time. When a child needs a foster family, we go through the list of available homes and try to match the family to the child’s needs as closely as possible.
Let your caseworker know. Each foster family needs a backup plan or an alternative care plan that has been pre-approved by LCCS.
Yes. You will fill out a child characteristic inventory form about the types of children and behaviors you are willing to accept. Then when the caseworker calls about a child (or children), he/she will provide you with information about the child and you can make your decision.
Right now, the agency’s greatest need is for families willing to take babies and groups of brothers and sisters, but we need families to care for children and teens of all ages.
You can be married or single, a homeowner or a renter. The only financial requirement is that you have enough of an income to support yourself and your family aside from the stipend you will receive to care for your foster children.
Many foster children attend daycare – paid for by ODJFS, or LCCS when funds are available – which allows foster parents to work outside the home. Foster parents just need to apply through ODJFS.
There is no age requirement (other than you must be at least 18 years of age). You must also have a doctor certify that you are physically able to care for a child. Many “empty nesters” find foster parenting to be a rewarding experience.
No. You just need to be a responsible person who will make a commitment to children through the training provided by LCCS.
No. Children need stability, and LCCS offers foster parents plenty of support to maintain children in their home. Before you even take in your first child, the LCCS staff works with you to develop a profile of the type of child best suited to the experience and capabilities of your family. Caseworkers – one for you and one for the child – visit your home monthly to talk through any concerns you have. We provide free, ongoing training so you are constantly learning new tips and strategies for caring for children. Counseling is provided for children who need help understanding and processing their trauma.
Foster parents receive a monthly stipend to care for the child based on his/her age and needs. The child will also receive periodic clothing vouchers. We provide some assistance for childcare and help you apply for child care support through ODJFS. The Lucas County Foster Parent Association provides an opportunity to network with other foster parents. The agency provides recreational opportunities, such as vouchers for sporting events and local performances, as they are made available.
Yes, there is additional training each year. Family foster caregivers are required to complete 30 hours in two years. Treatment foster caregivers are required to complete 45 hours. We provide the training at no charge. A calendar of training opportunities is made available each month, and you can register online in CAPS LMS. Your caseworker will recommend specific training classes for you based on your strengths and the needs of the children in your home. These training are spelled out in your Individual Training Needs Assessment (ITNA).
No. Foster parents do not pay any of a child’s medical expenses, other than over-the counter medicines and supplies. You are reimbursed for all prescriptions covered by Medicaid.
Thirty-nine percent of the children we see have suffered physical abuse. Thirty-one percent have suffered neglect. Ten percent have been victims of sexual abuse. Twenty percent are victims of emotional abuse.
We arrange for children in foster care to see their parents in supervised settings, usually here at the agency or at one of a handful of community centers. These visits take place while parents work their case plan, and continue as long as the family’s goal is reunification.
No. Children are amazingly resilient. Foster parents can make the difference by providing a structured, nurturing environment. Also, along with the supports from LCCS and other community resources these children can grow up to be productive adults in our society. How we respond to their needs now will largely determine what kind of citizens they will be in the future.
Children placed in your home for foster care can stay anywhere from a few days to a couple of years. Generally, the stay is from 9 to 18 months. The Juvenile Court usually wants to make a permanency plan for the child after about a year.
Sometimes, this happens…birth parents have problems that they aren’t able to fix. The Juvenile Court decides whether to sever parental rights. If the judge makes this decision, the child comes into the permanent custody of the agency. From that point, we begin the process of finding a new, adoptive family. If possible, we try to identify a relative to adopt the child. Very often, foster parents adopt the foster children that they’ve cared for, since they’ve become part of the family.
You’ve decided that you want to learn more about becoming a foster and/or adoptive parent. You may have come to that decision on your own, or after speaking with a member of our recruiting team.
Your first step is to register for, and complete, the state-mandated pre-service orientation training. This 36-hour program will familiarize you with the rules you must follow as a foster parent, the needs of the children entering care, and other relevant information.
Once you have completed the training, you will be asked to complete an application to foster and/or adopt, along with other documents that collect information about you and your family. This may include, but is not limited to: physical exams and medical statements; financial statements; employment verification; background checks, and a safety audit of your home. An instruction guide accompanies these materials.
Once you have submitted all of the required documentation, LCCS will assign a state certified adoption assessor to guide you through the actual home study process. The worker assesses your family’s readiness and appropriateness to care for children who have suffered maltreatment. It is not a single visit; rather, it is a series of activities that help you decide whether fostering and/or adopting is right for you. It will include information about the way family members in the home interact; historical information that may affect your ability to safely care for children placed in your home; information about any pets in the home; and the physical safety of the environment.
At that point, your home study worker will submit all of your documentation, and a conclusion is drawn as to whether your home study can be recommended to the State of Ohio for approval.
The home study process can take up to six months to complete, but many families complete the process more quickly.
For additional information, please fill out the form below, call 419-213-3336 or email lucaskids-recruitment@jfs.ohio.gov and an LCCS staff member will be in contact with you. Thank you.
To learn more about becoming a foster/adoptive parent:
Call 419-213-3336, attend a community recruitment event,
and/or fill out the “Foster/Adoptive Parent Inquiry Form” form below.
