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Home -> Departments -> Community Social Services -> Child Foster Care Licensing -> Training

Child Foster Care Training

For more information:
Call 763-422-7144 for additional information or to register for a training meeting

Anoka County offers training to help foster parents meet the challenges of raising children and to meet annual training requirements.

See a schedule of current training sessions below.  You must attend an Orientation Meeting before registering for any of these sessions.

 

Pre-registration is required for all trainings

To register for training, call 763-422-7144 or fill out and submit the registration form at the end of this page. Pre-registration also guarantees you will be called if a class is cancelled for any reason.

Please Note: Doors will only be open 15 minutes prior to start time until 15 minutes after the start time. Please use the 3rd Avenue entrance (across from Wells Fargo Bank). Daycare is not provided. Unlimited parking evenings and weekends on the streets is permitted.  One-hour signs apply to weekdays only.

 

Handbook Training

This session will cover basic policies, procedures, the payment system, and working as part of the foster care system in Anoka County.

Anoka County Government Center – Room 237 (see map and directions)
Monday, January 14, 2008, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Monday, April 21, 2008, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

 

Training Series

The following is a training series of classes which are required for new providers and strongly recommended for experienced providers. This series is offered twice each calendar year.

See more information about state training requirements.  See more information about the trainers for this series.

Team Building (Morning Session)

This training emphasizes the role of provider as an advocate for the child and a collaborative member of the social service team.  It focuses on accessing appropriate and available services to help achieve safety and permanency.

Cultural Issues in Placement (Afternoon Session)

This training will explore how our own cultural perspective can affect the development of relationships with children and families from different cultural backgrounds.  The foster parent will learn how to incorporate elements of a child’s cultural heritage into family lifestyle.

Anoka County Government Center – Room 552
Saturday, January 26, 2008, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Lunch is provided for this all day training.

Family Systems of Abuse and Neglect

Participants will begin to identify the characteristics of families where maltreatment occurs and the role of the parent in preventing abuse and neglect.  They will explore the contributing factors to maltreatment and learn how abused and neglected children continue to be at increased risk of abuse and neglect even after being placed in foster, adoptive or kinship care.

Anoka County Government Center – Room 552
Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

The Impact of Abuse and Neglect on Normal Child Development

This training provides an overview of normal childhood development and the impact of abuse and neglect.  It also explains how to recognize developmental delays or challenges.

Anoka County Government Center – Room 552
Wednesday, February 13, 2008, 6:00-9:00 p.m.  

Attachment, Separation and Placement (Morning Session)

This training outlines normal, healthy attachment and how separation from primary families impacts children’s attachment.  The provider will explore how children’s developmental levels affect their understanding of and reactions to out-of-home placements.

Discipline (Afternoon Session)

This training examines the importance of discipline based on the child’s age, developmental level, past experiences and their current situation.  It also explains the rationale for statutes and rules, which prohibit physical punishment in foster care homes.

Anoka County Government Center – Room 552
Saturday, February 23, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Lunch is provided for this all day training.

Primary Families

This training helps the provider understand the grief process of a birth parent whose children have entered substitute care and the importance of involving the birth family in case planning, daily decision making and other activities to support reunification.

Anoka County Government Center – Room 552
Monday, March 3, 2008, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Sexual Abuse 

This training examines the definition and dynamics of child sexual abuse.  The provider will learn why children who have been sexually abused may have a hard time adjusting to a new home.  Additional training and resources to successfully care for these children and teens will be discussed.

Anoka County Government Center – Room 552
Thursday, March 13, 2008, 6:00-9:00 p.m.  

The Effects of Care Giving on the Family

In this training the provider will learn to recognize signs of family stress and know the importance of developing and using support systems to prevent a family crisis.  Procedures will be outlined that are required, if allegations of maltreatment are made.  Health, hygiene and nutritional issues will be explored.

Anoka County Government Center – Room 552
Thursday, March 27, 2008, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Permanency Issues for Children

Participants will learn the unique aspects of becoming a permanent home for a child who will not be returning to their biological parent.  Intended to educate and prepare providers for the post placement problems children may experience regarding loss, identity and loyalties.  Caregivers will explore the supports for parents and children in their community.

Anoka County Government Center – Room 552
Tuesday, April 8, 2008, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Permanency Issues for Families

This training helps the provider recognize long-term adjustment issues for both the adoptive parent and the child.  This includes dealing with grief, loss, identity, control divided loyalties and fertility issues as well as the fantasy of being a “dream family”.

Anoka County Government Center – Room 552
Thursday, April 17, 2008, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

   

Training Requirements

The State of Minnesota requires that all foster providers, including kinship/relative homes be required to attend a minimum of 12 hours of training each year to meet licensing requirements.

Support group participation is counted in your hours of training. Support groups provide a place to give and receive information, validation, advice, and emotional support.

Anoka County asks that you fulfill your training requirements through a balance of educational group trainings and support group meetings. Please ask your Foster Care Social Worker any questions you have about the training requirements.

 

About the Trainers

Cecilia Gran, M.Ed.
Ms. Gran is an adoptive parent and a Hennepin County foster parent. Ms. Gran has been a foster parent trainer for Hennepin County since 1993. Ms. Gran also trains youth workers for the University of Minnesota in the Center for Minnesota Youth Work Institute.

Laurie Sjodin-Ernste, L.S.W.
Ms. Sjodin-Ernste has a variety of social work experiences, including providing advocacy services to battered women and their children at Harriet Tubman Women’s Shelter and coordinating and advocacy program for sexual assault victims and a crisis help line. Since 1990, she has worked for County social services agencies in child protection and in foster care. She is currently the Recruiter of Foster and Adoptive Families for Dakota County.

 

Register for the Training

To register, select the type of training and fill out your information and click the submit button.

I am registering for: Handbook Training

Child Foster Care Training Series
Name:
Address:
City, State  Zip
Phone:
E-mail:
Your foster care
worker's name:

 

 

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