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Foster Parent Training and Support

The health, safety and well being of a foster child depends on the ability of the foster family to provide nurturing and supportive care and to meet the foster child's identified needs. In addition to their caregiver role, a foster parent is also expected to work cooperatively with agency staff, the child's parent(s)/guardian(s), the court, attorneys, therapists and various other involved parties. The demands placed on foster parents are great. One of the most common concerns among foster parents is that they do not feel fully prepared or equipped to face the challenges relating to their foster parent role. The St Croix County Family and Children's Services recognizes that to adequately prepare a foster parent for placement of a child, the agency must provide/arrange training, both pre-service and in-service.

All persons who wish to become licensed foster care providers in St Croix County will be required to participate in and complete the foster/adoptive/kinship parent pre-service training which will be offered by the Department at various times throughout the year. This training is also known as P.A.C.E. (Partners in Alternative Care Education). P.A.C.E. is a 36-hour training program, which will be provided by a team consisting of an agency social worker and a foster parent. The training curriculum focuses on 12 Competency areas. Should a foster parent not complete P.A.C.E. training they would still be eligible to continue their license application, however the department would reserve the right not to place any children in the home until the training requirements are met.

After a foster home license has been issued and P.A.C.E. training has been completed, the foster parent will be expected to complete in-service training related to the care of children each licensing period thereafter. This training may be offered by the Department or another governmental or community agency. The agency will send out notices of all training opportunities, as they become available. The Department will offer additional training and support to all foster parents through the use of foster parent support groups, individual training sessions in the home, support services by phone and any other means that the foster parents find helpful. Promotion of relationships with other foster parents will be emphasized to encourage sharing expertise and problem solving skills.

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