The Federation of Foster Families of Nova Scotia administers the Introductory Level of Care Training Programs for foster parents on behalf of the Department of Community Services. The Federation also offers recruitment and training for foster parents to become instructors for these programs. Introductory Level of Care Training consists of the following programs:
P.R.I.D.E Foster/Adopt Pre-Service Training Program
Training Programs for approved Foster Parents:
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Please contact your Regional Education & Training Coordinator to register
for any of the P.R.I.D.E modules.
All prospective foster parents are to complete the P.R.I.D.E Pre-Service Program in order to become approved as a Regular foster home and in order to attend other foster family training.
New foster parents are required to participate in Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training and Sensitivity Training within two years of receiving their first placement.
St. John Ambulance Standard First Aid/CPR Level "C" - The Federation of Foster Families of Nova Scotia, with the assistance of the Department of Community Services, now covers the cost of registration for this training. Participants are reimbursed for mileage and childcare. Please contact the Federation office directly to register or find out more about upcoming training dates.
Safeguarding Against Allegations of Abuse
NonViolent CRISIS INTERVENTION Training
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training (commonly referred to as CPI after the Crisis Prevention Institute, Inc. which owns and licenses this training) was introduced to Nova Scotia foster parents in 1994 through the joint efforts of the Department of Community Services and the Federation. The program teaches practical skills and techniques to:
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recognize the stages of crisis development and choose the appropriate response
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effectively intervene verbally, and to
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provide the best care, welfare, safety and security for everyone involved in the crisis.
The Basic Program consists of two days of training. An annual one-day Refresher is required to maintain certification for the Introductory Level of Care.
If you have been certified by CPI at your workplace within the past year and you can provide the Federation with a photocopy of your blue certification card, participation in the one day Refresher, as opposed to the two day Basic Training, will be acceptable.
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Sensitivity Training Program for Foster Families
The Sensitivity Training Program for Foster Families, launched in 1997, was developed by foster parents, social workers, adult educators and representatives of various community groups and organizations. It is a two day workshop that has been designed to help foster parents study and discuss the harmful effects of prejudice of any form, whether it is racism, discrimination toward people with disabilities, or because of sexual orientation.
At the same time, the program sets the stage for appreciating diversity and testing our assumptions about others. That is, when a child or youth comes into foster care, they bring their own values, beliefs and ways of doing things all of which may be quite different for the foster family! As well, the child or youth may be from another race, religion, or language group; or they may be gay, lesbian or bisexual; or they might have a disability of some kind. To give them the best care, the foster family must respect and value their uniqueness, appreciate their individual gifts, and must also promote their positive self esteem. To do this, caregivers require the specialized knowledge and skills taught in Sensitivity Training.
Although many foster parents receive "Sensitivity Training" at their place of employment, the Federation's program is specifically designed for dealing with children in foster care.
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P.R.I.D.E Foster/Adopt Pre-Service Training Program
The P.R.I.D.E Foster/Adopt Pre-Service Training Program is a training program for prospective foster/adoptive parents. P.R.I.D.E. is a model for the development and support of resource families. It is designed to strengthen the quality of family foster care and adoption services by providing a standardized, structured framework for recruiting, preparing, and selecting foster parents and adoptive parents. It also provides foster parent inservice training and ongoing professional development. The program is divided into nine sessions and can be presented individually as evening sessions, or in combination as full day workshops
P.R.I.D.E. stands for Parent Resources for Information, Development, and Education. The PRIDE Program’s goals are to help:
1. Meet the protective, developmental, cultural, and permanency needs of children placed with foster families and adoptive families.
2. Strengthen families, whether they are families of origin, blended families, extended or kinship families, foster families, adoptive families, or members of a tribe or clan.
3. Strengthen the quality of family foster care and adoption services by providing a standardized, structured framework for preservice training and mutual assessment; for foster parent inservice training; and for ongoing professional development.
The P.R.I.D.E Foster/Adopt Pre-Service Training Program is facilitated by a Regional Foster Care/Adoption Recruitment Worker of the Department of Community Services and a Foster/Adopt Parent Federation of Foster Families Co-Trainer. To learn more about the P.R.I.D.E Foster/Adopt Pre-Service Training Program, or about becoming a foster parent call 1-800-565-1884 or click here.
