Foster/adoptive parent training to be offered in Carson City

The Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) will hold foster/adoptive parent training on Jan. 17, Jan.18 and Jan. 24 in Carson City. Training runs from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Training sessions will be held at Carson-Tahoe Regional Medical Center, Valley View Room, 3rd Floor, at 1600 Medical Parkway. Lunch and snacks will be provided, courtesy of Carson-Tahoe Regional Medical Center.

The training curriculum utilized is P.R.I.D.E. (Parent Resources for Information, Development, and Education) and consists of nine three-hour sessions designed to educate and equip applicants to provide foster and/or adoptive care to children in the child welfare system. Sessions 1–3 address Connecting with PRIDE, Teamwork Toward Permanence, and Meeting Developmental Needs in Regards to Attachment. Sessions 4–6 address Meeting Developmental Needs in Regards to Loss, Strengthening Family Relationships, and Meeting Developmental Needs in Regards to Discipline. The training concludes with Sessions 7–9: Continuing Family Relationships, Planning for Change, and Taking PRIDE — Making an Informed Decision.

“Training sessions help prepare interested foster/adoptive caregivers with the information they’ll need to become successful parents. The training addresses many of the unique challenges they may face, and helps them decide whether they’re ready to get started in becoming a licensed foster parent,” said Lori Nichols, licensed social worker and recruiter at Division of Child and Family Services.

Foster parents are required to attend a pre-service training prior to obtaining a license. A foster family must meet all minimum licensing standards as established by Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 424.

FBI background checks are conducted on all applicants and residents 18 years of age or older living in the home. After the initial license is issued, resource families must complete four hours of advanced training per year in order to keep the license current. Licenses are renewed annually to assure an acceptable level of care is maintained by the foster parents and an on-site visit to the home is made for each renewal license issued.

For more information or to register for the foster/adoptive parent training, please call Lori Nichols, LSW, Division of Child and Family Services Foster Care Recruitment Director at 888-423-2659 or visit http://www.dcfs.state.nv.us/.