The Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) will hold foster/adoptive parent training on March 6, 7, and 8 in Elko. March 6 and 7 sessions run from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and the March 8 session runs from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Training sessions will be held at Great Basin College, 1500 College Parkway, DCIT Bldg., Room 208, Elko, NV 89801.
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 and adoptive care needs arise when the safety and protection of a child is not met by their parents or caregiver. If relatives cannot be located for a child who needs out-of-home placement services, DCFS helps by arranging foster care placement. The removal of a child from his or her natural environment is taken only as a last resort, as part of the overall continuum of services provided by DCFS.
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 applican
ts and residents 18 years of age or older living in the home. After the initial license is issued, resource families must complete 4 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.
The Nevada Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS), together in genuine partnership with families, communities and other governmental agencies, provides support and services to assist Nevada’s children and families in reaching their full human potential. Learn more at www.dcfs.state.nv.us or call 888-423-2659.
