6026 FOSTER PARENT TRAINING

6026.1 An applicant shall participate in an orientation program offered by the agency.

6026.2 In addition to the orientation program required by § 6026.1, an applicant shall participate in thirty (30) hours of pre-service training offered by the agency.

6026.3 Pre-service training shall encompass the following areas:

(a) Role and relationships in foster care between CFSA, agency personnel, the foster parent, the foster child, and the foster child's family;

(b) The importance of the foster child's family and the foster child's relationship with them;

(c) Developmental needs of children in foster care, including children with a disability;

(d) Awareness of cultural and religious differences;

(e) Child management and discipline techniques;

(f) Child abuse and neglect, including prevention, reporting, investigation, and services;

(g) Supportive services available in the community for foster children and foster parents and their families;

(h) Self-awareness;

(i) Communication skills;

(j) Problem solving;

(k) This chapter of the DCMR;

(l) The licensure process, including the agency's internal processes;

(m) The procedures and practices of the Family Division of the District of Columbia Superior Court related to children in foster care;

(n) Information regarding the prevalence in foster care and unique health and social service needs of foster children who are at greater risk of aging out of foster care without being adopted, such as:

(1) Foster children fourteen (14) years of age or older;

(2) Foster children in sibling groups;

(3) Foster children of racial or ethnic minorities;

(4) Foster children with a disability; and

(5) LGBTQ foster children.

(o) Cultural competency training designed to enhance awareness of the LGBTQ community.

6026.4 In lieu of the training required by § 6026.2, an agency may accept training provided by another child-placing agency and completed satisfactorily by the applicant if the training and participation is properly documented and covers required areas. The agency may offer special sessions to cover any gaps in training.

6026.5 A foster parent shall participate in thirty (30) hours of in-service training to increase her or his skills and parenting abilities before the expiration of his or her license. This training shall be appropriate to the age and special needs of the foster children in the foster home, and may include formal seminars or workshops, support groups, or one-on-one training.

6026.6 A foster parent shall obtain and maintain documentation of any training in which the foster parent participates in accordance with § 6026.5 and submit such documentation during the re-evaluation in accordance with § 6030.3.

6026.7 To meet the thirty (30) hour requirement, in-service training shall be approved in advance by the agency.

6026.8

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, a foster parent shall participate in specialized training if the foster child placed in the foster home:

(1) Is LGBTQ;

(2) Is a victim of sex trafficking, as that term is defined in Section 103(1) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, approved October 28, 2000 (114 Stat. 1469; 22 USC § 7102(1));

(3) Is a child with a disability;

(4) Is pregnant or a parent;

(5) Has a history of violent behavior;

(6) Is sixteen (16) years of age or older.

(b) Specialized training shall be required unless the agency conducts an assessment of the foster parent's strengths and needs that indicates that specialized training is not necessary. The strengths and needs assessment shall include an evaluation of the foster parent's:

(1) Post-secondary education;

(2) Specialized certification or licensure;

(3) Employment experience; and

(4) Previous experience caring for the foster children described in paragraph (a) of this subsection.

6026.9 Within forty-five (45) days of identifying the need for specialized training in accordance with § 6026.8, the agency shall:

(a) Notify the foster parent of the requirement to complete specialized training pursuant to § 6026.8;

(b) Determine the course of specialized training that the foster parent shall complete; and

(c) Provide or assist the foster parent in obtaining the specialized training required pursuant to § 6026.8 within the timeframe required pursuant to § 6026.10, while reasonably accommodating the foster parent's schedule.

6026.10 Within ninety (90) days of receiving notice from the agency pursuant to § 6026.9(a), a foster parent shall complete the specialized training identified pursuant to § 6026.9(b).

6026.11 Only the following training may be counted towards the specialized training requirement of § 6026.8:

(a) Specialized training completed by a foster parent within the timeframe required pursuant to § 6026.10;

(b) Specialized training completed by a foster parent four (4) months prior to receiving notice from the agency pursuant to § 6026.9; or

(c) Specialized training completed by a foster parent one (1) year prior to the expiration date of the foster parent’s current license.

6026.12 A foster parent shall obtain and maintain documentation of any training in which the foster parent participates in accordance with § 6026.8 and submit such documentation during the re-evaluation conducted in accordance with § 6030.3.

6026.13 A foster parent’s completion of specialized training in accordance with § 6026.8 may be used to satisfy the hours of in-service training required pursuant to § 6026.5.

6026.14 For the purposes of this section, the term “child with a disability” shall have the same meaning as provided in Section 602(3) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, approved December 3, 2004 (118 Stat. 2652; 20 USC § 1401(3)).

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 48 DCR 6617 (July 27, 2001); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 59 DCR 10669 (September 7, 2012); as amended by Foster Parent Training Regulation Amendment Act of 2018, effective March 22, 2019 (D.C. Law 22-253; 66 DCR 1331 (February 1, 2019)).