1. (3) Qualifications of trainers. Persons preparing or presenting materials for foster parent training shall have expertise in the subject matter as evidenced by prior experience or education, an ability to communicate their knowledge, and demonstrated cultural competence.

   Note: See also s. DCF 56.14 (6d) (b) and (7) (b).

2. (4) Training expenses.

   1. (a) The department shall provide funds to county agencies and, in a county with a population of more than 750,000, the department, to enable foster parents to attend training. The funds may be used for materials, fees, transportation, and child care expenses incurred to attend training that is required or approved under this section or s. DCF 56.13.
   2. (b) A licensing agency may not require a foster parent to pay to attend training under this section.

3. (5) Training requirements.

   1. (a) Level of care certification. Each foster parent identified on the license to operate the foster home shall complete any preplacement, initial licensing, or ongoing training required for the foster home’s level of care certification under s. DCF 56.13, except as provided in par. (c).
   2. (c) Proposed adoptive parent. A foster parent who is licensed solely for the purpose of adoption of a domestic infant under s. 48.837, Stats., or a foreign child under s. 48.839 or 48.97, Stats., will not be required to complete the training in this section if the foster parent completes the pre-adoption preparation training required under ch. DCF 51.
4. (6) Preplacement training for Levels 1 and 2. The department shall develop and provide a standardized curriculum for preplacement training for a foster parent who operates a foster home with a Level 1 or 2 certification that is in accordance with s. 48.67 (1m) (d) 1., Stats., and includes medication administration and first aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation for a child of the age of any foster child that may be placed in the foster home.

5. (6d) Preplacement training for Level 3 and 4.

   1. (a) The preplacement training for a foster parent who operates a Level 3 or Level 4 foster home shall include the standardized curricula provided under subs. (6) and (7) (a).
   2. (b) Trainers for the portion of the Level 3 or Level 4 preplacement training standardized curriculum that is provided under sub. (7) (a) shall include a foster or adoptive parent, foster child, or birth parent.

6. (6p) Preplacement training for the foster parent of a level 5 foster home. The preplacement training for the foster parent of a Level 5 foster home shall include information on all of the following:

   1. (a) The standardized curriculum provided under sub. (6).
   2. (b) School advocacy.
   3. (c) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
   4. (d) First aid.
   5. (e) Blood-borne pathogens.
   6. (f) Medication management.
   7. (g) Patients rights.
   8. (h) Positive behavioral supports.
   9. (i) Individual service plans.
   10. (j) Emergency plans.
   11. (k) Six hours of child-specific or population-specific training, orientation, or observation.
   12. (L) Service coordination.

7. (7) Initial licensing training for Level 2.

   1. (a) The department shall approve a standardized curriculum for initial licensing training for a foster parent who operates a Level 2 foster home.

   2. (b)

      1. 1. Trainers for the Level 2 initial licensing training shall include a foster or adoptive parent, foster child, or birth parent.
      2. 2. Notwithstanding subd. 1., a foster parent may attend an initial licensing training for which no foster or adoptive parent, foster child, or birth parent is a trainer if the licensing agency approves and provides opportunities for the foster parent attending the training to participate in activities or programs that promote networking among foster parents and provide an opportunity for an experienced foster parent to answer questions from the new foster parent.

8. (7e) Initial licensing training for Level 3. The initial licensing training for a foster parent who operates a Level 3 foster home shall include information on all of the following:

   1. (a) Crisis management.
   2. (b) Sexuality and sexual boundaries.
   3. (c) Sexual abuse.
   4. (d) Effects of maltreatment and trauma on child development.
   5. (e) Building life skills.
   6. (f) Building birth family and cultural connections.
   7. (g) Other topics required by the licensing agency.

9. (7m) Initial licensing training for Level 4. The initial licensing training for a foster parent who operates a Level 4 foster home shall include information on all of the following:

   1. (a) The topics listed in sub. (7e).
   2. (b) Six hours of child-specific or population-specific training.

10. (7s) Initial licensing training for the foster parent of a level 5 foster home. The initial licensing training for the foster parent of a Level 5 foster home shall include information on all of the following:

    1. (a) The topics listed in sub. (7e).
    2. (b) Six hours of child-specific or population-specific training.

11. (8) Ongoing training.

    1. (b) Licensing agency approval. The licensing agency shall approve a foster parent’s ongoing training based on the following:

       1. 1. The content of the training shall meet at least one of the purposes of foster parent training under s. 48.67 (1m) (d), Stats.
       2. 1g. In addition to subd. 1., the content of ongoing training for a foster parent who operates a Level 4 foster home shall include 8 hours of child-specific or population-specific training.

       3. 1r. In addition to subd. 1., the content of ongoing training for the foster parent of a Level 5 foster home shall include all of the following:

          1. a. Child maltreatment and reporting requirements.
          2. b. Prompt and adequate treatment.
          3. c. Any required reauthorizations for first aid, blood-borne pathogens, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
          4. d. Eight hours of child-specific or population-specific training.

       4. 2. The format of the training may include any of the following:

          1. a. Face-to-face consultation with professionals with expertise in specific identified areas, such as learning how to manage a foster child’ s emotional, developmental, behavioral, or medical needs or participating in therapy with a foster child.
          2. b. Video, audio, and web-based presentations.
          3. c. Support groups.
          4. d. Adult education courses.
          5. e. Books, periodicals, and web-based resources.
          6. f. Television and radio presentations.
          7. g. Mentor family consultations.
          8. h. Conferences, workshops, seminars, and webinars.
       5. 3. The total credit given for training that is not in person or a live video conference may not exceed 20 percent of the required hours.
       6. 4. The usefulness of the skills or knowledge that is expected to be gained.
    2. (c) Department as training resource. The department shall maintain an inventory of resources for foster parent training and shall coordinate statewide, regional, and local training programs to prevent duplication of effort.

History

History: EmR0937: emerg. cr. eff. 1-1-10; CR 10-021: cr. Register September 2010 No. 657, eff. 10-1-10; corrections in (1), (5) (a), (6) (b) and (7) (b) to (d) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 1. and 7., Stats., Register September 2010 No. 657; EmR1050: emerg. renum. (4), (7) (b) to be (4) (a), (7) (b) 1. and am., cr. (4) (b), (6d), (6h), (6p), (6t), (7e), (7m), (7s), (8) (b) 1g., 1r., am. (6) (title), (a) (intro.), (b), (7) (title), (a) (intro.), (c), (d), (8) (b) 3., eff. 1-1-11; CR 10-148: renum. (4), (7) (b) to be (4) (a), (7) (b) 1. and am., cr. (4) (b), (6d), (6h), (6p), (6t), (7) (b) 2., (7e), (7m), (7s), (8) (b) 1g., 1r., am. (6) (title), (a) (intro.), (b), (7) (title), (a) (intro.), (c), (d), (8) (b) 3. Register August 2011 No. 668, eff. 9-1-11; EmR1633: emerg. am. (6) (a) 3., eff. 11-18-16; CR 16-051: am. (6) (a) 3. Register July 2017 No. 739, eff. 8-1-17; correction in (5) (c) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register August 2018 No. 752; CR 21-107: am. (7) (d), (8) (a) Register June 2022 No. 798, eff. 7-1-22; CR 25-043: r. (1), (2), am. (3), (4), (5) (a), r. (5) (b), r. and recr. (6), (6d), r. (6h), am. (6p) (title), (intro.), (a), (k), cr. (6p) (L), r. (6t), renum. (7) (a) (intro.) to (7) (a) and am., r. (7) (a) 1. to 9., am. (7) (b) 1., 2., r. (7) (c), (d), am. (7s) (title), (intro.), r. (8) (a), am. (8) (b) 1., 1r., 2. a., 3., 4. Register November 2025 No. 839, eff. 12-1-25; correction in (6) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register November 2025 No. 839; correction in (6), (8) (b) 1. made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register December 2025 No. 840.