Operating statewide, the Foster/Adoptive Parent Training Project provides direct, outcome-based training to agency caseworkers, homefinders, and foster/adoptive parents with the goal of promoting the safety, well-being, and permanence for children. Originating in the late 1980s with the development of Fosterparentscope —one of the first comprehensive in-service training programs for foster/adoptive parents in New York State—the project continues to be a major initiative in the field of child welfare, having grown to encompass a range of training offerings reflecting the varied needs of the populace it serves.

CDHS trainers associated with the Foster/Adoptive Parent Training Project provide local district departments of social services and voluntary agencies with an array of programs that assist them in selecting, preparing, and providing training for foster and adoptive parents. All curricula are continuously updated to reflect current research regarding best practices as well as the most recent changes in the federal and state policies that promote those practices.

Training is delivered in all regions across the state and is offered directly to foster/adoptive parents and in the form of “Train-the-Trainer” offerings for agency staff. All the CDHS Group Selection Process/Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (GPSII/MAPP) trainers have been certified and approved by the Child Welfare Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, to GPSII/MAPP leadership certification. They are all certified to provide instruction in several related training programs as well, and many offerings are available in Spanish versions.

These dedicated staff work many hours to provide training offerings that fit the schedules of busy foster/adoptive parents across New York State. The project also organizes annual Foster/Adoptive Parent Seminars for every region in the state. All foster/adoptive parents and their agency staff are invited to attend these seminars at no cost to them or their agencies. In addition, CDHS trainers also coordinate and present a GPS/MAPP Leaders Training Seminar.

This training project also publishes Intersections, a quarterly newsletter dedicated to serving the informational needs of foster/adoptive parents and those who serve them.

The Foster/Adoptive Parent Resource Center is designed to support on line Foster/Adoptive Parent training offered by CDHS, for New York State foster parents.

For further information, contact:
Jere Wrightsman, Director
(518) 435-1825
JereW@bsc-cdhs.org