Board Moves to Improve Foster and Kinship Training

Published on February 05, 2021

The Weld County Board of Commissioners recently approved an agreement for professional services to increase the training experience for new foster and kinship providers.

In a continued effort to bolster trauma-responsive and specialized training for new foster and kinship providers, the Weld County Department of Human Services’ Child Welfare division has initiated greater involvement from certified foster families and former foster youth to share their personal experience and advice with potential foster parents and new trainees. This results in greater success for the new providers to build specialized skills needed to care for children and youth who have experienced trauma and toxic stress related to abuse and neglect.

Weld County’s Child Welfare division has been on a track to improve the quality and effectiveness of training for foster and kinship care providers. Beginning in late 2020, they also transitioned to the National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC), a training program which is based on research and input from experts and families with experience with fostering or adopting children, as well as from former foster and adoptive youth. NTDC also provides ongoing training and skills-development platforms that foster and kinship providers can access throughout their involvement with children and youth needing foster and kinship services.

“The voices of those with real-life experience, whether as children needing services or as foster or kinship parents providing care, are a vital piece of the puzzle when it comes to equipping families for success,” said Denise Suniga, Child Welfare Resource Manager. “In Weld County, we are dedicated to giving voices to these experiences from the very first informational meeting for prospective foster families all the way down the line.”

Learn more about fostering in Weld County by visiting www.weldgov.com/go/fostercare.