Training to Become a Foster or Adoptive Parent
At Casey, we know that the most important gifts parents give to their children are stability, belonging, and unconditional love and commitment. You also have the opportunity to share the knowledge and skills that you learned from your parents and other adults as you prepare your child for adulthood. Casey offers specialized training that is designed to help you meet the unique needs of children in foster care, some of which are different than those of the children you may have previously parented.
Training is divided into two phases: the instruction you receive prior to licensure (pre-service training) and the continuing education (in-service training) you receive once a child is living in your home. Foster and pre-adoptive parents must earn training hours annually to maintain their license.
Pre-service Training
Foster parent pre-service training uses a step-by-step curriculum to prepare individuals and families who are seeking state licensure to become foster or adoptive parents.
In-service Training
Permanency Training: Parents learn why the focus of child welfare has shifted from long-term foster care to permanence and the importance of lifelong family connections. Permanency training also explores how this shift has redefined – and expanded – the opportunities for and role of foster parents.
Clinical Training: After families become licensed, Casey offers training designed to address specific needs such as skills development, diversity awareness, educational development, mental and physical health, maintaining relationships with birth families, and more.
Online Training: Casey Family Services offers several online trainings to support individual learning and skills development from the comfort of your home. Training topics include substance abuse and Internet safety.
Foster/Adoptive Parent Conference: Casey Family Services regularly hosts a two-day conference for its foster and adoptive parents in Boston, Massachusetts. Free to Casey foster parents, the event includes important keynote speakers, workshops aimed at improving the skills and experiences of foster parents, entertainment, and a chance to explore historic Boston.
Learn More
- Download the Fostering and Adopting with Casey Family Services brochure (PDF).
- Download the Fostering and Adopting with Casey Family Services brochure in Spanish (PDF).
- Request information on fostering and adopting with Casey Family Services