Required Training for ALL Nebraska Foster Parents
To meet the required licensing training requirements for all foster parents (relative, kinship, prospective & current licensed foster home families), you must complete each of the following trainings: Reasonable Prudent Parent Standard, Suicide Awareness, Sexual Abuse Prevention, Human Trafficking and Safe Kids Car Seat.
Creating a Family: Has 4 of the required trainings for all Foster Parents (and they are free)
Reasonable Prudent Parent Standard
Suicide Awareness and Prevention
Preventing Sexual Abuse
Understanding the Scope of Human Trafficking and How to Protect Our Kids.
Creating a Family Website: https://www.creatingafamilyed.org/bundles/required-foster-parent-training-ne-dhhs
After you click on the above link, you should see the 4 trainings available and the title: Required Foster Parent Training for NE DHHS along with a "Green Buy" button. Click on the "Buy" button. Fill out your information. Your agency should give you a coupon code to bring the total cost to $0. You will then fill-out your name, email and what agency you are with to start learning. You can contact NFAPA at 402-476-2273 to get the coupon code if you are working with us in the process of getting licensed. Just be sure to list NFAPA as your agency if you get the code from us.
Please note:
- Creating a Family is the only location to access the Human Trafficking Training.
- These trainings are offered in both English and Spanish.
- Code required prior to purchasing to make them free.
DHHS: Has the 5th required training
Safe Kids Car Seat Training
DHHS website: https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Safe-Kids-Nebraska.aspx
You must send your completion certificates for all training to your RD worker/supportive agency to receive credit. Your name must be on the certificate!
DHHS Has Approved Alternatives for some of the Required Trainings. See Below.
Reasonable Prudent Parent Standards (RPPS):
Growing up in foster care/out-of-home placement has often meant not having access to typical life experiences for youth that are an essential part of childhood and adolescence. These activities and experiences can range from hanging out with friends to attending school dances and participating in sports and learning skills needed to transition to adulthood. The Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act was passed by the United States Congress in Sept 2014 and is designed to promote the safety, permanency, well-being, and normalcy of youth in foster care. Several provisions of the Act are focused on ensuring that youth in foster care have access to these same childhood experiences as their “non-foster” peers.
Reasonable and Prudent Parenting helps get at normalcy as it pertains to foster parents and facilitating staff exercising their best judgment as it relates to youth’s activity involvement, approval, etc. Please go to https://cip-dhhs.ne.gov/redcap/surveys/?s=XAL873K998AM7H89 and watch the video, submit your responses and receive a certificate. This video is approximately 30 minutes long. Send your certificate to your pre-service trainer or licensing worker.
Right-Time Sexual Abuse Prevention (Sexual Trauma):
This theme provides an overview of some of the emotional needs of children who have been sexually abused. The theme highlights some of the unique challenges in parenting children who have experienced this type of abuse and safety measures to put in place to ensure all children in the home are safe. The theme also provides information on seeking alternative therapy for children who have been sexually abused to minimize risk of re-victimization, minimize risk of children re-enacting abuse on other children.
This training is available under the National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC). Please go to: https://ntdctraining.org/training-for-families/right-time-training-for-families/#sexual-trauma. Please scroll down to the "Sexual Trauma" theme under Right Time Training. Select it and then s
Sexual Abuse Prevention Training
Go to the NTDC website https://ntdctraining.org/training-for-families/right-time-training-for-families/.
- This is the “Right-Time Training for Families” training page. Scroll down to the Right-Time Themes.
- Select “Sexual Trauma”. Select “Access Course”.
- Enter your details to log in. If you have not made an account, you will need to make one. It is free. Be sure you make separate accounts if you are a couple as there are multiple trainings you can complete over time.
- Once you have logged in, select “Enroll me”.
- Select “Enter”. Remember, the course title is “Sexual Trauma”.
- Select Start Course.
The course is 1.5 hours. After you completed it, there is a post test. When you pass the course and get your certificate, send a copy of your certificate to your pre-service instructor.
A computer would display the content better than a mobile device. Remember, if you are a couple make sure you make your own accounts! This means you both take the post test etc to receive a certificate to show you completed the training.
Suicide Prevention Training
You must complete one Suicide Prevention training. The options are listed below.
- Creating a Family-Suicide Awareness and Prevention. About 1-hour with a 10-question quiz. You can access it here. https://www.creatingafamilyed.org/users/sign_up . You must create an account. In the search bar, type in Suicide Awareness and Prevention and enroll in the course. This course is free after you enter the coupon code (contact NFAPA for the code).
- Counseling on Access to Lethal Means. 2-hours long. You can access it here.
https://zerosuicide.edc.org/resources/trainings-courses/CALM-course Create an account and enroll in the ourse. This is a free, self-paced, online course - Youth Suicide: A Silent Epidemic. 2-hours. You can access it here.
https://jasonfoundation.my.site.com/lms/s/login/?ec=302&startURL=%2Flms%2Fs%2F . You must register for an account. This is a free, self-paced, online course. - QPR Gatekeeper Training. 1-2 hours. You can access it here. https://region5systems.net/whats-happening/training/ . Scroll down to the QPR Gatekeeper Training options. Find a virtual or in-person training that works for you and register. There is no cost to attend.
- Youth Mental Health First Aid. 5-7 hours. Virtual and in-person options. Choose one below. No cost.
Send certificate of the training you completed to your pre-service instructor.
You can utilize the other Suicide Prevention trainings for license renewal hours and on-going training needs.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has been working with the County Court Judges, County Attorney GAL's, CASA, FCRB, Parents Attorneys, and others as part of, "Through the Eyes of a Child" Initiative meetings with the courts.
In Lancaster County children will be expected to attend dispositional and review hearings. All ages, as appropriate. It is presumed the child/youth will be at their court hearing unless it is determined by the DHHS worker in consultation with the GAL that the child should not attend. Foster parents will be asked to transport youth to the hearings. In cases where that is not possible, DHHS staff will be responsible for transporting.
The issue of getting kids to court is one that other judges are also starting to look at as part of the change and improvement. It is hopeful that other courts around the state may sometime in the future also want to have children at court if the children are not already attending.The fact that children will be required to attend court hearings should facilitate Resource Parents receiving notice of court hearings and hopefully, the opportunity to be heard in court.
Click here for a copy of the Caregiver Form.
Because so many youth are involved in the Nebraska juvenile court system, there are forms available for these children to fill out so their voice is being heard. Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative has partnered with several agencies so youth have a voice. You can find more information on the Nebraska Supreme Court Website.
Young Child Court Form
Children in the child welfare system typically want to talk to their judge and let him or her know what is going on in their life. Attending court hearings is a great way for the child to be involved and express his or her opinions. If that is not possible, the Young Child Court Form is a great alternative. The Young Child Court Form is intended for children around the developmental ages of 6 to 10. We encourage that a trusted person known to the child assist him or her in filling out the form. The form can be given to a party to submit or can be sent directly to the court.
Youth Court Form
Updated in 2019 with the input of judges and youth councils, this older youth questionnaire was designed as a way for young people to inform the judge of what is going on in their lives and to make requests about the case. Completing the form is voluntary, and all parties to the case have the opportunity to review the form. TTEOC has worked with Project Everlast for several years in its design and implementation.
The Center on Children, Families, and the Law (CCFL) provides a guidebook for foster parents and relative caregivers on the Nebraska Juvenile Court Child Protection Process. Click here for a copy.
