Proper and continued training is an important piece of the foster care system.  In March of 2004, a work group of licensed caregivers, staff, private agency caregivers, and foster parent association staff met and agreed that ongoing training requirement was necessary for continued professional development of foster parents. It is required that 36 hours of certified training is completed every 3 years to maintain a license in Washington state. For more detailed information on training services please visit the Washington State Department of Social & Health Services website.

Licensed Caregiver Mandatory On-Going Training Policy

 First Aid, CPR & and Blood Borne Pathogens training please contact Keep the Beat.

REGION 1 – SELF-STUDY MATERIALS:

Each month we receive a new pamphlet from the Foster Care Support Network. The pamphlets are 3 pages with 10-12 Self-Test Questions. One hour of training credit is given for each pamphlet that you complete. We can mail upto 3 articles at a time.  Examples of the topics include, but are not limited to the following (with a new topic each month):  Articles Avialable. Once an article is read, return the attached questionnaire to Michelle Cutlip, 1313 N. Atlantic Ste 2000, Spokane, WA 99201, and a certificate worth 1 hour for each questionnaire will be mailed to your home.

To request an article please e-mail Michelle Cutlip

Washington State Resource Family Lending Library

The Lending Library offers books, tapes, and other training materials for Washington state foster parents and kinship provides to check out. The materials will be mailed to you in a re-usable pouch with postage pre-paid by DSHS for the return of the materials.

This service is free to all Kinship Caregivers and Foster Parents in Washington State. You do not have to have an open case with the Department in order to use this library.

For more detailed information on the lending library please visit the Washington State Department of Social & Health Services website, under on-going training.