On-Going Training

The FPSS Society provides support to foster parents through the development and implementation of on-going training opportunities to enable them to further their skills and knowledge development, network with colleagues and peers. They will learn to recognize the stresses and pressures they face as caregivers and acquire effective methods of dealing with them.

Workshops
As well as providing foster parents with parenting information and training, the FPSS Society offers opportunities for on-going training based on their specific needs, the needs of the children and youth they serve, and the needs of the Ministry. The FPSS Society will determine the on-going training needs of caregivers, through feedback from caregivers, partnership meetings, and Ministry staff.

Workshop topics include, but are not limited to
• Trauma Informed Care
• Self-Care for Caregivers
• Understanding Grief and Separation
• Attachment
• Foster Parent Standards and Foster Family Handbook
• Separation and Loss Experienced by Children in Care
• Working with the Biological Family
• Substance Use and Misuse
• Managing Difficult/Disruptive Behaviours in Children and Youth
• Developmental Milestones for Children and Youth In Care
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome /Partial FAS and /Fetal Alcohol Effect
• Transitions within and out of Care
• Changes in MCFD Policies, Practices, and Standards

Caregivers are encouraged to access these important learning opportunities. These workshops are usually offered free of charge to foster parents. If there is room in the registration, FPSSS will often invite members from other community partners to attend (contingent upon topic and confidentiality issues). The FPSS Society will arrange workshops jointly with community partners to ensure foster parents are receiving the most meaningful and useful information on the most current parenting issues and concerns. Workshops are an excellent communication tool for foster parents that enable them to network with their peers, and learn more about their community and the services available.

Qualified, knowledgeable individuals present all workshops.
The FPSS Society provides foster parents with an effective feedback form for identifying useful, relevant training suggestions, and ideas. FPSS Society encourages foster parents and Ministry staff to contact the FPSS Society local Area Coordinator or the FPSS Society Regional office to express their training needs.
All suggestions will be given serious consideration by the organization and arrangements will be made to organize, schedule, facilitate, and deliver these relevant workshops whenever appropriate. FPSS Society maintains wait lists for workshops that reach maximum registration and additional training session are offered when feasible.

FPSS provides participants with a Certificate of Attendance detailing workshop topic, presenter, and duration. These certificates are for their records, and that of their Resource Social worker to confirm they are keeping current with their training.