Prospective Foster/Adoptive Families

Pre-service Training

Orienting Families toward Success

In Utah, each prospective foster/adoptive family is required to participate in standardized training before becoming a licensed foster parent. These 32 hours of preparation are called “pre-service training” and can take as little as a month to complete. This training is required for licensing.

Classroom Training

The Original Interactive Learning Space

Required.

Each in-class session provides unique insights into the foster family experience, situations you may encounter, solutions to typical problems, and many other topics important for those preparing to foster or adopt thru foster care.

Utah Foster Care (UFC) trainers conduct these classes throughout the state each month and make the schedules available to prospective families who have registered for classes. If you have not yet registered, please call us for details: (877) 505-5437

Classes cover the following topics:

Orientation/Team Building
Child Development
Trauma & Its Effects/Sexual Abuse
Minimizing the Trauma of Placement
Understanding Primary Families
Managing Emotions & Behaviors/The Effects of Caregiving
Long-term Separation/Adoption Issues for Families
Transcending Difference in Placements

Online Video Training

Vital Information at Your Pace

Required.

In addition to in-class training, there are several videos that are required for licensure. They’re divided into two courses. There is a quiz for each of the courses.

Course 1: Principles & Perspectives

Watch the videos below, then take quiz 1.

Pro-tip: print out the quiz and mark your answers while watching the videos—then enter and submit your responses via the web.

Child Development & Parenting Perspectives | 17 Min
Culture & the Foster Family | 13 Min
Working with Primary Families | 17 Min
Trauma: A Compassion-driven Approach | 14 Min
Self-care: What I Wish I had Known | 17 Min
Effective Discipline: A Trauma-informed Approach | 23 Min
ReMoved (Movie Short): On Grief, Loss, & Attachment | 13 Min

Course 2: Policies & Procedures

Watch the videos below, then take quiz 2.

Pro-tip: print out the quiz and mark your answers while watching the videos—then enter and submit your responses via the web.

Fostering Healthy Children | 33 Min
Office of Licensing Rule | 35 Min
Practice Guidelines of the Utah Division of Child & Family Services (DCFS) | 108 Min
- 1) Rights & Responsibilities | 16 Min
- 2) Incidental Care, Child Care, & Respite | 9 Min
- 3) Out-of-state Travel & Normalcy Laws | 9 Min
- 4) Emergency Situations, Allegations, & Safe-to-sleep | 11 Min
- 5) Foster Care Payments & Tax Issues | 10 Min
- 6) Advocacy, Schools, & Court | 14 Min
- 7) Foster Family Support | 19 Min
- 8) Assessment | 20 Min

If you prefer, you can watch Course 2 videos all in a row.

Manuals & Other Resources

Utah Foster Care