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
Deeper Dives on Foundational Policies
- DCFS Practice Guidelines [PDF]
- DCFS Policy
- Office of Licensing
- Office of Licensing Code of Conduct [PDF]
- Office of Licensing Home Safety Checklist [PDF]
- Office of Licensing Rule [PDF]
- Office of Licensing Forms
- Educating Youth in State Care [PDF]
- Children with Special Health Care Needs
- Utah Foster Adoptive Families Association [Facebook]
- Utah Family & Children Engagement Tool [PDF]
- Child Welfare Statutory Time Requirements Report [PDF]
- A Child’s Journey Through the Child Welfare System [PDF]
- Time Requirements for Dependency, Neglect, and Abuse Cases [PDF]