Child Welfare Training Partnership
Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership
Training for families providing kinship and foster care, and families formed through adoption
***Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on in person gatherings, the Child Welfare Training Partnership has developed new online and virtual courses . Make sure you visit their website for their training calendar and take a look at online training available on their e-learning portal.
The Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership (VT-CWTP) a partnership between the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the University of Vermont, offers learning opportunities for Vermont parents providing kinship and foster care, and parents who have adopted around the state. The VT-CWTP works in collaboration with the Vermont Consortium for Adoption and Guardianship, Vermont Kin As Parents (VKAP), the Vermont Foster and Adoptive Family Association (VFAFA), and other community partners.
Training Catalogue:
For the most updated information on available trainings go to:
Advanced Training for Kin, Foster, and Adoptive Caregivers
Foundations for Kinship, Foster and Adoptive Families
In Vermont, when children are in DCF custody, all caregivers, including kin, are licensed as foster parents.
ORIENTATION AND FOUNDATIONS ONLINE
After attending an Orientation session coordinated by their local Resource Coordinator, caregivers must complete Foundations online prior to be licensed. Instructions on enrolling in Foundations online are provided by Resource Coordinators during the Orientation session. Foundations online and Orientation is 15 hours in total.
FOUNDATIONS LEARNING NETWORKS
Foundations Learning Networks for Kinship and Foster care, and Families formed through adoption is required within the first year of licensure this 9 hour training (once a week for three weeks) is offered in person in each the 12 DCF districts around the state (currently this is being offered virtually).
Fostering to Forever
This course is designed to assist all pre-adoptive parents and permanent guardians in meeting the diverse needs of their children as they transition into their permanent homes and is offered online and regionally in person several times a year (currently this is being offered virtually). This class is REQUIRED of any person who is adopting through the state of Vermont foster care system. To enroll or for more information, please contact Emma.Baird@uvm.edu.
Advanced Trainings and other Resources:
Advanced Training classes (Deeper Dives) are offered on a variety of topics regionally in person (currently offered virtually due to COVID-19) throughout the state, on a variety of topics (such as *substance misuse, *mental health, *ACES, *Vicarious Trauma) based on the kin, foster and adoptive families training competency framework including community/stakeholder input. We work collaboratively with Family Services Resource Coordinators, the Foster Parent Workgroup, the Vermont Consortium for Adoption and Guardianship, VFAFA and VKAP to respond to the needs of their local resource families. Additionally, stand alone online courses are always available on a variety of topics (i.e. *court overview, *LGBTQ+ 101, *Sex Trafficking, *Normalcy and Prudent Parenting, *Trauma Informed Parenting Skills, *Beyond the Basics for Kinship Caregivers) through the e-learning portal training. vermontcwtp.org. New since the stay at home order in March 2020, several monthly connection series are offered virtually: Home But Not Alone series, Kinship Connections and Adoption Deeper Dives.
VT CWTP also offers training for local kin/foster parent associations, as well as the VFAFA and VKAP annual conferences. VT CWTP also works closely with the Vermont Consortium for Adoption and Guardianship and other agencies on a variety of training opportunities.
RPC+ (Resource Parent Curriculum) is a trauma-intensive workshop, usually held in person but currently being offered virtually, about the impact of trauma on the development, emotions and behaviors of children. It also provides practical interventions for improving relationships and decreasing challenging behaviors. This curriculum is offered across the state by both designated community mental health agencies trained by VT CWTP or directly from VT CWTP
Voices at the Table is a resource blog for kinship, foster and adoptive families in Vermont
Further Information:
Please visit our website to learn more about our work. Also feel free to contact Jennifer Jorgenson for further information on any of our courses and services.
To find out more about caring for children in state custody please contact the Resource Coordinator at your local Family Services Division office.
Training staff for Kinship, Foster and Adoptive Families:
Team Lead:
Jennifer Jorgenson, MSW, LICSW
(802) 656-3354
Training and Coaching Specialists:
Amy Bielawski-Branch, MS, LCMHC
(802) 578-0426
Janine Beaudry
(802) 373-3359
Sharon O’Neill, MA, ATR
(802) 656-3359
Deidra Razzaque, MA
(802) 579-4491
