Beginning September 1, 2009 the requirements for Foster and Adoptive Parents licensed for the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare (BMCW) will change. This change will impact all foster/ adoptive parents. The new requirements will better help foster parents get the help, information and connections they need when they need it. Register by calling the Foster/Adoptive Parent registration line at 414-229-4086 or via email at FAPTPREG@uwm.edu.

If you are just getting started you must complete 3, 3-hour Pre-placement sessions as part of the licensing process. These sessions are designed to reinforce and clarify any information you have learned as part of the licensing process.

Once you are licensed and receive placement of your first foster child, you are required to attend two additional Support Sessions within 30 days. These sessions are meant to answer any questions that may have risen since your foster child joined your family and to provide real-time, practical advice to help you navigate the child welfare system.

During the first two years of licensure, foster/ adoptive parents must complete the nine module BMCW Foundation Training for Foster Parents. This series covers a variety of topics regarding foster parenting, the child welfare system, children in foster care, and their families. These sessions do not need to be completed in any specific order, but must be completed prior to re-licensure. If you have already completed the PACE series you do not need to complete the BMCW Foundation Training series.

The last level of training is the Mastery Series. This series focuses on building and strengthening skills needed to best care for the particular child for which you are licensed. You are required to complete 10 in-service hours per year and most of those hours should come from the Mastery Series course list. However, electives, available through the Foster/ Adoptive Parent Training Program and other community agencies, are still available and can be used to fill out the training hours.

Training Requirement Overview as of 9/1/09
Preplacement Training (required for general foster parents) 9 hours, 60 days to complete Session 1: Overview & Expectations Session 2: Children in Care and Their Families Session 3: Foster Family Self Care Foster Parent Orientation for Relatives (required for relative caregivers pursuing a foster care license) Session 1: Overview & Expectations Session 2: Children in Care and Their Families Session 3: Foster Family Self Care Formal Support Hours vary, 30 days to complete post placement New Placement Check-In Building Trusting Relationships	Foundation Training 30 hours, 24 months to complete post licensure N/A if completed PACE Partners in Permanence Effects of Fostering on the Family Dynamics of Abuse and Neglect (2 parts) Impact of Trauma on Child Development Attachment Separation, and Placement Guidance and Positive Development Maintaining Family Connectedness Cultural Dynamics in Placement Overview of the Court System	Mastery Series Hours vary, maximum 10 years to complete Caregivers for all age groups must complete Communication Skills for Foster Parents Understanding and Building Attachment Cultural Issues in Foster Care: Dealing with the Dynamics of Difference Primary Family to Foster Family Discipline in Foster Care: Managing Our Behavior to Manage Theirs Foster Families and How they Grow
Mastery Series: Caregivers Categories
Caregivers for Infants and Toddlers 0-5 must also complete Development of Infants and Toddlers Child Safety 101 Safe Sleep Environments and Practices	Caregivers for school ages 6-12 must also complete Development of Preschoolers and Grade School Children Child Safety 101 Diffusing Crisis Safely and Sanely Parenting the Sexually Abused Child Independent Living Skills for the School Age Child	Caregivers for adolescents ages 13-18 must also complete The Development of Adolescents Teen Safety from A to Z Diffusing Crisis Safely and Sanely Parenting the Sexually Abused Child Independent Living Skills for Your Teen