On-Demand Courses
Course Options
Featured Courses:
Supporting Kinship and Kin-Like Caregivers
In this course, participants will learn about what kinship and kin-like care is and how it benefits children and families. Participants will also learn about what it means to be a licensed kinship caregiver and what resources are available through … Read more
Identifying and Managing Implicit Biases
In this brief series, resource parents will increase their awareness of implicit biases and how biased decision making can impact permanency outcomes for children, youth, and families. It also provides a variety of strategies to help caregivers identify and manage … Read more
Kinship Caregiver Resources
This new FosteringNC.org page features a collection of courses and other resources of special interest to kinship caregivers. Visit…
Preparing for and Responding to Disasters
This course teaches North Carolina resource parents how to keep children and youth safe before, during, and after disasters. (1 hr.) Take course…
The short courses below, all of which are free, are available any time and include a certificate of completion learners can share with their supervising agencies.
Note: If you wish to use these courses to meet in-service training requirements, you should first verify they will be accepted by your agency. To ensure course navigation and printing of certificates function as intended, we recommend taking these courses on a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date web browser.
About NC’s Foster Care System
Child Welfare Services: Overview, Key Terms, and Resources [NCDSS]
Part of the “Stakeholder Engagement Series,” this course gives a high-level overview and explains how you can get involved in strengthening child welfare services in North Carolina. (25 min.)
Part of the “Stakeholder Engagement Series,” this course gives a high-level overview and explains how you can get involved in strengthening child welfare services in North Carolina. (25 min.)
Court: Roles and Obligations of Foster Parents [NCDSS]
Topics covered by this 1-hour course include the roles of key players in the court process, the types of court hearings in child welfare, the responsibilities of foster parents in court proceedings, and North Carolina’s Foster Parents’ Bill of Rights. (60 min.)
Topics covered by this 1-hour course include the roles of key players in the court process, the types of court hearings in child welfare, the responsibilities of foster parents in court proceedings, and North Carolina’s Foster Parents’ Bill of Rights. (60 min.)
NC’s Orientation for Prospective Foster Parents [UNC]
A short training for people considering becoming foster parents in North Carolina. (20 min.)
A short training for people considering becoming foster parents in North Carolina. (20 min.)
Maintaining Connections
Child and Family Team Guide for Foster Parents [NC State]
Teaches the basics about child and family team meetings (CFTs) and answers common questions about how they relate to foster parents. (1 hr.)
Teaches the basics about child and family team meetings (CFTs) and answers common questions about how they relate to foster parents. (1 hr.)
Parent-child visits are one of the best tools for maintaining connections and reunifying families safely. In this 3-course series, you will learn how to support youth throughout the visitation process while managing common concerns such as trauma reminders and behavioral challenges.
Visitation Matters
(1 hr.)
(1 hr.)
What Impacts Visits
(1 hr.)
(1 hr.)
Your Role in Visits
(1 hr.)
(1 hr.)
Parenting Children & Youth in Care
This series focuses on how caregivers can support healthy child development in infancy, early childhood, school-age, and adolescence. It also explores ways to support youth whose development has been disrupted by trauma.
Foundations of Development
(1 hr.)
(1 hr.)
Normal Development in School Age
(1 hr.)
(1 hr.)
Trauma and Brain Development
(1 hr.)
(1 hr.)
In this brief series, resource parents will increase their awareness of implicit biases and how biased decision making can impact permanency outcomes for children, youth, and families. It also provides a variety of strategies to help caregivers identify and manage their own implicit biases.
Module 2: Exploring our Own Implicit Biases
(20 minutes)
(20 minutes)
Module 3: Managing our Implicit Biases
(20 minutes)
(20 minutes)
On Their Way [ILR, Inc.]
Teaches caregivers to use daily activities and real world experiences to motivate youth and increase the skills youth need to live independently. Course materials consist of a 20-minute video presentation and a guidebook that includes discussion topics for mealtimes, ways to engage youth in budgeting, daily health management ideas, early career development activities, and resource awareness. (30 min.)
Promoting Normalcy: Supporting the Social and Emotional Development of Young People in Foster Care [UNC]
Describes the reasonable and prudent parent standard and how foster parents can use it to help children and youth in their care experience “normal,” developmentally-appropriate activities. (1 hr.)
Describes the reasonable and prudent parent standard and how foster parents can use it to help children and youth in their care experience “normal,” developmentally-appropriate activities. (1 hr.)
Supporting the Transition into Adulthood [UNC]
Teaches strategies resource parents can use—including North Carolina’s LINKS goals and Transitional Living Plan—to help youth in foster care successfully transition into adulthood. Includes candid, practical suggestions from an experienced foster parent. (1 hr.)
Teaches strategies resource parents can use—including North Carolina’s LINKS goals and Transitional Living Plan—to help youth in foster care successfully transition into adulthood. Includes candid, practical suggestions from an experienced foster parent. (1 hr.)
Triple P Online [Triple P International & the Univ. of Queensland]
NC parents have free access to two self-directed, online courses—one for parents of kids from toddler to tween age, one for parents of pre-teens and teens. Triple P is evidence-based and a key element of North Carolina’s efforts to promote family and child well-being and prevent child maltreatment. Click here to watch a preview video. (Courses consist of eight, 1-hr. modules)
New in Spring 2020: Triple P now includes “Parenting During COVID-19” module with specific tips and strategies to use right now) and a free downloadable guide about parenting during COVID-19.
New in Spring 2020: Triple P now includes “Parenting During COVID-19” module with specific tips and strategies to use right now) and a free downloadable guide about parenting during COVID-19.
Promoting Permanence
Critical Partners for Permanency [UNC]
This course explains why North Carolina prefers to achieve permanence through reunification or kinship care, the importance of shared parenting and helping youth maintain connections with people that matter to them, and the role kinship care can play in achieving permanence. (1 hr.)
This course explains why North Carolina prefers to achieve permanence through reunification or kinship care, the importance of shared parenting and helping youth maintain connections with people that matter to them, and the role kinship care can play in achieving permanence. (1 hr.)
Guardianship, Pathway to Permanence [UNC]
This course provides North Carolina resource parents information about guardianship, which is a route to permanence for some youth in foster care. (1 hr.)
This course provides North Carolina resource parents information about guardianship, which is a route to permanence for some youth in foster care. (1 hr.)
Supporting Kinship and Kin-Like Caregivers [UNC]
In this course, participants will learn about what kinship and kin-like care is and how it benefits children and families. Participants will also learn about what it means to be a licensed kinship caregiver and what resources are available through the use of scenarios and videos from those with lived experience.
(2 hr.)
In this course, participants will learn about what kinship and kin-like care is and how it benefits children and families. Participants will also learn about what it means to be a licensed kinship caregiver and what resources are available through the use of scenarios and videos from those with lived experience.
(2 hr.)
Parent-child visits are one of the best tools for maintaining connections and reunifying families safely. In this 3-course series, you will learn how to support youth throughout the visitation process while managing common concerns such as trauma reminders and behavioral challenges.
Visitation Matters
(1 hr.)
(1 hr.)
What Impacts Visits
(1 hr.)
(1 hr.)
Your Role in Visits
(1 hr.)
(1 hr.)
Well-Being
Advocating for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services [UNC]
Explains the role of Local Management Entities/Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCOs) in North Carolina and how to build collaborative relationships with them so children and youth get the behavioral health services they need. NOTE: although child welfare professionals are the original intended audience for this course, resource parents are sure to find it useful. (3 hrs.)
Explains the role of Local Management Entities/Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCOs) in North Carolina and how to build collaborative relationships with them so children and youth get the behavioral health services they need. NOTE: although child welfare professionals are the original intended audience for this course, resource parents are sure to find it useful. (3 hrs.)
Grief: How Resource Parents Can Cope with and Learn from Loss [UNC]
Explores common reactions to loss, offers strategies for working through grief, and features interviews in which resource families share their experiences of grief and healing. (1 hr.)
Explores common reactions to loss, offers strategies for working through grief, and features interviews in which resource families share their experiences of grief and healing. (1 hr.)
How Loss Impacts Youth in Foster Care [NC State]
Focuses on how foster families can support healthy communication and improve overall relationships with youth and children who have experienced losses.(1 hr.)
Human Trafficking 101 for Resource Parents [UNC]
This course explains what human trafficking is, how to recognize it, and how North Carolina resource parents can respond. (90 min.)
This course explains what human trafficking is, how to recognize it, and how North Carolina resource parents can respond. (90 min.)
Preparing for and Responding to Disasters [UNC]
This course teaches North Carolina resource parents how to keep children and youth safe before, during, and after disasters. (1 hr.)
This course teaches North Carolina resource parents how to keep children and youth safe before, during, and after disasters. (1 hr.)
A Resource Parent’s Guide to Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) [NC State]
Provides basic information about IDD, the services you may need as a resource parent and where to find them, and best practices for parenting a child or youth with IDD. (1 hr.)
Learning to Support, Include, and Empower LGBTQ Youth in Substitute Care [NC State]
This course will help resource parents provide support and affirmation to youth in foster care when it comes to their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. (4 hr.)
This course will help resource parents provide support and affirmation to youth in foster care when it comes to their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. (4 hr.)
Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment [PCANC]
Provides key information about recognizing and responding to suspicions of child maltreatment in North Carolina. (2 hrs.)
Provides key information about recognizing and responding to suspicions of child maltreatment in North Carolina. (2 hrs.)
Suicide and Self-Injury in Children and Teens [UNC]
Helps resource parents understand suicide and non-suicidal self-injury in children and adolescents and teaches them how to respond. (1 hr.)
Helps resource parents understand suicide and non-suicidal self-injury in children and adolescents and teaches them how to respond. (1 hr.)
Transitioning Youth to Adult Medical Care [UNC]
Offers tips for preparing youth to manage their medical, dental, and behavioral health and describes how pediatric medical homes can help youth find and transition to an adult medical home. (15 min.)