On-Demand Courses

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.

Recently Added

• 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.)

• Child Welfare Services: Overview, Key Terms, and Resources [NC DSS]
  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.)

• 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.)

Additional Courses

• NC’s Orientation for Prospective Foster Parents [UNC]
  A short training for people considering becoming foster parents in North Carolina. (20 min.)

• Child and Family Team Guide for Foster Parents [NCSU]
  Teaches the basics about child and family team meetings (CFTs) and answers common questions about how they relate to foster parents. (1 hr.)

• Child Development and the Effects of Trauma Series [UNC]
  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.)
  • Normal Development in Infancy and Early Childhood: Part 1 (1 hr.)
  • Normal Development in Infancy and Early Childhood: Part 2 (1 hr.)
  • Normal Development in School Age (1 hr.)
  • Normal Development in Adolescence (1 hr.)
  • Trauma and Brain Development (1 hr.)

• How Loss Impacts Youth in Foster Care [NCSU]
  Focuses on how foster families can support healthy communication and improve overall relationships with youth and children who have experienced losses. (1 hr.)

• Learning to Support, Include, and Empower LGBTQ Youth in Substitute Care [NCSU]
  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.)

• 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.)

• 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.)

• A Resource Parent’s Guide to Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) [NCSU]
  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.)

• Supporting Successful Visits Series [UNC]
  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.)
  • What Impacts Visits (1 hr.)
  • Your Role in Visits (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.)