California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse Rates FPC, March 2009.
Foster Parent College (FPC) is the first and only online resource parent training center to be rated by the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC). According to the CEBC Web site, "Evidence-based practices are those that have empirical research supporting their efficacy." FPC received a "Promising Research Evidence" rating for the scientific research it has conducted and was given the highest rating for "Relevance to Child Welfare."

The CEBC provides child welfare professionals worldwide with easy access to vital information about selected programs related to child welfare. Each program is reviewed and, depending on the level of research evidence for the program, rated utilizing the CEBC Scientific Rating scale. The programs are also rated for their relevance to child welfare.

To view the detailed report for Foster Parent College, click here.


Foster Parent College Online Evaluation Findings, March 2007.
Report on a pilot study conducted in Ohio by the Institute for Human Services (IHS) for the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program.

From the Overview: "The mission of the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program (OCWTP) is to promote the delivery of high quality, family-centered child welfare services to abused and neglected children and their families by assuring individuals in the child welfare system are properly trained. The OCWTP continues to pilot and evaluate different training strategies, including offering online courses to facilitate just-in-time learning opportunities. This report is a summary of evaluation findings for the online courses offered through Foster Parent College."

To view report, click here.

Advanced Web-Based Training for Adoptive Parents of Special Needs Children, July 2010.
Phase I Final Progress Report on Small Business Innovation Research Grant #1 R43 HD056645-01 to Northwest Media from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Adoptive families with special needs children differ from a foster family in significant ways: the family has a commitment to a forever bond; adopted children are aware of the loss of their birth parents and the fact that reunification is not a possibility; the adoptive family assumes financial responsibility for the child; and as a new family member the child creates a permanent impact on the immediate family and on members of the family’s supportive community. All of these changes have long-lived impacts, yet training and support services generally end once the adoption is finalized. Courts and laws require foster families to obtain in-service training, but nothing is required for the adoptive family after the adoption.

In Phase I of this project we developed and evaluated the first in a series of online training classes for adoptive parents with special needs children. The class was on understanding and managing anger in adopted children. The Phase I study evaluated the effectiveness of the online Anger Workshop with a national sample of adoptive parents. We examined whether parents who received the online workshop increased their level of knowledge and confidence in dealing with serious anger problems in adopted children compared to a group of parents who received an online workshop on lying. We also assessed participants' level of satisfaction with the course and the online training format. The Final Progress Report describes the Phase I content and product development, as well as the methods and results of the evaluation study.

To view report, click here.


Web-Enhanced Pre-Service Training for Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Parents, January 2009.
Phase I Final Progress Report on Small Business Innovation Research Grant #1 R43 HD054032-01A1 to Northwest Media from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Foster, adoptive, and kinship parents have to successfully complete training and screening prior to becoming licensed caregivers. The Institute for Human Services (IHS) of Columbus, Ohio has created one of the few standardized pre-service training programs in current use nationally. Although face-to-face contact between prospective resource parents and staff is crucial for purposes of screening, building support, and handling sensitive topics, recently agencies have become increasingly interested in enhancing their pre-service programs by adding online training activities.

The aim of this project is to develop a version of the IHS pre-service training program enhanced by interactive multimedia (IMM) that alternates and integrates online instruction with class instruction. In Phase I we developed and evaluated the first of 12 proposed units. The course, Child Abuse and Neglect, covers the following topics: definitions of maltreatment, abuse, and neglect; characteristics of maltreating parents and families; the continuum of parenting; empathy for birth parents; and recognition and reporting of child abuse and neglect. Now available on FosterParentCollege.com, the course includes interactive exercises, printable handouts, and a review questionnaire.

The Phase I study evaluated the Child Abuse and Neglect course with a sample of 92 prospective foster parents affiliated with social service providers in two states. The study compared the IMM-enhanced approach with the traditional classroom approach on measures of parent knowledge, empathy, usability, and satisfaction. The Final Progress Report describes the course content, the Phase I product development process, and the evaluation study's methods and results.

To view report, click here.


Online Professional Training on Foster and Adoptive Care, January 2008.
Phase I Final Progress Report on Small Business Innovation Research Grant #1 R43 HD047970-01A2 to Northwest Media from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

With this project, we broadened the target audience of our online training to include mental health professionals (caseworkers, social workers, administrative/supervisory staff, and therapists). In Phase I, we developed and evaluated the first in a proposed series of online interactive multimedia training courses for these professionals on special issues relating to foster, adoptive, and kinship care. The course, entitled Family Dynamics in Foster Care, covers the following topics: family systems and styles, common myths and motives related to foster and adoptive care, the impact of placement, and an interview technique for determining the family dynamics, myths, motives, and impact of fostering. (It is now available on FosterParentCollege.com and has been approved by the National Association of Social Workers for 4 Continuing Education units.)

The Final Progress Report describes the content and product development in Phase I, as well as the Phase I evaluation study. In the study, we assessed the effectiveness of Family Dynamics in Foster Care. Specifically, we evaluated whether the online training format was successful in improving participants' knowledge of the issues covered in the course. We also evaluated whether participants were satisfied with various operational aspects of the course and with its online presentation.

To view report, click here.


Web-Based Marriage Education for Foster, Kinship, and Adoptive Couples, December 2007.
Phase I Final Progress Report on Small Business Innovation Research Grant #1 R43 HD053148-01 to Northwest Media from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

In Phase I of this project we developed and evaluated the first module of a proposed 14-module online version of a marriage education program, which we adapted specifically for foster, kinship, and adoptive parents. It is based on the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP), a well-researched, effective, and widely used training program. The first course (now available on FosterParentCollege.com under the title Relationships: Strengthening Communications) focuses on identifying and assessing communication patterns in relationships and on developing the communication skills couples need to help them safely manage conflicts.

The Final Progress Report describes the Phase I content and product development, as well as the methods and results of the online evaluation study. In the study, we assessed the effectiveness of the course in improving participants' communication knowledge and skills. We also assessed participants' level of satisfaction with various operational aspects of the course and the online training format.

To view report, click here.

Note: A chapter devoted in part to a description of Northwest Media's Web-based marriage education program for resource parents appears in a 2010 book on couple therapy. The chapter citation is as follows: Markman, H. J., Rhoades, G. K., Delaney, R., White, L., & Pacifici, C. (2010). Extending the reach of research-based couples interventions. In K. Hahlweg, M. Grawe-Gerber, & D. H. Baucom (Eds.), Enhancing couples: The shape of couple therapy to come (pp. 128-141). Cambridge, MA: Hogrefe. For information on obtaining a copy of the book, call the publisher toll free at 866-823-4726 or send an email to customerservice@hogrefe-publishing.com.


Web-Based Training Center for Foster and Adoptive Parents, August 2005.
Phase II Final Progress Report on Small Business Innovation Research Grant #5 R44 HD041335-03 to Northwest Media from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

In Phase II of this project, we completed the production of a proposed series of interactive multimedia courses for foster and adoptive parents on understanding and managing serious child behavior problems. The series, titled Foster Parent College, was produced for use on either the Web (FosterParentCollege.com ) or DVD video. The courses developed during Phase II address the following topics: stealing, running away, wetting and soiling, sexualized behavior, sleep problems, lying, fire-setting, eating disorders, reactive attachment disorder, safe parenting, self-harm, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder/oppositional defiant disorder, kinship care, positive parenting (cooperation and encouragement, behavior contracts, behavior management skills), and independent living skills.

We evaluated the effectiveness of two of the courses: on lying and sexualized behavior. For each course, we examined two outcomes: parenting knowledge and parents' self-perceptions of their confidence, comfort, and objectivity in relation to dealing with the problem behavior. The Final Progress Report describes the content and product development during Phase II, as well as the research design, methods, and findings of our evaluation study.

To view report, click here.

Note: An article based on the Phase II evaluation study has been published (Pacifici, C., Delaney, R., White, L., Nelson, C., & Cummings, K. [2006]. Web-based training for foster, adoptive, and kinship parents. Children and Youth Services Review, 28, 1329-1343). Reprints may be obtained from Children and Youth Services Review.


Web-Based Training Center for Foster and Adoptive Parents, November 2002.
Phase I Final Progress Report on Small Business Innovation Research Grant #1 R43 HD041335-01 to Northwest Media from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

In Phase I of this project we developed and evaluated the first in a proposed series of Web-based courses for foster and adoptive parents on understanding and managing serious child behavior problems. The first course was on dealing with serious anger problems. It uses an innovative, interactive multimedia format in which the viewer hears other parents tell stories of their parenting experiences to Richard J. Delaney, Ph.D., the project's Principal Investigator and a leading expert on foster and adoptive care. Through an ensuing parent-expert dialogue, viewers hear clinical insights into the problem behavior, practical steps they can take to alleviate anger outbursts, and useful background information about anger in children.

The course, titled Anger Outbursts, has become part of Foster Parent College, a training center for foster and adoptive parents that offers a comprehensive selection of courses via the Web or DVD video. As part of the Phase I grant activities, we evaluated the effect of the Anger Outbursts course on parent knowledge of children's serious anger problems and on key aspects of parent self-perceptions, such as confidence, comfort, and objectivity in dealing with children's anger. The Phase I Final Progress Report describes the program's development and content, as well as the evaluation study's methods and results.

To view report, click here.

Note: A report on the evaluation study was later published as a research note in a major social work journal (Pacifici, C., Delaney, R., White, L., Cummings, K., & Nelson, C. [2005]. Foster Parent College: Interactive multimedia training for foster parents. Social Work Research, 29, 243-251). Reprints may be obtained from Social Work Research.