FosterParentCollege.com® (FPC) provides innovative, research-based, interactive online courses for foster, adoptive, and kinship parents. Our self-paced training is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. From the comfort of home, parents can enroll, complete a course, and receive a certificate of completion in a single session. The content is developed by nationally recognized experts in the fields of parenting, social work, pediatrics, psychology, psychiatry, and education. FPC courses are valued by foster care agencies and praised by caregivers.
We strive to give foster, adoptive, and kinship parents the knowledge and tools they need to raise children who will thrive in today's world.
FosterParentCollege.com was launched in 2004 by
Northwest Media, Inc. with the goal of providing high-quality, interactive training for resource parents. In 2006, FPC began working with the
Institute for Human Services to build and study pre-service courses, eventually leading to the innovation of blended pre-service training. This innovative approach to pre-service training reduced the number of in-person classes for potential resource parents by using online courses to teach core information. FosterParentCollege.com became strategic partners with the
Child Welfare League of America in 2014 to develop a
PRIDE version of blended training. The New Generation
PRIDE Model of Practice using FPC courses has been well-received by agencies and states.
Since 2009, FPC's online in-service courses have been recognized by the
California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare. Our blended pre-service training was recognized by the CEBC in 2018.
Originally, FPC was developed with funding through many Small Business Innovation Research grants. Today, we are self-funded and continue to build FPC to address the needs of resource parents and their children.
1,266,449
Courses
Taken
315,093
Member
Accounts
- FPC's online training is accepted by agencies in nearly all 50 states and in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
- It is rated by the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC) as promising research with high relevance to child welfare for both pre-service parent training and in-service parent training.
- FPC is endorsed by the National Foster Parent Association and the Canadian Foster Family Association, and it is approved by CASA. learn more »
- FPC offers 17 core courses, including all pre-service courses, in Spanish. (Translated courses have the same functionality as their English counterparts.) see list here »
- FPC is continually adding new courses and to date offers over 70 self-paced trainings. see most recent here »
- By the end of 2021, all FPC courses will be available with closed captioning, and the website will be completely accessible to people using screen reading software or other assistive technologies to access the internet. learn more »
I'm thinking of becoming a foster parent, how do I go about it?
Who is on the faculty?
Our courses are developed and taught by nationally recognized experts in child health, psychology, and development, with the input of educators and social science researchers. To visit our faculty page,
click here.
In the workshops, are the panelists real foster parents?
No, to protect the privacy of foster parents we hire actors. Client confidentiality requires we create fictional scenarios to discuss, but scenarios are amalgams of real cases and situations our faculty face in their practices.
How often are new courses offered?
We produce several new courses each year.
How do you decide what courses to develop?
We research and address the challenges which are of greatest concern to caregivers and agencies.
How is FPC different from other online training sites?
FPC’s research-based courses are interactive and incorporate both visual and written components to enhance learning and retention. Parents can study at their convenience and work at their own pace to complete a course; however, while viewing a course for the first time, they cannot advance without actually viewing the course and completing the embedded interactive exercises. Our online management system allows caseworkers the option to assign courses and monitor their clients' progress. We strive to ensure that real learning happens.
What is the structure of FPC courses?
FPC courses are built using audio, visual, and interactive elements to engage parents and ensure that real learning happens. Users cannot jump ahead in a course – they must view it to get credit for completing it. Each course includes a printable viewer guide and most include printable handouts and interactive exercises. At the end of each course (except Advanced Parenting Workshops) there is a review questionnaire that uses a pass-only approach and provides feedback. Once the course is complete, a printable Certificate of Completion is provided.
Whose idea was FPC?
FosterParentCollege.com® is the brainchild of Lee White, president and co- founder of Northwest Media, Inc., Dr. Richard Delaney, and Dr. Caesar Pacifici.
For more information about Mr. White,
click here.
For more information about Dr. Delaney,
click here.
For more information about Dr. Pacifici,
click here.
