First Time Foster Parents

Britli Fuller, Annie Menefee, Taylor King & Tessa Reichel

Overall Program goal:

To educate and prepare first time foster parents fostering children ages 2-5 in theareas of preparedness, securing attachment, establishing healthy family dynamics,and appropriate discipline.

Program Environment

-These topics are targeted towards first time foster parents fostering children ages 2-5.

-Participants will take part in discussion, interactive activities and education.

-It will take place in Manhattan, Kansas at the Holiday Inn Conference Center.

-The program will be taught in the evenings over the course of four days.

-Beverages and snacks will be provided as well as childcare service as needed.

Unit 1: Parent REadiness-Britli Fuller

Unit goal:

-After this unit has been completed all participants will know what the process looks like to become a first timefoster parent. They will be fully made aware of what the guidelines are and clearly understand the role thateveryone plays.

Unit objectives:

-Participants will be able to identify and meet the needs on the checklist required to have a foster child ages 2-5.

-Participants will be able to communicate effectively at the end of each week where they feel the child is on ascale of 1-10 in all of their basic needs. (see Appendix)

Opening Activity

-Checklist (see Appendix)

preparation that needs to be done

“Who do you work with?” - Lecture

-The Agency

-The Biological Parent

Role playing scenario

-This goes along with the lecture (see Appendix)

-partner up

Closing speaker

-Contact information (see Appendix)

-Support Group

Unit 2: importance of attachment- annie menefee

unit goal:

-After completing this section of the program, first time foster parents will be able to effectivelypractice good techniques that form a secure attachment, be aware of the importance of attachmentand how it affects the child in the future

Unit Objectives:

-participants will know the importance of attachment and the impact it has on the child

-participants will be able to identify the 4 different types of attachment styles and what are the long-termoutcomes of each

-participants will be able to explain 3 different ways that help foster secure attachment between parent andchild

What they will do

Participants will engage in 4 different activities as well as go through a lecture over attachment theoryand what they can do to help foster attachment with their child. Finally they will end the session withdiscussion and go over any questions they may have.

The program will go as follows:

-Prequiz

-Attachment lecture

-Practice “I love you Rituals”

-Attachment style quiz

-Discussion and questions

-Post quiz

Attachment lecture

What is attachment theory?

-Importance of attachment

4 types of attachment styles

-Secure attachment

-Insecure-Resistant (anxious) attachment

-Insecure-avoidant attachment

-Disorganized attachment

ways to establish secure attachment

-Provide a positive family atmosphere

-“I Love You Rituals” activity

-Be emotionally engaged and available to theirchild’s need

Unit 3: Family dynamics - Taylor king

Unit goal:

-Having successfully completed this teaching unit, parents will have a firm understanding of how their familydynamics will change, how to best accommodate upcoming changes, and acquire new information regarding avariety of local resources to best foster an environment that is safe for their core family as well as their fosterchildren.

Unit Objective:

-Identify two spaces in their home that may create a perceived unsafe space for a foster child ages 2-5

-Participants will be able to identify four areas in which their family dynamics will change once a foster child isintroduced

-Identify three local resources and familiarize themselves with their services

Lecture

Home Environment

-How space is perceived to be either safe or unsafe

Family Relationships/Dynamics

-Parent/Parent Relationships

-Parent/ Foster Child Relationships

-Sibling/Foster Child Relationships

Barnga ACtivity

GAME INSTRUCTIONS:

-Groups of 4

-Winners rotate clockwise

APPLICATION TO LECTURE MATERIAL:

-Every foster child has a unique background

-Not one set of “correct” rules

unit 4: Discipline- Tessa Reichel

Unit Goal:

-Once the teaching unit has been completed, future foster parents will have enough knowledge to make them feelcomfortable with and able to be effective in their discipline.

Unit Objective:

-Foster parents will come up with the boundaries and specific behaviors that relate to their personal beliefs bywriting in the questionnaire section in detail and by rating themselves.

-Each foster parent will come up with appropriate consequences for negative behavior if it is acted upon by writingin the questionnaire.

-Foster parents will write out a plan on how they will present the rules and expectations to the foster child.

-Foster parents will write out three types of disciplining techniques they will use with their foster child.

Activity 1

Questionnaire

Discipline Questionnaire Before Lecture:

1.What is your comfort level about becoming afoster parent? 1 the lowest, 10 the highest.

2. What are some of your concerns?

3. Will you parent the foster child the same wayyou parent your children if you have them?Explain.

4. What type of discipline techniques will you

enforce?

5. How do you plan on explaining the rules of thehouse?

6. How do you think the family dynamic willchange? What are your expectations?

7. How will you conduct your behavior inunforeseen circumstance?

Discipline Lecture

-Appropriateness in Disciplining non-related children. Who should be disciplining.Establishing Rules.

-Reactions of foster children being disciplined. Expectations.

-Types of effective Discipline. Examples/Stories.

-Benefits of Discipline

Activity 2

Questionnaire andmeasurable survey foreducator

After Lecture Questionnaire:

1.What is your comfort level after taking the class?1 the lowest, 10 the highest.

2.Have you gained any knowledge about theconcerns you did have?

3.What types of discipline will you plan on usingwhen it is necessary?

4.What are some new expectations you have aboutbeing a foster parent?

5.Was there anything that you wish you would havelearned more about?

6. What are you most excited about in becoming a fosterparent?

Closing Discussion

Small group discussion & full group discussion

Follow-up

-two days after the final teaching they will receive an email survey

-one month after they get a follow up call from one of the instructors