Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Oregon Department of Human Services Search Site

Resource Parent Training and Support

Caregiver training, support and guidance

Tools for Resource Parents, Relative Resource Parents, Kinship and Respite Caregivers


"" Crisis support and safety planning tools

Reporting child abuse, mandatory reporting requirements, missing child guidance, suicide prevention and crisis intervention, emergency planning and preparedness, fire safety training and safe sleep information.

Crisis support and safety planning

Food programs

  • WIC provides children under 5 with free fruit, veggies, milk, cheese and more.
  • SNAP provides monthly benefits to help families buy food.
  • Students in foster care are automatically certified for Free and Reduced Price Meals through a data sharing agreement. Resource parents don't need to fill out an application. 
  • All kids age 1 to 18 can get free meals and snacks at a summer meal site.
WIC programSNAP food benefitsChild nutrition programsSummer meals

Activities and recreation 

  • All About Me Books engage children to create their story, capturing their history, culture, feelings and interests.
  • Free camping and day use passes from Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD).
  • Kindred Matters  - Sibling Camp and KINnect events are for siblings living separately. Family Camp counts toward certification renewal credits for resource parents and allows them to bring their entire family - biological, foster, adoptive or otherwise.
  • 211info has more information and ways to search for local opportunities and activities.
  • Free fishing license from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). Contact your certifier or the child's caseworker.

All About Me Books Free OPRD passKindred Matters camps211info

 Certification training

All potential resource parents, relative resource parents, adoptive parents or guardians are required to complete Resource and Adoptive Family Training (RAFT) to become certified providers for children in foster care. Orientation training is required as part of the certification process, but is also available to help you decide if foster care is the right step for you and your family. You can also learn more about foster care before attending Orientation. 

Get my certificationOrientation trainingLearn about foster care 

Certification renewal and ongoing training

Certified foster care providers are required to renew their certification every two years. Free, ongoing training is available in a variety of formats.

Training options include live/on-line, instructor led sessions and on-demand, self-paced learning.

Certification renewal requirementsRenewal and ongoing training options

 Respite care certification

A certified respite care provider is trained to provide temporary care and supervision of children and youth in foster care. Respite care can be pre-planned or provided as crisis-support for a resource family.

Are you ready to become a certified respite care provider? Visit the Every Child Oregon website (link below) and fill out a Connect form. Staff will follow up with you about next steps, including the required online training. 

 Respite provider overview (PDF) Every Child Oregon - Respite Care



Helpline

Available: 24 hrs

Phone: 211 (select parenting option)

Text: "foster" to 898211

Email: foster@211info.org


211 info

Support groups

Local Facebook support groups, youth support programs and local and national organizations.

Support groups

Guides and policies

Parenting guides, rules and Bill of Rights policy for children, parents and siblings.

GuidesPolicy

Youth resources

Resources for youth in foster care and support to help youth moving from foster care to independence.

General resourcesYouth transition services