State of Oregon: Resource Parents and Relative Caregivers - Resource Parent Certification and Renewal Requirements

Certification and Renewal Requirements

Training is required to become a resource parent or relative resource parent in Oregon.

Training is free.
Courses are offered throughout Oregon. You can take training in any county or ODHS local Child Welfare office that meets your needs.
For certification: You must complete the Orientation Training and Resource and Adoptive Family Training (RAFT).
For renewal: Each certified adult in a resource parent or relative resource home must complete 30 hours of training during each two year certification period. All hours of RAFT training during the first two years of certification are credited to these 30 hours. A variety of Ongoing Training courses are also available for recertification.

Training Plan

Together with your certifier, a two year training plan will be developed based on your interests and training needs relevant to the age and gender of children you care for, including any unique issues related to mental and medical health, educational or developmental needs.

At least half (50%) of your training credits should be taken through face to face or interactive training. This includes:

Classroom training
Distance delivery (Netlink, webinar, online computer-based training)
Attending support groups
Conferences and seminars

The other 50% of your continuing training can be done through independent study, which includes reading books, articles, viewing videos and DVDs or listening to audio recordings.

Awarding training hours

Classroom and distance training

3 hour course = 3 training credits (credits are based on the length of the training)

Library materials and videos

Books

100-170 pages = 1.5 hour
171-275 pages = 3 hours
276 – 375 pages = 4 hours
Over 375 = 5 hours
Over 475 = 6 hours

DVDs and Videos

75 – 90 minutes = 1.5 hour
91 – 120 minutes = 2 hours
Over 120 hours = 3 hours

Counseling and therapeutic services

Count the time spent in part and involved in the session.

Support groups, mentoring, advisory committees, associations and peer gatherings

A maximum of 12 credited training hours for any 24 month period can be awarded for attending support group related activities or meetings as follows:

Structured Support Group: Maximum of 3 training credits
Unstructured Support Group: Maximum of 2 training credits
Mentoring Between Resource Parents or Relative Resource Parent Providers: Maximum of 1.5 training credits
Resource Parent Advisory Committee or local Foster (Resource) Parent Association meeting: 1 training credit
Social Gatherings of Resource and Relative Resource Providers: .5 training credit

Resource Parents and Relative Caregivers

Resource Parent Certification and Renewal Requirements

​​Certification and Renewal Requirements