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Foster Care Orientation and Certification

To become a certified caregiver, you need to complete required trainings that support your success.

You can also take our Orientation training to help you decide if foster care is the right step for you and your family. Thank you for your interest in providing safety, care and connection for children and youth.

Step 1 - Complete required trainings

There are specific required trainings and timelines for Resource and Relative Resource Parents. 

There are two versions of the orientation, depending on whether you will be caring for a relative or not. ​

If you are not related to the child you will be caring for:

Take the 5-part Orientation for Non-Relatives

If you are related to the child you will​ be caring for:

Take the 4-part Orientation for Relatives

We define a “relative" as someone connected to a child or young adult by blood, adoption, marriage, tribal or refugee custom, or through a significant prior emotional relationship, even if the legal tie has been dissolved. This includes:

  • Extended family (grandparents, aunts, cousins)
  • Step-parents and domestic partners
  • Others recognized by the child, family or cultural tradition

All Resource and Relative Resource Parents certified by ODHS Child Welfare are Mandatory Reporters of​ child abuse. Learn about the requirements of mandatory reporters in recognizing and​ understanding signs of child abuse, when and how to report abuse, and information to share when reporting abuse.

Mandatory reporting training

Resource Parents should understand safe sleep practices to help prevent sleep-related injuries and deaths among infants in their care. Following these practices ensures babies have a safe, nurturing environment that supports their healthy development and well-being.

Safe Sleep​ training

The Resource and Adoptive Family Training (RAFT) is a live training series for all non-relative Resource Parents. RAFT is nine, 3-hour sessions and is offered over Zoom several times a month and throughout the year. ​​​Before you take RAFT training, you need to complete the orientation, ​mandatory reporting and safe sleep trainings.

Learn more about RAFT and how to register

Note: Relative Resource Parents are not required to take RAFT, but are encouraged to join one or many of the RAFT sessions.​

Step 2 - Explore suggested materials and trainings

Bill of Rights

Become familiar with the Bill of Rights for children and young adults in foster care, and for certified Resource Parents and Relative Resource Parents.

Course Series: Being a Resource Parent

Still deciding if becoming a resource parent is right for you? Review these on-demand courses from our Being a Resource Parent series to learn more:

  • Birth and Resource Parent Partnership
    What we know is that the most successful resource parents understand that their role goes beyond supporting the children in their care to supporting the children’s families as a whole. In this training module we will explore the Birth and Resource Parent Partnership – WHY a partnership is essential; WHAT is needed for a partnership to be successful; and HOW to begin building a partnership. The bottom line is that co-parenting partnerships are beneficial to the child and youth experiencing foster care and reduces their trauma.
  • Caring for Teens
    Learn about your role in caring for tweens and teens, discussions you may have with them and how to help them learn daily living skills that prepare them for launching into adulthood.
  • Honoring Identity
    Learn about your role in understanding, acknowledging and supporting all identities of a child you may be caring for.
  • How does RAFT connect to my role as an Adoptive Parent
    RAFT is the foster care certification training curriculum for resource parents, relative resource parents, pre-adoptive parents, and guardians. The RAFT training contains critical information about the kind of specialized parenting needed to meet a child’s needs, regardless of the age of the child. In this training, you will hear how RAFT can prepare you for parenting a child who has experienced trauma, separation and loss and equip you with the skills necessary for your adoption journey!
  • Introduction to Adoption
    Provides prospective adoptive families a brief overview of the common paths toward adoptions, opportunities for reflection and information on next steps.
  • Making the Decision
    Covers what it means to be a resource parent and how being a resource parent impacts your entire family. 
  • The Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standard
    Learn how the Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standard supports you with day-to-day decisions and managing challenging behaviors.

Resource Family Training Catalog

ODHS Child Welfare offers many free training topics. Explore the Resource Family Training Catalog for on-demand and live trainings.

Course catalog

Questions?

If you have questions about how to access trainings or training timelines, please connect with a Resource Family Retention and Recruitment Champion or an assigned Certification Worker.

If you have questions about the training requirements, please email us.

Email us