The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff. The Fundamentals of Foster and Adoptive Parenting program has been reviewed by the CEBC in the area of: Resource Parent Recruitment and Training, but lacks the necessary research evidence to be given either a Scientific Rating or a Child Welfare Relevance Rating.

• Child Welfare Outcomes: Not Specified
• Types of Maltreatment: Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Physical Neglect, Emotional Abuse, Exposure to Domestic Violence
• Target Population: The target populations of this program are prospective foster and adoptive parents and kinship providers.

Fundamentals of Foster and Adoptive Parenting focuses on training participants to develop the skills, knowledge, values, traits, and motives necessary to prepare them to understand and cope with the experience of receiving an adoptive or foster child into their home. The program’s curriculum was developed by stakeholders from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the Child Welfare Training Institute (CWTI), a division of the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine, collaborated with experienced foster and/or adoptive parents. Together they defined the knowledge-base, skills, abilities, and underlying personal characteristics needed to be an effective foster and/or adoptive parent. Three additional themes guided the development of this Curriculum and are interwoven throughout the document:

• Parent as Professional
• Understanding the Child
• Lifelong Learning