Resource Parent Programs are defined by the CEBC as programs that focus on the location, identification, recruitment, education, training, support, and retention of adults who are interested in being resource parents or who are already resource parents. A resource parent can be a relative (kinship), a nonrelated extended family member (NREFM), or a nonrelated foster parent. Since 2009, the CEBC has highlighted resource parent recruitment and training programs. In order to include resource parent programs that focus on identification, education, support, and retention, the CEBC revised and expanded this topic area in May 2018.
Downloadable Topic Area Summary
Resource Parent Programs are defined by the CEBC as programs that focus on the location, identification, recruitment, education, training, support, and retention of adults who are interested in being resource parents or who are already resource parents. A resource parent can be a relative (kinship), a nonrelated extended family member (NREFM), or a nonrelated foster parent. Since 2009, the CEBC has highlighted resource parent recruitment and training programs. In order to include resource parent programs that focus on identification, education, support, and retention, the CEBC revised and expanded this topic area in May 2018.
Downloadable Topic Area Summary
Boys and girls, 12-17 years old, with severe delinquency and/or severe emotional and behavioral disorders who were in need of out-of-home placement and could not be adequately served in lower levels of care, and their caregivers
Caregivers of youth 10 to 18 years of age in foster or kinship care placements and the youth themselves
Treatment foster parents and agency staff
Preschool foster children aged 3-6 years old who exhibit a high level of disruptive and antisocial behavior which cannot be maintained in regular foster care, or who may be considered for residential treatment, and their caregivers
Prospective foster, adoptive, and kinship parents of children in all age groups
Resource parents (foster, adoptive, and kinship) of children ages 0-18; can be used by social workers and other professionals who are new to working directly with resource parents
Caregivers of children 4 to 12 years of age in foster or kinship care placements
Prospective or current foster, kinship, or adoptive parents of children of any age; children can be from child welfare system, intercountry or private domestic adoption process
Sibling groups of 2 or more children from infancy through seventeen years of age who are in the custody of the state; youth older than 14 must be part of a sibling group; ideally children and families newly involved in the foster care system or possibly have re-entered the foster care system due to disrupted adoptions or have transferred from another agency
Prospective treatment foster parents for youth ages 0 to 21 years old with behavioral or emotional issues
Foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers of children or adolescents of all ages (0-21 years)
Resource and birth parents of youth aged birth-21and child welfare casework staff who work with those youth
Foster and other resource caregivers for youth age birth-18 years
Prospective and current parents who are, or will be, raising older children from foster care (ages 10 or older) who have moderate to severe emotional and behavioral challenges that require intensive coordinated services to prevent restrictive or congregate placements
Youth 11-15 years old currently in foster or relative care and their caregivers
Prospective foster and adoptive parents and experienced foster parents; child welfare professionals who develop, support, and team with resource parents
Prospective adoptive parents and caregivers (e.g., grandparents and other relatives raising young children, foster parents, and adoptive parents) of children birth to 18+ years
Foster carers (i.e., foster parents) of children from infants to age 18 years
Foster parents, or potential foster parents, of children and youth age 0-21 years who have experienced complex trauma or neglect and may also have developmental disabilities and/or medically fragile conditions; the children and youth themselves, and the children's and youths' birth families
Boys and girls, 12-17 years old, with severe delinquency and/or severe emotional and behavioral disorders who were in need of out-of-home placement and could not be adequately served in lower levels of care, and their caregivers
Caregivers of youth 10 to 18 years of age in foster or kinship care placements and the youth themselves
Treatment foster parents and agency staff
Preschool foster children aged 3-6 years old who exhibit a high level of disruptive and antisocial behavior which cannot be maintained in regular foster care, or who may be considered for residential treatment, and their caregivers
Prospective foster, adoptive, and kinship parents of children in all age groups
Resource parents (foster, adoptive, and kinship) of children ages 0-18; can be used by social workers and other professionals who are new to working directly with resource parents
Caregivers of children 4 to 12 years of age in foster or kinship care placements
Prospective or current foster, kinship, or adoptive parents of children of any age; children can be from child welfare system, intercountry or private domestic adoption process
Sibling groups of 2 or more children from infancy through seventeen years of age who are in the custody of the state; youth older than 14 must be part of a sibling group; ideally children and families newly involved in the foster care system or possibly have re-entered the foster care system due to disrupted adoptions or have transferred from another agency
Prospective treatment foster parents for youth ages 0 to 21 years old with behavioral or emotional issues
Foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers of children or adolescents of all ages (0-21 years)
Resource and birth parents of youth aged birth-21and child welfare casework staff who work with those youth
Foster and other resource caregivers for youth age birth-18 years
Prospective and current parents who are, or will be, raising older children from foster care (ages 10 or older) who have moderate to severe emotional and behavioral challenges that require intensive coordinated services to prevent restrictive or congregate placements
Youth 11-15 years old currently in foster or relative care and their caregivers
Prospective foster and adoptive parents and experienced foster parents; child welfare professionals who develop, support, and team with resource parents
Prospective adoptive parents and caregivers (e.g., grandparents and other relatives raising young children, foster parents, and adoptive parents) of children birth to 18+ years
Foster carers (i.e., foster parents) of children from infants to age 18 years
Foster parents, or potential foster parents, of children and youth age 0-21 years who have experienced complex trauma or neglect and may also have developmental disabilities and/or medically fragile conditions; the children and youth themselves, and the children's and youths' birth families
The Resource Parent Programs topic area is relevant to child welfare because child welfare relies on foster/resource families and relatives to care for children who have been removed from the homes of their parent(s) or guardian due to abuse and/or neglect. At a time, when many counties and states are finding an increase in the needs for families for foster children, there is a declining pool of families available. Without a sufficient pool of families available for placement, it is difficult to match a child's needs to a family who can provide for a child's particular needs and issues. Placement becomes an exercise in finding a bed for a child rather than finding a family that is trained and given the necessary support to care for children that have special needs due to the abuse or neglect they have experienced. The need to increase the pool of trained families for foster children is important for the field of child welfare. The Advisory Committee is interested in finding innovative and evidence-based strategies that have been effective in the recruitment, training, and support of families that care for foster children. Counties have used traditional methods for finding these resource families and need new strategies for finding and supporting foster/resource families.
Danna Fabella, Director, Linkages Project
Child and Family Policy Institute of California
Sacramento, CA
The Resource Parent Programs topic area is relevant to child welfare because child welfare relies on foster/resource families and relatives to care for children who have been removed from the homes of their parent(s) or guardian due to abuse and/or neglect. At a time, when many counties and states are finding an increase in the needs for families for foster children, there is a declining pool of families available. Without a sufficient pool of families available for placement, it is difficult to match a child's needs to a family who can provide for a child's particular needs and issues. Placement becomes an exercise in finding a bed for a child rather than finding a family that is trained and given the necessary support to care for children that have special needs due to the abuse or neglect they have experienced. The need to increase the pool of trained families for foster children is important for the field of child welfare. The Advisory Committee is interested in finding innovative and evidence-based strategies that have been effective in the recruitment, training, and support of families that care for foster children. Counties have used traditional methods for finding these resource families and need new strategies for finding and supporting foster/resource families.
Danna Fabella, Director, Linkages Project
Child and Family Policy Institute of California
Sacramento, CA
Resource Parent Recruitment and Training Programs was one of new topic areas launched in 2009. John Orme, PhD was the topic expert and was involved in identifying and rating any of the programs with an original load date of March 2009 or earlier (as found on the bottom of the program's page on the CEBC). The topic area has grown over the years and in 2018, the topic area was revised and expanded. All of the Resource Parent Programs added since 2009 were identified by CEBC staff, the Scientific Panel, and/or the Advisory Committee. For these programs, Dr. Orme was not involved in identifying or rating them.
Resource Parent Recruitment and Training Programs was one of new topic areas launched in 2009. John Orme, PhD was the topic expert and was involved in identifying and rating any of the programs with an original load date of March 2009 or earlier (as found on the bottom of the program's page on the CEBC). The topic area has grown over the years and in 2018, the topic area was revised and expanded. All of the Resource Parent Programs added since 2009 were identified by CEBC staff, the Scientific Panel, and/or the Advisory Committee. For these programs, Dr. Orme was not involved in identifying or rating them.
