National Training and Development Curriculum
The National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC) is a comprehensive pre-service training program designed to help foster, adoptive, and kinship parents understand and respond to the complex needs of children in care. The curriculum addresses topics such as separation, loss, grief, and trauma in adoption and foster care.
This innovative resource provides flexible, evidence-based education that empowers caregivers with the tools and understanding they need both over time and at the right time. NTDC uses a dynamic instructional approach that combines visual aids, videos, role play, and real life vignettes to build practical skills and competencies.
Throughout the training, participants explore cultural, developmental, and behavioral factors that influence caregiving. Upon completion, each participant is expected to demonstrate mastery and integration of the key principles and competencies presented.
The Foster and Adoption Process
Fostering and adoption involve multiple layers of responsibility, communication, and partnership. This section highlights:
• Supervision and safety practices essential to protecting children in care.
• Effective communication with the agency, caseworkers, and other foster care partners.
• An overview of the judicial and legal processes that guide foster care and adoption decisions.
• Discipline policy requirements and positive behavior-management strategies.
• Consideration of cultural, ethnic, and religious factors in caregiving and placement.
• Available supports and resources that strengthen and sustain the resource family.
• Awareness of personal and family strengths and needs necessary for successful fostering or adoption.
• The role of the resource family in concurrent planning and supporting permanency goals.
Emotional and Behavioral Considerations in Foster Care
Foster care affects every layer of a child’s development and the well-being of the families who support them. This section explores:
• Loss and attachment, including how separation and trauma shape attachment patterns and techniques to build trust and emotional security.
• The impact of placement changes on a child’s cognitive functioning, learning, and decision-making.
• The family’s role in partnering with professionals to meet each child’s medical, psychological, and educational needs.
• How to assist the agency in identifying and transitioning youth into the most appropriate level of care.
• The immediate and long-term effects of fostering on the resource family and strategies for promoting resilience.
• The importance of collaboration among caregivers, agencies, and service providers to ensure holistic, coordinated care.
• Ways to identify and respond appropriately to emotional, psychological, and biochemical disorders in children and youth.
Sexuality and Healthy Development In Foster Care
Foster parents play a vital role in guiding children toward healthy understanding and expression of sexuality across all stages of development. This section covers:
• Understanding age-appropriate sexual development and behavior.
• Recognizing and supporting children who have experienced sexual abuse.
• Responding with sensitivity to children exploring or expressing sexual identity and orientation.
• Learning how to maintain professional and personal boundaries to prevent vulnerability to allegations of sexual misconduct.
• Identifying and appropriately managing exaggerated or sexualized behaviors that may stem from trauma or past experiences.
Communication and Partnership
Effective communication and strong partnerships are essential to successful foster care. Every interaction, whether with families, professionals, or community members, plays a role in creating stability and trust for the children we serve. This section outlines:
• The fundamentals of healthy communication patterns and the dynamics involved in working with others.
• Roles and responsibilities in initiating and maintaining different types of communication.
• Steps to take when communication becomes challenging or unclear.
• The definition of partnership and the variety of partners involved, including resource families, agency staff, community agencies, faith based organizations, biological and extended family members, professional resources, and other foster families.
• How collaboration supports consistent care, timely transitions, and the emotional and cognitive well-being of children in placement.
• The shared responsibility of families and professionals in meeting each child’s medical, psychological, and educational needs.
• Recognizing and addressing emotional, psychological, and biochemical disorders through coordinated communication and support.
Identity and Cultural Issues
Foster parents must be equipped to understand and honor the diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds of the children in their care. This section examines:
• The impact of cultural, religious, ethnic, and trans-racial factors on placement decisions and daily care.
• The importance of affirming and preserving each child’s cultural and ethnic identity as a source of pride and stability.
• Embracing diversity and fostering inclusion within the home and community.
• Practical considerations for resource families, including grooming, hygiene, customs, manners, social interaction, and dietary needs.
• Building cultural competence that strengthens relationships and supports positive identity development for every child in care.