Free Workshops Offered for Foster Care Parents

NOVEMBER 19, 2020 -- The Allan Hancock College Foster and Kinship Education (FKCE) program is offering free, online training and workshops for current and prospective foster care parents, allowing them an opportunity to safely complete their annual state-mandated training requirements from the safety of their homes.

“We’re trying to encourage more families to become foster/kinship care parents to meet the demand and provide a safe haven for foster children,” said Fernando Robles Jr., instructional specialist for the Foster and Kinship Care Education program. “The most important thing we can do is provide the training needed and make sure parents can attend and participate in these trainings.”

More than 60,000 foster children are in California’s foster care system alone, and approximately 44 percent of children who were in foster care for more than 24 months were placed in three or more homes. The AHC Foster and Kinship Education program trains and educates licensed foster parents and relative caregivers to improve stability and quality of care.

Parent education workshops and specialized training for relative caregivers – including D-Rate (Severely Emotionally Disturbed), F-Rate (Medically Fragile), Basic, and In-service training – will be offered in November and December.

“The trainings that the Foster and Kinship Care Education (FKCE) program at Allan Hancock College provides have helped us understand the importance of providing a haven for these children, learn about the community resources that are available for these children, and encourage us to practice self-care,” said Anna Quesada Harrison, a Hancock employee and foster parent for the past six years.

All courses are free and available weekday evenings or Saturday mornings. Instruction will be provided online through Zoom.

“These trainings are perfect for the working family or simply a full house,” said Quesada Harrison.

Registration forms are available by contacting Fernando Robles Jr. via email at fernando.roblesjr@hancockcollege.edu or fkce@hancockcollege.edu, or by phone at 1-805-922-6966 ext. 3959.

For a full list of times, trainings and workshops offered by the Foster and Kinship Care Education program, visit https://www.hancockcollege.edu/communityed/foster.php. Registration closes 48 hours before classes are scheduled to start.

- AHC -