Virginia Law

A. The licensee shall ensure that pre-service training is provided for resource, foster, treatment foster, and adoptive family home providers. This training shall be consistent with the licensee's program statement and description required by 22VAC40-131-170 A and include, as applicable, the following core competencies:

1. Factors that contribute to neglect, emotional maltreatment, physical abuse, and sexual abuse, and the effects thereof;

2. Conditions and experiences that may cause developmental delays and affect attachment;

3. Stages of normal human growth and development;

4. Concept of permanence for children and selection of the permanency goal;

5. Reunification as the primary child welfare goal, and the process and experience of reunification;

6. Importance of visits and other contacts in strengthening relationships between the child and his birth family, including his siblings;

7. Legal and social processes and implications of adoption;

8. Support of older youth's transition to independent living;

9. The professional team's role in supporting the transition to permanency and preventing unplanned placement disruptions;

10. Relationship between child welfare laws, the local department's mandates, and how the local department carries out its mandates;

11. Purpose of service planning;

12. Impact of multiple placements on a child's development;

13. Types of and response to loss, and the factors that influence the experience of separation, loss, and placement;

14. Cultural, spiritual, social, and economic similarities and differences between a child's primary family and foster or adoptive family;

15. Preparing a child for family visits and helping him manage his feelings in response to family contacts;

16. Developmentally appropriate, effective, and nonphysical disciplinary techniques;

17. Promoting a child's sense of identity, history, culture, and values;

18. Respecting a child's connection to his birth family, previous foster families or adoptive families;

19. Being nonjudgmental in caring for the child, working with his family, and collaborating with other members of the team;

20. Roles, rights, and responsibilities of foster parents and adoptive parents;

21. Maintaining a home and community environment that promotes safety and well-being; and

22. Methods of less intrusive behavior support, crisis management techniques, and physical restraint methods approved by the licensee.

B. As a condition of initial approval and renewals of approvals the licensee shall require each home provider to complete all required training. Training shall be relevant to the needs of children and families.

C. Receipt of training shall be documented in the home provider's file.

D. Each home provider shall receive additional training annually and at other times if determined to be necessary by the licensee.

E. The training shall be relevant to the needs of the children and families and may be structured to include multiple types of training modalities.

F. The licensee shall explain confidentiality requirements to home providers.

G. The licensee shall require home providers to keep confidential all information regarding the child, his family, and the circumstances that resulted in the child coming into care.