Foster Parent Training

Before foster parents can be licensed to bring a child into their home, they must pass a home study, various background checks, provide reference letters to an agency, and go through mandatory pre-foster training classes. There are different curriculum used by states and some require additional hours if a foster parent will being working with children with special needs.

There are only three states that do not require foster parent training: Oregon, Virginia and Wisconsin. Connecticut is the lone state that requires 45 hours of foster parent training and the rest of the states fall between six and 45 hours of training, with the majority being between 24 and 30 hours.

The kind of household a foster parent lives in (whether they're married or have children) can influence the number of hours of foster parent training required. Some states require CPR and First Aid training in addition to state or federal foster program curriculum. Depending on the agency a future foster parent is working with, he or she may not have to put as many hours into pre-service training. Others may require training in very specific needs. Washington, for example, requires prospective foster parents to take a Blood Born Pathogens course. Colorado also requires 15 hours of post-placement training within the first three months of the foster child being in their home.