Education & Training Partnership

Welcome
The NH Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) has contracted with Granite State College to provide education and training to DCYF staff, foster and adoptive parents, childcare staff of NH residential facilities and non-licensed relative caregivers.

Mission
The Mission of the Education and Training Partnership is to enhance the quality of care for children in placement by providing competency based, accessible education and training to foster and adoptive parents, residential child care staff and non-licensed relative caregivers. DCYF staff members are encouraged to join caregivers as a matter of best practice. Training curriculum is developed responsively and collaboratively, in a manner designed to maximize adult learning, and courses are delivered in a supportive atmosphere that recognizes participants' level of experience. Academic counseling and professional development services are provided to DCYF staff members to support them in their work and promote retention. The Partnership embraces a system of quality improvement and program evaluation that is both proactive and comprehensive.

Vision
The Education and Training Partnership envisions a decrease in the number of placements experienced by New Hampshire children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse/neglect as foster parents, and adoptive parents, residential child care staff, non-licensed relative caregivers and DCYF staff strive to achieve knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to provide healthy, supportive and stable homes.

Education & Training Partnership Programs
The Education and Training Partnership (E&TP) offers four programs, each having different eligibility requirements:

• Caregiver Ongoing Training: (COT)
  This program provides competency-based education and training to NH licensed foster parents, eligible adoptive parents, non-licensed relative caregivers, residential childcare staff, and DCYF staff.
• Residential Counselor Core Training: (RCCT)
  This program is offered to residential counselors, in preparation for their work with children and youth in care in any of New Hampshire's residential facilities. RCCT is a 30-hour competency based training series, consisting of five modules, each six hours in length.
• Foster and Adoptive Care EssentialS: (FACES)
  This program is available to any prospective foster/adoptive parent, DCYF staff and non-licensed relative caregivers. FACES is the 21-hour preservice training series that is offered to become a licensed NH foster/adoptive parent.
• Professional Development and College Enrollment: (PDCE)
  This program provides support, academic counseling, tuition assistance and coordination of professional development opportunities to full time permanent DCYF and JPPO staff.