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FCASPL 365 (Foster Caregiver Training Hours as a Result of House Bill 8)

Family, Children and Adult Services Procedure Letter No. 365

January 13, 2021

TO: All Family, Children, and Adult Services Manual Holders

FROM: Kimberly Henderson, Director

SUBJECT: Foster Caregiver Training Hours as a Result of House Bill 8

This Procedure Letter provides updates regarding new foster caregiver training requirements as a result of the passage of House Bill 8 (HB 8).

HB 8 of the 133rd Ohio General Assembly will be effective January 22, 2021. In accordance with the statutory changes provided by HB 8, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is in the process of amending foster caregiver training rules to reduce the required number of pre-service and continuing training hours required.

This Procedure Letter will bridge the gap between the effective date of HB 8 and the effective date of the amended rules. There will be two phases to implement the changes to the foster caregiver training requirements:

Phase I will be the reduction of pre-service and continuing training hours required for foster caregivers beginning January 22, 2021.
Phase II will begin in January 2021 and will include stakeholder input to review training topics and requirements to better meet the needs of foster caregivers and the children in their care.

Beginning January 22, 2021 when HB 8 is effective, agencies should follow the training requirements as outlined below.

Foster Caregiver Training Reimbursement

Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) rule 5101:2-5-38:

The rule is being revised to allow between 24 and 36 hours of reimbursement to agencies for pre-placement foster caregiver stipends and training allowances. The number of hours of reimbursement to agencies for continuing training during a certification period is being reduced to 30 hours for family foster caregivers and 45 hours for specialized caregivers.

Foster Caregiver Training

OAC rule 5101:2-5-33:

The charts below outline the foster caregiver training requirements and options during Phase I. There are two options which will allow agencies the ability to keep their current 36-hour curriculum if they choose to do so. Option #2 allows agencies to reduce the required hours in alignment with the rule changes. This gives increased flexibility to agencies and families in becoming licensed foster caregivers.

Family Foster Home Preplacement Training Options
Option #1	Option #2
Take the full list of topics in 24-36 hours:	Take the limited list of topics in 24 hours:
(i) Legal rights and responsibilities.	(i) Legal rights and responsibilities.
(ii) The agency's policies and procedures.	(ii) The agency's policies and procedures.
(iii) ODJFS foster home requirements.	(iii) ODJFS foster home requirements.
(iv) The effects of childhood trauma, placement, separation, and attachment issues have on children, their families, and foster caregivers.	(iv) Effects of caregiving on children's families.
(v) The importance of maintaining meaningful connections between the child and parents, including regular visitation.	(v) Cultural issues in placement, including cultural diversity training.
(vi) Permanency planning for children and their families.	(vi) Communicable diseases.
(vii) The effects of childhood trauma, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and substance abuse on normal human growth and development.	(vii) Community health and social services available to children and their families.
(viii) Behavior management techniques.	(viii) The substance of section 2152.72.
(ix) Effects of caregiving on children's families.	(ix) The reasonable and prudent parent standard.
(x) Cultural issues in placement, including cultural diversity training.	(x) First aid and child and adult CPR.
(xi) Communicable diseases.	(xi) Medication administration.
(xii) Community health and social services available to children and their families.	(xii) Mandated reporter training.
(xiii) The substance of section 2152.72.	(xiii) Independent living training for those caregivers who will be providing care for youth age fourteen years and older.
(xiv) The reasonable and prudent parent standard.
(xv) First aid and child and adult CPR.
(xvi) Medication administration.
(xvii) Mandated reporter training.
(xviii) Independent living training for those caregivers who will be providing care for youth age fourteen years and older.

Family Foster Home Ongoing Training Requirements
Families who went with Option #1 above	Families who went with Option #2 above
Thirty hours of training on topics related to the types of children placed in the home.	Thirty hours of training on topics related to the types of children placed in the home, which is to include the following topics during the first certification period:
	(i) The effects childhood trauma, placement, separation, and attachment issues have on children, their families, and foster caregivers.
	(ii) The effects of childhood trauma, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and substance abuse on normal human growth and development.
	(iii) The importance of maintaining meaningful connections between the child and parents, including regular visitation.
	(iv) Behavior management techniques.
	(v) Foster caregivers' involvement in permanency planning for children and their families.

Specialized Foster Home Preplacement Training Options
Option #1	Option #2
Take the full list of topics in 24-36 hours:	Take the limited list of topics in 24 hours:
(i) Legal rights and responsibilities.	(i) Legal rights and responsibilities.
(ii) The agency's policies and procedures.	(ii) The agency's policies and procedures.
(iii) ODJFS foster home requirements.	(iii) ODJFS foster home requirements.
(iv) The effects of childhood trauma, placement, separation, and attachment issues have on children, their families, and foster caregivers.	(iv) Effects of caregiving on children's families.
(v) The importance of maintaining meaningful connections between the child and parents, including regular visitation.	(v) Cultural issues in placement, including cultural diversity training.
(vi) Permanency planning for children and their families.	(vi) Communicable diseases.
(vii) The effects of childhood trauma, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and substance abuse on normal human growth and development.	(vii) Community health and social services available to children and their families.
(viii) Issues concerning appropriate behavioral intervention techniques, such as de-escalation, self-defense and physical restraint techniques and the appropriate use of such techniques.	(viii) The substance of section 2152.72
(ix) Effects of caregiving on children's families.	(ix) The reasonable and prudent parent standard.
(x) Cultural issues in placement, including cultural diversity training.	(x) First aid and child and adult CPR.
(xi) Communicable diseases.	(xi) Medication administration.
(xii) Community health and social services available to children and their families.	(xii) Mandated reporter training.
(xiii) The substance of section 2152.72.	(xiii) Independent living training for those caregivers who will be providing care for youth age fourteen years and older.
(xiv) The reasonable and prudent parent standard.
(xv) First aid and child and adult CPR.
(xvi) Medication administration.
(xvii) Mandated reporter training.
(xviii) Independent living training for those caregivers who will be providing care for youth age fourteen years and older.
(xix) Education advocacy training.

Specialized Foster Home Ongoing Training Requirements
Families who went with Option #1 above	Families who went with Option #2 above
Forty-five hours of training on topics related to the types of children placed in the home, including:	Forty-five hours of training on topics related to the types of children placed in the home, which is to include the following topics during the first certification period:
(i) The completion of a First Aid and child and adult CPR training each certification period.	(i) The effects childhood trauma, placement, separation, and attachment issues have on children, their families, and foster caregivers.
	(ii) The effects of childhood trauma, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and substance abuse on normal human growth and development.
	(iii) The importance of maintaining meaningful connections between the child and parents, including regular visitation.
	(iv) Issues concerning appropriate behavioral intervention techniques, such as de-escalation, self-defense and physical restraint techniques and the appropriate use of such techniques.
	(v) Foster caregivers' involvement in permanency planning for children and their families.
	(vi) The completion of a First Aid and child and adult CPR training each certification period.

If there are any questions about these requirements, please reach out to the Office of Families and Children Help Desk at 1-866-886-3537, option 4.

INSTRUCTIONS:

The following chart depicts what materials should be deleted from the Family, Children and Adult Services Manual (FCASM) and what materials are to be inserted in the FCASM.

LOCATION	REMOVE AND FILE AS OBSOLETE	INSERT/REPLACEMENT
PROCEDURE LETTERS		FCASPL No. 365

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