Foster Parent Education Program (FPEP)

"Thank you for helping me understand how the birth parent feels. I see things differently now." -- FPEP graduate view more testimonials

See the quick links to specific info below:
- Overview
- Calendar and Registration
- Pre-Service Training Modules
- Skills Training Seminars
- Training Requirements and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Contact Us
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Foster Parent Education Program
8901 West Capitol Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53222
(414) 463-1880, ext. 139
(414) 465-1337 fax
fpep@st-al.org

 

Overview
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The Foster Parent Education Program (FPEP) provides training on all aspects of foster care. FPEP offers all the pre-service and ongoing training required for individuals interested in becoming licensed foster parents in Milwaukee County. FPEP is also available to conduct trainings with community groups and organizations interested in gaining a better understanding of the foster care system.

FPEP's qualified trainers engage their participants in topics such as child development, proper discipline techniques, and cultural sensitivity, as well as provide information on the foster care system in general. For more information on the Foster Parent Education Program, please call (414) 463-1880, ext. 139.

 

Calendar and Registration
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You may download a Calendar of Upcoming Classes.

To register for an upcoming class, please contact the Foster Parent Education Program at (414) 463-1880, ext. 139 or email fpep@st-al.org.

 

Pre-Service Training Modules
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FPEP implements the PACE Curriculum to provide prospective Milwaukee County foster parents the skills and knowledge essential to providing a short-term, stable and nurturing environment for children. The PACE Curriculum is broken down into 12 three-hour training modules. Each module is offered several times a month. Modules must be taken in sequence, and FPEP participants must attend them all to completion:

Module 1: Orientation and Overview (3 hours)
This workshop provides an overview of the child welfare system and examines the differences between foster care, adoption, and kinship care. Participants receive information about the needs of waiting children as well as the process of becoming a caregiver.

Module 2: Teambuilding (3 hours)
This workshop discusses the history of foster care and adoption and examines the role of the foster, adoptive, or kinship caregiver within that system. Information is shared about the effective use of teams to serve children.

Module 3: Abuse and Neglect and the Impact on Child Development (3 hours)
This workshop examines the dynamics of child maltreatment. The workshop will explore underlying reasons a parent or caregiver might abuse or neglect children. The session gives participants an overview of normal child development and examines the impact of abuse and neglect on child development.

Module 4: Attachment and Separation (3 hours)
This workshop demonstrates normal, healthy attachment and explores the impact on attachment of separation from primary parents, siblings, and other attachment figures. Participants also learn to identify stages in the grieving process as well as strategies to reduce the trauma to children who have experienced separations from significant others.

Module 5: Discipline (3 hours)
This workshop examines the reasons for behavioral problems among foster and adopted children. The workshop also explains the agency policy regarding corporal punishment and the underlying reasons for that policy. Finally, participants receive information on positive ways to manage behavior including natural and logical consequences, contracting, and rewards.

Module 6: Cultural Issues in Placement (3 hours)
This workshop presents an overview of culture and the ways in which our values and codes of conduct are impacted by culture. Participants learn to separate culture from race and learn to identify the many and complex ingredients of cultural identity. Caregivers will also learn methods to more successfully parent a child from a culture different than their own.

Module 7: Working with Primary Families (3 hours)
This workshop provides information about the losses experienced by birth families, expected behaviors of grieving birth parents, and ways to work effectively with birth families along a continuum of contact. A birth parent speaks to the training group about his or her experiences with foster care.

Module 8: Effects of Caregiving on the Family (3 hours)
This workshop examines the impact of foster care, adoption, and kinship care on the family system. Information is presented on disclosure of important information to foster and adoptive parents and protocol for handling challenges specific to foster care. The workshop enables prospective parents to develop effective coping strategies and survival plans.

Module 9: Sexual Abuse (3 hours)
This workshop examines the definition and dynamics of sexual abuse of children and helps prospective caregivers understand the special challenges of parenting children who have been sexually abused.

Module 10: Effects of Caregiving on the Family (3 hours)
This workshop examines the impact of foster, adoptive or kinship caregiving on the family system, and helps prospective caregivers to develop effective coping and management strategies.

Module 11: Permanency Issues for Children (3 hours)
This workshop examines the effects on children of long-term separation from their families, either through adoption or long-term foster care. The workshop describes events that may serve to trigger emotional distress and behavioral problems in children experiencing long-term separation.

Module 12: Permanency Issues for Families (3 hours)
This workshop examines the adoption-related issues often experienced by adoptive parents and their effect on the family system. The workshop presents techniques for talking with children about their birth histories and adoption experience. Trainees also receive information about post adoption services.

Skills Training Seminars
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FPEP's Skills Training Seminars are special courses that give foster parents the opportunity to address specific challenges inherent to their work and to the children in their care. These two-hour seminars are offered five times a month. Please contact FPEP to learn about the topics of upcoming seminars. Seminar topics include, but are not limited to:

Attention Deficit Hyper-Activity Disorder (ADHD)
Aggressive Children
AIDS/HIV
Alternative Lifestyles & Foster Care
Anger Management
Bed Wetting: Causes & Treatments
Biological vs. Foster Children: Where is the Balance
Brain Development
Certification CPR
Challenging Behaviors
Children & Sexual Abuse
Computers for Beginners
Crisis Management
De-escalating Aggressive Behavior
Discipline vs. Punishment
Diversity in Foster Care
Drug & Alcohol Abuse
Effective Communication
Gang Involvement
Girls & Hygiene
Grief & Loss
Healthy Eating For Everyone
Independence for the Teen Foster Child
Juvenile Fire setters
Learning Disabilities
Peer Pressure
Sexual Abuse
Teamwork
Talking with Children About Sex
Using Time Outs to Manage Behavior
Why Placements Fail

Training Requirements and FAQs
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1. How can I become a foster parent for Milwaukee County?
To request an application and orientation information, call First Choice for Children (Lutheran Social Services) at (414) 264-5437. A representative from First Choice For Children will contact you to set up a visit and explain the requirements.


2. What are the training requirements to become a foster parent?
Newly licensed foster parents must complete the 36-hour PACE curriculum to be licensed. Re-licensed foster parents must complete ten hours of training each year.


3. May I attend training classes before I submit an application to First Choice For Children?
No, your application has to be processed and a referral sent to St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Foster Parent Education Program before you attend any classes.


4. When and where are the classes offered?
Classes are held Monday - Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings at St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc. 8901 W. Capitol Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53222.


5. Do I have to take the class modules in order?
Yes, it is recommended that the class modules be taken in sequential order, 1 thru 12. In the event of a scheduling conflict, prior approval must be granted from your licensing specialist to attend the modules out of sequence.


6. Is childcare provided during the training sessions?
Yes, we provide free childcare for children, (newborn - 15 years of age), during the training sessions for biological and foster children of our class participants.


7. How can FPEP conduct a training with my community group or organization?
You may schedule a training by contacting Stacey Linsday, FPEP Program Coordinator, at (414) 463-1880.