Return to flip book view
Message DELIVERED BY Foster, Adoptive, Kinship, andBirth Parent Training 2025–2026In an exciting venture with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the MSU School of Social Work is pleased to present opportunities for training specific to all caregivers engaged with the Michigan child welfare system. If you are a foster parent, adoptive parent, kinship/relative parent, or birth parent, these FREE trainings are customized to help support your needs in raising the children in your home, understanding some of the unique and sometimes challenging needs that children and their families often face in the child welfare system. Following licensure, caregivers are required to earn six hours of training annually. The trainings in this catalog will count toward those required training hours.Find all program details on our website: socialwork.msu.edu/ce.SUPPORTED BY How to register for trainings Webinar training: http://bit.ly/4lS0SUh If questions, contact: Gina Tremonti Gembel, MSW, at the MSU School of Social Work Continuing Education office swkce@msu.edu, 517-353-3060
Foster, Adoptive, Kinship, and Birth Parent TrainingIf you are a foster, adoptive, kinship/relative, or birth parent, these FREE trainings are designed to empower and support you in caring for children involved in the child welfare system—oering tools and insights to better understand their unique needs and strengths, and your role as a caregiver.This training is intended for adults. Some content is not appropriate for children.2SUPPORTED BY DELIVERED BY Technology Safety Date/time: Wednesday, December 10, 2025 Program 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM (ET) Location: ONE-HOUR WEBINAR Presenter: Barb Clark FASD/Behavior Consultant, BIS Youth Studies, Sociology & English Training objectives: As a result of this training, you will be prepared to:• Understand why children and adolescents with trauma histories are at greater risk when it comes to technology safety.• Utilize concrete strategies for managing technology use safely for children and adolescents.Description: Who wishes we were still in the dark ages when it comes to our kids and technology? Technology safety is a challenge for all parents, but when we are parenting kids with trauma histories and neuro-diversity, the challenge is exponentially magnied. In this webinar, we will talk about why this is more of a challenge for our kids and some strategies to try to keep them safe.The Behavior Is a Clue, Not the Whole Story Date/time: Monday, December 15, 2025 Program 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM (ET) Location: ONE-HOUR WEBINAR Presenter: Cole Williams, BS Executive Director, The Delta Project, with lived experience as a foster and adoptive single parentTraining objectives: As a result of this training, you will be prepared to:• Examine how racial bias and systemic inequality inuence the interpretation of children’s behaviors, and practice reframing those behaviors through a trauma-informed, anti-racist lens.• Develop greater self-awareness of how their own emotional responses, cultural beliefs, and lived experiences impact the way they connect with and respond to children in moments of dysregulation.Description: When a child yells, shuts down, or acts out, it’s easy to focus on the behavior. But what if we saw these moments as signals, not problems? This interactive and reective webinar will invite foster, kinship, adoptive, grandparent, and biological caregivers to shift from reacting to behaviors to understanding the deeper needs beneath them. Through storytelling, real-life scenarios, and guided exercises, we’ll explore the emotional worlds of children and teens, especially those impacted by trauma, grief, or system involvement. We’ll draw powerful parallels between adult dysregulation and child behavior, creating space for empathy, insight, and connection. Caregivers will leave with tools to decode behavior, respond with intention, and see their children as humans in discovery.Beginner, intermediate, and advanced skill levelsTarget audience: Foster Parents Adoptive Parents Kinship/Relative Parents Birth ParentsBeginner and intermediate skill levelsTarget audience: Foster Parents Adoptive Parents Kinship/Relative Parents
Foster, Adoptive, Kinship, and Birth Parent TrainingIf you are a foster, adoptive, kinship/relative, or birth parent, these FREE trainings are designed to empower and support you in caring for children involved in the child welfare system—oering tools and insights to better understand their unique needs and strengths, and your role as a caregiver.This training is intended for adults. Some content is not appropriate for children.3Antiracist Parenting Workshop Date/time: Friday, January 9, 2026 Program 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM (ET) Location: ONE-HOUR WEBINAR Presenter: Kenisha Coon, MS, PhD Candidate Founder and Principal Consultant, Kenisha Coon ConsultingTraining objectives: As a result of this training, you will be prepared to:• Understand how systemic racism and implicit bias impact parenting, child development, and family dynamics across diverse cultural contexts.• Equip parents and caregivers with practical strategies to foster antiracist values at home, including how to initiate age-appropriate conversations about race, identity, and equity.Description: This interactive webinar will empower parents and caregivers to raise socially conscious, equity-minded children in an increasingly diverse and complex world. Grounded in antiracist principles and trauma-informed approaches, the webinar will explore how racism shows up in family systems, education, media, and everyday interactions. Participants will learn tools for disrupting bias, arming identity, and building inclusive practices at home. Through reection, discussion, and real-life scenarios, caregivers will leave with actionable strategies to nurture empathy, cultural awareness, and justice-oriented values in the next generation.Launching Dierently: Supporting Adult Kids Date/time: Monday, January 12, 2026 Program 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM (ET) Location: ONE-HOUR WEBINAR Presenter: Barb Clark FASD/Behavior Consultant, BIS Youth Studies, Sociology & English Training objectives: As a result of this training, you will be prepared to:• Understand why children with trauma histories face greater challenges in emerging adulthood.• Identify strategies to implement early in childhood to support healthy adulthood.Description: Often, we think parenting is easier after age 18, and that our work here is done. This is not always the case, especially if there are neuro dierences from trauma histories or other hidden neurodiversity. This webinar will discuss strategies and ideas on how to walk the ne line of being a support for adult kids while having boundaries and teaching them interdependence. SUPPORTED BY DELIVERED BY Beginner and intermediate skill levelsTarget audience: Foster Parents Adoptive Parents Kinship/Relative ParentsBeginner, intermediate, and advanced skill levelsTarget audience: Foster Parents Adoptive Parents Kinship/Relative Parents Birth Parents
Foster, Adoptive, Kinship, and Birth Parent TrainingIf you are a foster, adoptive, kinship/relative, or birth parent, these FREE trainings are designed to empower and support you in caring for children involved in the child welfare system—oering tools and insights to better understand their unique needs and strengths, and your role as a caregiver.This training is intended for adults. Some content is not appropriate for children.4SUPPORTED BY DELIVERED BY What Caregivers Should Know About Healthy Sexual Development Date/time: Tuesday, January 13, 2026 Program 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (ET) Location: TWO-HOUR WEBINAR Presenter: Jerry Peterson, MA in Theology MDHHS Children’s Services Administration SOGIE ConsultantTraining objectives: As a result of this training, you will be prepared to:• Understand typical, healthy sexual development in children and teenagers.• Have respectful and empathetic conversations with children and youth on healthy sexual development topics.Description: Learn about typical, healthy sexual development in children and teenagers. It is developmentally appropriate for children of all ages to be curious about sex and sexuality. They will benet greatly from a safe and accepting environment to explore sexual development topics in appropriate ways. A clear prole of problematic sexual behaviors will be provided to help participants distinguish between healthy, typical sexual behaviors in children and youth and behaviors that cause harm and require professional intervention. Guidelines and tools for communicating with children, youth, and families about sexual development topics will be provided. A scenario exercise will help participants apply what is learned to a real-life situation.Creating Homes that Foster Secure Attachment Date/time: Friday, January 16, 2026 Program 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM (ET) Location: ONE-HOUR WEBINAR Presenter: Pamela Wolz, LMSW Training objectives: As a result of this training, you will be prepared to:• Identify ve skills to foster secure attachments, with a better understanding of cultural considerations.• Describe two ways to increase safety and security in your parent/child relationships• Apply ways to deepen your key relationships.• Increase caregiver’s self-care.Description: Children who’ve experienced neglect, abuse, or disruptions in attachment understandably face challenges in family and peer relationships. In this webinar, you will learn 10 skills that foster secure attachment. You will learn practical ways to increase feelings of safety and security within your parent–child relationship and in your home environment. You will leave this one-hour webinar with concepts you can begin using immediately to deepen the most key relationship of your life. Intermediate skill levelTarget audience: Foster Parents Adoptive Parents Kinship/Relative Parents Birth ParentsBeginner and intermediate skill levelsTarget audience: Foster Parents Adoptive Parents Kinship/Relative Parents Birth Parents
Foster, Adoptive, Kinship, and Birth Parent TrainingIf you are a foster, adoptive, kinship/relative, or birth parent, these FREE trainings are designed to empower and support you in caring for children involved in the child welfare system—oering tools and insights to better understand their unique needs and strengths, and your role as a caregiver.This training is intended for adults. Some content is not appropriate for children.SUPPORTED BY DELIVERED BY 5Self-care: How to Recognize and Take Care of Ourselves Date/time: Monday, February 2, 2026 Program 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM (ET) Location: ONE-HOUR WEBINAR Presenter: Kelley Blanck, LMSW Faculty, MSU School of Social WorkTraining objectives: As a result of this training, you will be prepared to:• Dene compassion and caregiver fatigue.• Identify when you are experiencing caregiver burnout and fatigue.• Draft a plan for self-care.Description: Caregivers often face unique challenges and responsibilities, and this webinar aims to equip them with the tools they need to maintain their well-being while providing the best care for their loved ones. Self-care plays a critical role in maintaining physical, emotional, and mental health. This webinar will help caregivers recognize common stressors and challenges specic to foster, adoptive, and kinship caregiving. It is designed to support foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers by providing them with essential self-care strategies. This training will use a mix of activities and small group interaction to discuss this topic.Addressing Problematic Sexual Behaviors Date/time: Wednesday, February 18, 2026 Program 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (ET) Location: TWO-HOUR WEBINAR Presenter: Jerry Peterson, MA in Theology MDHHS Children’s Services Administration SOGIE ConsultantTraining objectives: As a result of this training, you will be prepared to:• Identify and assess important dierences between typical and problematic sexual behaviors in children and youth.• Learn about supportive interventions and referral options to support children, youth, and families in addressing problematic sexual behavior.Description: Learn more about the dierences between typical sexual behavior and problematic sexual behavior (PSB) in children and youth. The focus will be on children and youth ages 7 to 17. A “checklist” of common characteristics of PSB will be presented along with recommended methods of assessment and intervention. The problem is the behavior, not the child. Guidance will be provided on creating safety plans that promote well-being for children and families. Resources and tools will be provided to help families set expectations and boundaries regarding sexual behavior and learn about the importance of establishing safe environments that support healthy relationships. There will be a number of opportunities for participant engagement in scenarios and discussion.Intermediate skill levelTarget audience: Foster Parents Adoptive Parents Kinship/Relative Parents Birth ParentsBeginner skill levelTarget audience: Foster Parents Adoptive Parents Kinship/Relative Parents
Foster, Adoptive, Kinship, and Birth Parent TrainingIf you are a foster, adoptive, kinship/relative, or birth parent, these FREE trainings are designed to empower and support you in caring for children involved in the child welfare system—oering tools and insights to better understand their unique needs and strengths, and your role as a caregiver.This training is intended for adults. Some content is not appropriate for children.SUPPORTED BY DELIVERED BY FASD Uncovered: Why It Matters in Foster Care Date/time: Wednesday, February 25, 2026 Program 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (ET) Location: TWO-HOUR WEBINAR Presenter: Barb Clark FASD/Behavior Consultant, BIS Youth Studies, Sociology & English Training objectives: As a result of this training, you will be prepared to:• Explore the risk factors associated with prenatal exposure to alcohol, illicit drugs, and tobacco.• Dene FASD and explain the connection between brain impairments and observable behaviors.Description: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are brain-based conditions caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. Though more common than autism, FASD often goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed—especially in foster care. Children with FASD may struggle with memory, emotional regulation, impulse control, and understanding cause and eect. These challenges are not always visible, but they impact daily functioning and relationships in profound ways. This webinar will help foster parents understand the eects of prenatal alcohol exposure on brain development and behavior, providing a clear foundation for recognizing the signs of FASD in the children they care for.The Big 3: Raging, Lying, and Stealing Date/time: Wednesday, March 4, 2026 Program 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (ET) Location: TWO-HOUR WEBINAR Presenter: Barb Clark FASD/Behavior Consultant, BIS Youth Studies, Sociology & English Training objectives: As a result of this training, you will be prepared to:• Explore why consequence/punitive-based approaches are not eective with youth who have trauma histories.• Identify trauma responsive approaches that promote connection and relationships.Description: Children and adolescents who have experienced trauma have unique brain wiring and are often at a mixture of developmental ages. Typical consequence-based behavioral strategies are often not eective and can lead to further trauma and impact the relationship between the adults and children/adolescents. Participants will learn new approaches to use with children and adolescents who have trauma histories, which will help you to understand them better and improve communication and relationships. The strategies we will cover are recommended for in-utero trauma such as FASD and also for trauma they may have experienced after birth. 6Beginner and intermediate skill levelsTarget audience: Foster Parents Adoptive Parents Kinship/Relative ParentsBeginner and intermediate skill levelsTarget audience: Foster Parents Adoptive Parents Kinship/Relative Parents
Foster, Adoptive, Kinship, and Birth Parent TrainingIf you are a foster, adoptive, kinship/relative, or birth parent, these FREE trainings are designed to empower and support you in caring for children involved in the child welfare system—oering tools and insights to better understand their unique needs and strengths, and your role as a caregiver.This training is intended for adults. Some content is not appropriate for children.7Being Your Child’s Best Advocate: Tools and Strategies Date/time: Monday, March 23, 2026 Program 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM (ET) Location: ONE-HOUR WEBINAR Presenter: Kelley Blanck, LMSW Faculty, MSU School of Social WorkTraining objectives: As a result of this training, you will be prepared to:• Explain what advocacy is, the dierent types, and why it is important for caregiver families.• Identify systems that families encounter that may need advocacy support. • Develop specic skills and strategies for advocating in dierent spaces.Description: Caregivers often nd that they must advocate for their children to ensure that they get the care, benet, and support needed for success. This webinar is designed to empower caregivers with the knowledge, skills, and condence they need to eectively advocate for themselves and the children in their care. Caregivers face unique challenges that often present barriers to helping and caring for their children. This webinar aims to equip foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers with the tools to navigate these challenges and to elevate their voices through advocacy strategies. This webinar will use a mix of activities and small group interaction to discuss this topic.SUPPORTED BY DELIVERED BY Beginner skill levelTarget audience: Foster Parents Adoptive Parents Kinship/Relative Parents
88On-demand training coursesNow oering FREE online courses! No registration required! Online courses are recordings of live webinars and can be watched from the convenience of your home, oce, or on the go! For each course, you will complete a post-training evaluation. NO CONTINUING EDUCATION CLOCK HOURS (CECHs) are oered for the online courses. TARGET AUDIENCE COURSE # TRAINING TITLECaregivers 200-18 Trauma-informed Caregiving (Part 2): Understanding Neurodevelopment and the Stress Response SystemCaregivers 208-18 Support Services for Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Children and FamiliesCaregivers 213-19 Doing the Dicult Work (Part 1): How to Develop Eective Relationships with Birth FamiliesCaregivers 218-19 When Behaviors Prevent School Success: Advocating for Your Child with Emotional or Behavior ProblemsCaregivers 372 Trauma-informed Caregiving (Part 1): Becoming Trauma-Informed Parents Registration for child welfare online courses is no longer required! All child welfare online courses are available here: http://bit.ly/4p4KpyQClick on “Begin this course” under the course you would like to take. This will take you to a survey to record your attendance, and then you will be redirected to the video. NO CECHs ARE AWARDED FOR THESE ONLINE COURSES. Additional online trainings will become available soon!Stay tuned, and check the website often!