Bill focuses foster care training on competency, not hours

Four Oaks is excited to put its full support behind HF 2163 and SF 2096, customizing Iowa’s training for foster families. This legislation prioritizes relevance and competency and removes the “cookie-cutter” training requirement, while empowering HHS to tailor the training for the specific needs of the child and family.

In the world of child welfare, our mission is simple to state, but complex to carry out: finding the right, stable, and caring environment for every child who needs one. But finding willing homes is only half the battle. The other half, and arguably the most critical part, is making sure that families who open their doors to foster are truly prepared.

While headlines often simplify legislation, there is much more to this proposal. It is not “getting rid of mandatory training requirements for foster parents.” It is customizing training requirements for foster families, specifically for the children they serve.

For years, our state has operated under a “one-size-fits-all” model. The current system mandates rigid, hourly requirements for initial licensing as well as annual renewals. While this was undoubtedly created with good intentions, when everyone gets the same quantity of training, it's questionable whether everyone receives training targeted to his or her personal competencies and experiences.

Consider that a pediatric nurse or a special-education teacher wants to become a foster parent. Under current Iowa law, these experienced professionals must sit through the basic training courses to meet the hourly quota. This model does not take into consideration that these individuals may already be experts in child development or medical care. This creates a barrier that discourages highly qualified people from opening their homes to children in need.

The proposed legislation seeks to improve outcomes by shifting the focus from time spent to demonstrated competency. This bill recognizes a prospective parent’s professional background and can waive redundant training while focusing on the gaps in their knowledge to customize their training to prepare them for becoming a foster parent.

If passed, this legislation would allow the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to approve training based on the specific needs of the child and the experience level of the foster parent. It importantly acknowledges that a family fostering a teenager (There is a large need for foster families willing to foster teenagers) needs different tools than a family fostering an infant, and it allows the training to be tailored to specific scenarios.

I have heard the concern that moving away from hourly mandates means less training. In reality, this bill ensures better training.

Four Oaks is particularly supportive of the fact that this legislation updates the legal code to mandate training on critical, modern topics that have been missing from the statutory requirements. The bill continues to focus on safety, requiring stringent background checks, thorough home studies, and evaluations of readiness, as well as training on:

• Trauma and its effect on child development.

• Attachment, grief, and loss.

• Behavior management.

• Biological parent contact and support of the family of origin

These areas are not optional soft skills. At Four Oaks, we know that understanding trauma is essential to helping a child heal. A foster parent who understands why a child is struggling is infinitely more effective.

We owe it to Iowa’s children and to foster parents, current and new, to improve the system. This legislation is a step toward a foster care system that values the quality of care provided and provides specific education and training that foster parents need, while recognizing the credentials of potential foster parents who work in fields that directly align with caring for children and understanding trauma-informed care.

It is a common sense change that aligns with our commitment to providing specialized, traumainformed support for the children who need it most.

Mary Beth O’Neill is president and CEO of Four Oaks Family and Children’s Services.