DISCUSSION:

The purpose of this memorandum is to introduce language revision to the explanations of skills required to meet the five (5) STARS Core Competencies.

As a result of input from the State Foster Care Advisory Board, the language used for describing the core competencies as listed in the in-service section of policy and located on the CD-100 has been modified to provide enhanced description of those skills that are to be present if that competency is achieved and/or progressing.

Resource providers participate in competency based training to enhance and increase their skill level for the five STARS competencies; Protecting and Nurturing, Meeting Developmental Needs and Addressing Developmental Delays, Supporting Relationships Between Children and Their Families, Connecting Children to Safe, Nurturing Relationships Intended to Last a Lifetime, and Working as a Member of a Professional Team.

The required skill level for each competency increases as the resource provider becomes more experienced, therefore, the explanation/definition of those skills are also modified. The increase of skill level is identified uniquely:

• Pre-service STARS training: The competencies are identified as to what skill level is expected before foster youth are placed in the home.
• In-service Training: The core competencies are identified with language that recognizes the increased skill level to continue licensure.
• Elevated Training: The competencies required for Advanced training, Level A, and Specialized training, Level B, foster care are discussed in Step 11 of the STARS training curriculum.

Step 11 of the STARS resource provider training curriculum provides the licensing worker and resource provider with the tools to determine the skill level and training needs for the resource parent. The compilation of the skills and training needs is accomplished by completing the Professional Family Development Plan, CD-100.

The purpose of completing the CD-100 is to:

• Assess the family’s learning needs;
• Identify non-training barriers to their performance of the essential tasks of fostering;
• Develop a plan to build upon their knowledge and skills; and
• Guide the agency’s overall system for enhancing the competencies of its foster families.

The Professional Family Development Plan is tailored uniquely to the skills and needs of the resource family and the foster youth placed in the home and is the key for providing support and training to promote successful resource parenting.

Completion of the CD-100 should be a face-to-face joint process between the resource provider and worker that assesses the provider’s learning needs in an ongoing, proactive, and purposeful way. The form has been revised to allow for unlimited characters to be typed within the form fields.

Workers are to begin using the revised CD-100 as of the date of the memorandum.