Do you want to feel better about Caregiving?
Want more Caregiving Skills?
Know more about what you are doing?
Learn what others have found useful?
The National Caregivers Training Programmes have a range of training courses available
for Caregivers to attend. This is a joint venture between Child Youth and Family and the
New Zealand Family and Foster Care Federation.
These courses are FREE for any person looking after someone else’s child on a full
time basis, and they are NOT just for Child, Youth and Family Caregiver’s only. The
courses are fun to attend, and are a wonderful way to meet with other Caregivers. It
doesn’t matter how long you have been a Caregiver – there is always something
new to learn. Some support is available to help with childcare and transport costs.
Currently there are 9 courses, with each usually run over two consecutive days, or as
organised, to cover the Caregivers needs in a particular area. If you complete all of the
courses, you then have the opportunity to pursue the National Certificate in Family/Whanau
Foster Care.
When scheduling for Caregiver Training, the courses are planned in two SEPARATE
semesters. The first semester is from February to June, and then from July to November.
Courses Available:
Legal Issues:
- Know what the law is
- Understand the Children, Young Persons and their Families Act 1989
- Grasp the meaning of legal terms
- Understand court orders and care agreements
Health and Wellbeing:
- Know how different cultures think about ‘Family’
- Understand the losses suffered by children and their families, and how these can affect
behaviour
- Grasp the importance of building relationships
- Put in place supports for healthy caregiving
Managing Behaviour:
- Change behaviour by stopping the bad and rewarding the good
- Understand how labels we put on people change the way they behave
- Provide positive discipline, and not reward difficult behaviour
- Manage yourself and what triggers you off
The Older Child:
- Understand the typical patterns of physical, emotional, social, and sexual development
of adolescents
- Know some of the signs of mental health problems
- Appreciate the rights and responsibilities of children and Caregivers when faced with
school disciplinary actions
- Put in place supports for young people leaving care
Family/Whanau Dynamics:
- Understand different concepts of family/whanau across cultures
- Compare the differences between family/whanau and non family/whanau
- Understand the impact of the caregiving experience on the whole family/whanau
- Identify the impact on the birth family/whanau of losing a child
Understanding Maltreatment:
- Identify personal and societal values and beliefs pertaining to the maltreatment of
children
- Discuss the effects these values have on their caregiving of children
- Identify signs of maltreatment
- Discuss your role in breaking cycles of maltreatment and keeping children safe
Safe Caring:
- Work through complications to make caring more rewarding
- Be aware of what might trigger allegations by children in care
- Develop strategies to stay safe
- Be aware of physical dangers and make your home safer
Non-violent Crisis Intervention:
- Demonstrate techniques effective in approaching and reducing the tension of an agitated
person
- Focus on the alternative if a person loses control and becomes violent
- Control your own anxieties during interventions and maintain a professional attitude
- Maintain the best possible care and welfare, safety and security for all involved.
Caregiver Induction:
- Provide an overview of the Caregiver role
- Provide sufficient knowledge for a Caregiver to begin providing safe care
Upcoming courses, and who to contact for bookings:
Please contact the Caregiver Training Co-odinator directly, by phone (04) 913 2168, or
fax (04) 914 4473, or the Training Co-ordinator direct on 0800 227 305 (0800 CARE 'O'K).
Attendance is invited from ALL caregivers - these courses are not just limited to those
associated with the Department of Child Youth and Family.
A one-year FosterParentTraining.com membership offers unlimited online
training including a Training Log and Training Certificates.
New Zealand foster parents are eligible for the 50% membership discount
offered to non-USA members. The fees are $15 USD for a Couple to train
online (each with their own Training Log) or $7.50 USD for a Single
membership (one Training Log). Enrolment may be paid online by Visa or
MasterCard. We will also accept payment by International Bank Cheque
payable in US dollars.
Serwind Netzler, webmaster and owner of FosterParentTraining.com, welcomes
suggestions and input from New Zealand foster parents as to content that is
more applicable to New Zealand foster parenting.
Mr. Netzler is no stranger to New Zealand. His wife, Sherryl, is from the
Waikato in the North Island. They have two grown children, one of whom was
born in New Zealand, plus two former foster sons whom they adopted. The
Netzler's have worked as therapeutic foster parents for 17 years, in
residential treatment, institutional group homes, as well as their own home.
Foster Care and Adoptive Community:
Online Training
Although this is an American site, and there is a cost, the courses are not very expensive
and they do have lots of very useful information.
Permission has been obtained from the copyright owner, to be able to list this
resource on this website.
Compass Seminars is a training organisation that provides professional
development opportunities for people who work with children and young people. Compass
provides high quality training in the regional capitals of New Zealand taking nationally
recognised trainers to these centres three times a year.
They aim to provide a high
quality training experience at a reasonable price. Many of their seminars are of
particular relevance to foster carers with topics such as ‘Attachment Disorder,
Childhood Trauma, Working with Challenging Youth and much more. They also have an
extensive bookshop full of related titles that have been recommended by their trainers.
You can view their national seminar schedule (and bookshop) online at www.compass.ac.nz.
Permission has been obtained from the copyright owner, to be able to list this
resource on this website.
Te Kaiawhinia Ahumahi
The Industry Training Organisation for the Social Services:
Note the National Certificate in Whanau/Family and Foster Care(level 4) with an
optional strand in Caregiving for Young People
