Foster and Kinship Care Education

Our Mission

The Foster and Kinship Care Education Program (FKCE) provides quality education and support opportunities to caregivers of children and youth in out-of-home care so that these providers may meet the educational, emotional, behavioral, and developmental needs of children and youth.

Why is the FKCE Program Important?

Children enter foster care as a result of abuse and neglect, often due to parental abuse of alcohol and drugs. The FKCE program plays a vital role in providing approved resource parents (foster parents and relative caregivers) with the training and education that will help them meet the multifaceted and often complex needs of the foster children in their care.

About Us

The FKCE program was established in 1984 following the passage of Senate Bill 2003, the Foster Children and Parent Training Fund. This act designated the California Community College Chancellor's Office as the agency to administer the program, which provides funding to community colleges for the provision of education and training to potential and existing resource parents.

The College of the Siskiyous District Community Colleges FKCE program works with the Siskiyou County Adult, Child, and Family Services Division of the Community Services Agency, First Five and local Community Resource Centers to provide training and support for the resource families in the county. COS's FKCE program provides caregivers with continuing education training on topics such as understanding attachment and bonding, helping children who have experienced trauma, impacts of grief and loss, mental health disorders, special needs, importance of communication, positive discipline methods, advocating for children in the education system, and working with child welfare.

Foster Care and Resource Family Approval Classes

Who needs a Foster Care Class?

• Those who have been recently approved as a Siskiyou County Resource Family
• If you have a placement of a child or children from foster care
• If you have questions or concerns or are seeking resources and/or support

Why take an Resource Family Approval (RFA) class?

• RFA classes are mandatory
• You can get your questions answered
• Learn about your rights and responsibility as a caregiver
• Receive important information from the RFA, such as foster care payments and Medi-Cal, navigating the court process, and what to expect from your social worker

All of the RFA, and Foster Care classes are free. The classes are open to everyone, however the target audience is foster/adoptive parents and relative caregivers. Childcare is not available for the classes.

Due to the nature of some of the topic and nature of some of the classes, class may not be acceptable for children/teens. Please check with class provider before signing up, as children/teens may not be permitted to sit in or attend the classes.

In order to receive a certificate for full training hours, participants must attend the entire class. Credit for partial class hours is not offered.

We will be offering other opportunities throughout the county and at the Yreka College of the Siskiyous Campus, to connect with other Foster/Relative parents, as well as informative and supportive workshops. Please check in regularly with our website for a current list of class and workshop offerings.