NTDC Curriculum

Welcome, Facilitators!

Much has been learned in the past decade regarding the effect of maltreatment and the long-term influence of separation and loss experienced by children removed from their families. The promise of a successful and stable placement for children is strongly dependent upon: preparation, education, development.

As an NTDC facilitator, you will have a vital role in preparing families for the journey ahead of them. We invite you to explore our state-of-the-art materials designed to provide information and skills that are required for successful foster, adoptive, and kinship parents.

NTDC goes deeper than many traditional training programs. The curriculum provides transformative experiences for families embracing children with backgrounds of trauma, separation, and loss. We’ve infused adult learning theory, self-directed learning, transformative learning, and a layered curriculum approach into every aspect of our program.

Curriculum Components

The NTDC curriculum has three components, all of which are equally important in providing families with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need in order to effectively parent children who have experienced trauma, separation, and loss. These components include a Self-Assessment, Classroom-Based Training, and Right-Time Training.

Self-Assessment

The NTDC Self-Assessment is a self-discovery tool that provides families who are preparing to become foster, kinship, or adoptive parents the opportunity to learn more about themselves as they consider the characteristics and competencies that are important when parenting children who have experienced trauma, separation, and loss. It is designed to be self-administered, which allows the participant to recognize and build on their areas of strength, explore areas that would benefit from additional support and information, and identify areas that may cause the most challenge when parenting a child/youth. The Self-Assessment characteristics and competencies are highlighted throughout the NTDC, which supports the continuation of learning beyond the Self-Assessment completion.

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Classroom-Based Training

The Classroom-Based Training themes provide a framework to build a strong foundation for parenting children who have experienced trauma, separation, and loss. Parenting children with such experiences requires a wide range of competencies and characteristics, which can be enhanced or built. Through shared learning with others who are parenting through foster care or adoption, and with the facilitation of an experienced professional and parent team, we believe that families can provide the healing environment children need. Each Classroom-Based Training theme has clearly delineated competencies. The training provides concrete information on the roles and responsibilities of parents who foster and/or adopt as well as the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need in order to effectively parent children who have experienced trauma, separation, and loss.

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Right-Time Training

Recognizing that adults learn best when the information is applicable to their own situation, the NTDC has created a component of the curriculum called Right-Time Training. Parents who are fostering and adopting need training that is easily accessible and available when they need it. Training is important when parents are first starting the journey, but ongoing learning is just as important. As families have children move into their homes, as children go through different developmental stages, and as families encounter new challenges, they will need to have a way to access information and tools. The Right-Time Training was designed to meet this need. It is not intended to replace in-person training and seminars that are offered locally; rather, it should supplement this information and provide families with a tool that enables them to access the information they want when they want it.

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Words From Facilitators

I loved the material, especially the displays of understanding and the stories!

NTDC Facilitator

I appreciated the activities that tugged on my own emotions because it took a personal experience and related it to what kids in foster care experience but to a higher degree.

NTDC Facilitator

The “Real-Life” videos and examples are also excellent tools for empowering foster/adoptive parents.

NTDC Facilitator

Theme content incorporating many podcasts and real life videos will greatly enhance foster parent training.

NTDC Facilitator

Material is well organized, rich in content for families and easy to understand.

NTDC Facilitator

Love the trauma informed material that will help parents gain a better understanding of child’s behavior.

NTDC Facilitator

The building of themes really work well together. It flows very well in the format.

NTDC Facilitator

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About the Curriculum

Accessing the Curriculum

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This product was funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, under grant #90CO1134. The contents of this document are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Children’s Bureau.