AFS Trainings

AFS provides free, comprehensive training to public and private agencies and individuals on a variety of topics related to foster care, mental health, and family support.

Examples of Training Courses

  • Compassion fatigue
  • CPR/First Aid training for service providers
  • Cultural competency
  • De-escalation Techniques
  • Foster kinship care
  • Intake and matching strategies for service providers
  • Mindfulness Training
  • Pre-service training for adoptive and foster parents
  • Trauma-informed parenting
  • Working with sexually exploited children in the child welfare system

Why is Foster Care Training Necessary?

To work with youth in care as a resource parent or staff member at an accredited agency, training, and ongoing education are often required by a licensing body and/or overseeing government body. Pre-service training equips mental health workers, foster family agency staff, and foster care providers with the skills, tools, and techniques needed to specifically help and support the unique needs and attributes of foster children and youth.

To whom are these service training courses open?

Training courses are primarily open to current and applying resource and adoptive parents, kinship caregivers, mental health and child welfare service providers, staff at accredited foster family agencies, and individuals needing continuing education and requisite training hours (CEUs).

Where are training sessions located?

Training classes are available online and in the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano. Please click here for our training calendar and register for an upcoming session.

Get in Touch

Interested in learning more about service training and upcoming foster care training sessions and classes? Contact us via email at traininginfo@afs4kids.org or call (916) 254-5200 to learn more.

Helpful Links

To learn more about foster care, mental health, and the Resource Parent application process, be sure to check out these helpful links:

How to Become a Resource Parent through AFS

Resource Parent Application

All About the AFS Adoption Process

Current Job Openings with AFS