Class Information
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Sign Up for Email Notices & Class Schedules |
- All classes are FREE. Although our target audience is resource parents, adoptive parents and relative caregivers, our classes are open to everyone in the community including social workers, group home staff, family, and friends.
- Due to the topic and nature of some of the classes, children/teens might not be permitted to sit in 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.
2022-2023 CLASS CALENDAR
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
Click Picture for FKCE Google Calendar |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
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APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
Training Location For In Person Classes
MODESTO JUNIOR COLLEGE, EAST CAMPUS
435 College Avenue, Modesto - MAP
Founders Hall, see training description for room number. CAMPUS MAP
PARKING
Evening classes - a parking permit is not required to park in any of the student parking lots, parking
is free in the student lots. However, parking is not permitted in any spaces marked
for staff or in staff lots.
Saturday classes - parking is free and you are welcome to park in student or staff parking.
CHILD CARE
NONE – If you bring children/teens to classes they will need to be accompanied by an adult
at all times. Due to the subject matter, children/teens may not be allowed to attend certain classes.
Registration Information
Registration is required to attend all online classes and recommended for in-person classes. To register for a class, click here.
JULY 2022
No classes offered in July
AUGUST 2022
SEPTEMBER 2022
Download September Schedule Click here to register for September classes
| Wednesday 9/7/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM In-Person MJC East Campus Founders Hall, Room 172 435 College Ave, Modesto |
How to Talk to Kids About Foster Care and Adoption This class will provide caregivers with the tools to talk to children of different ages about foster care and adoption. It is important for caregivers to know how to help children at different developmental levels understand foster care and/or adoption and to know how to answer questions that children might have. Participants will learn how to use books, movies, and other tools for talking to children about foster care and adoption. |
Sheryl Dickson, M.A. |
| Thursday 9/8/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Trauma & Brain Development This class will examine "normal" brain development and gain insights into how the trauma of abuse impacts a child's brain and brain development. Specifically, the class will be focusing on recognizing fear and therefore loss of function and identifying therapeutic responses. |
Elena Sweet, MSW |
| Saturday 9/10/22 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Online - Zoom |
Early Childhood Attachment Styles This class will provide an introductory overview of attachment theory and will describe four early childhood attachment styles: secure, avoidant, anxious/ambivalent, and disorganized. Through short video demonstrations and facilitated discussion, attendees will learn the common causes and symptoms of attachment disorders as well as parenting tips and recommended activities for supporting attachment repair. |
Holly Grace Currie, Registered ACSW |
| Tuesday 9/13/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Helping Foster Youth Transition to MJC Help foster youth be better prepared for the transition to Modesto Junior College. This class will provide caregivers and students an overview of the college application and enrollment process. We will cover the MJC application, enrollment requirements, multiple aspects of financial aid and the necessary documents foster youth need to make the process as smooth as possible. |
Liz Camboia, MJC Foster Youth Liaison & Student Success Specialist |
| Thursday 9/15/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Teaching Kids Independence Through Visual Schedules Give children in your care the gift of independence through use of visual schedules, a picture agenda that will provide a visual cue to complete basic daily routines, chores, and more. Participants will learn how to create, use and implement simple visual schedules to assist young children through teens move more independently throughout their day. |
Devan Costa-Cargill, B.A.,BICM |
| Wednesday 9/21/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Special Education & IEP Advocacy This training will highlight the topic of Special Education and focus on ways that foster parents and relatives can support their children through the educational system accommodations and supports program. Topics will include children having access to specialized services unique to their needs. Special Education services such as Student Study Teams (SST), 504 plans, Individual Education Plan (IEP) and how to navigate and understand these services will be presented. |
Bernadet Kaldani, LMFT & Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
| Saturday 9/24/22 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM In-Person MJC East Campus Founders Hall, Room 172 435 College Ave, Modesto |
Signs of Development Delay and Activities to Promote Developmental Growth This class will support participants in their understanding of developmental milestones as a spectrum of typical. Resources will be provided to families on what to expect during different developmental stages and what to do if there are concerns about delays. We will also discuss how to incorporate developmentally appropriate activities into routines and additional strategies to support children in meeting their developmental goals. |
Gisele Flores, M.A., MJC Child Development Professor |
| Tuesday 9/27/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Child & Family Teams (CFT's): Helping Resource Parents Understand Them This class will help participants understand the purpose and process of a Child and Family Team (CFT) meeting. CFT’s are used to determine how best to address the needs of a child in foster care and how to achieve positive outcomes of safety, permanency, and well-being for the child. Participants will learn their role, as well as others’ roles, in a CFT, how to prepare in order to be an active participant in the meeting and learn under what circumstances they can request to have an additional CFT meeting. |
Jennie Chavez & Megan Belden, Resource Family Mentors |
OCTOBER 2022
Download October Schedule Click here to register for October classes
| Date, Time & Location |
Class | Instructor(s) |
| Wednesday 10/5/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Understanding Anxiety This class will help participants better understand anxiety in children and teens. The class will look at signs and symptoms of anxiety, types of anxiety disorders, and offer suggestions on how to help children and teens manage or overcome their anxiety. |
Bernadet Kaldani, LMFT & Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
| Thursday 10/6/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Helping Foster Youth Transition to Independence This class will help caregivers prepare the youth in their care for emancipation from the foster care system. We will discuss the key things youth need to know before leaving foster care and how caregivers can help youth transition to independence. |
Nick Konner, FKCE Director |
| Saturday 10/8/22 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Online - Zoom |
Beyond Surviving: Supporting LGBTQIA+ Youth to Thrive This class will provide caregivers essential information needed to best support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual/Agender/Ally youth. Participants will learn key concepts about sexual orientation and gender identity, current terminology, and legal protections including the Foster Care Non-Discrimination Act. Participants will increase knowledge, improve awareness, and gain understanding of what it takes to promote thriving for LGBTQIA+ youth. |
Holly Grace Currie, |
| Tuesday 10/11/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM In-Person Only MJC East Campus 435 College Ave, Modesto Founders Hall, Room 172 |
Parenting Children with Prenatal Drug Exposure This class will look at the long-term effects of prenatal drug exposure on children. Discussion will focus on behaviors, parenting techniques, and what caregivers can expect, as well as realistic goals and treatment approaches. |
Alison French, M.A. |
| Thursday 10/13/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC): Risks and Impacts on Foster Youth This class will provide participants with an overview of CSEC and the psychological and social dynamics that contribute to the ongoing maltreatment of children and victimization of young people by sex traffickers. The class will provide information on complex trauma, with a focus on the life events and contributing factors that often lead to the sexual exploitation of a child. Participants will learn about how children in foster care are particularly vulnerable to being sexually exploited. Care providers will be provided with tools to identify warning signs and indicators of CSEC involvement and learn how to identify and strengthen protective factors to prevent youth from involvement in CSEC. The class will also discuss harm reduction for building placement stability and safety as well as provide available community resources. *Not suitable for children/teens. |
Debbie Johnson, CEO of Without Permission |
| Wednesday 10/19/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Building Children's Emotional Intelligence Our ability to connect with others is a vital skill to teach children, particularly children who have experienced trauma. This class will examine attachment styles and learn ways to help children recognize emotion in others in order for them to have appropriate social interactions and build positive relationships. |
Bernadet Kaldani, LMFT & Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
| Saturday 10/22/22 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Online - Zoom |
Building Rapport Through Play Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play also offers an ideal opportunity for caregivers to engage fully with their children. This class will teach how to build relationships with toddlers and children through play. Participants will learn why play is one of the most effective tools for building strong relationships with their children. The class will cover age-appropriate ideas, concepts and play skills as well as how to build opportunities for children to have choice and control. |
Devan Costa-Cargill, B.A.,BICM |
| Monday 10/24/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Why Do My Foster Kids Act This Way and What Can I Do About It? This class addresses trauma's sources and its impact on the brain and behavior. It will examine sensory processing issues and different attachment styles and how they impact foster children and the adults caring for them. Participants will also learn 14 things that can be done to create a felt safety environment in the resource home. |
Jerry Johnson, M.S. |
| Thursday 10/27/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM In-Person Only MJC East Campus 435 College Ave, Modesto Founders Hall, Room 172 |
Permanency Options for Children in Foster Care This class will help caregivers of children in foster care understand the different permanency options available for the children in their care. It will help caregivers better understand the differences between adoption, guardianship, and planned permanent living arrangement. It will also provide information and answer questions about the specifics of adopting children through the foster care system. |
Sheryl Dickson, M.A. |
NOVEMBER 2022
Download November Schedule Click here to register for November classes
| Date, Time & Location |
Class | Instructor(s) |
| Tuesday *11/1/22, 11/8/22 & 11/15/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom *This is a three-session class; attendance of all sessions is required to receive a certificate of completion |
Transforming the Intense Child Workshop In this 3-part series, participants will be able to experience and practice the foundational concepts of the Nurtured Heart Approach®. Each class will build upon the other, increasing your skills in energizing the positive and bringing transformative changes within your family/relationships. The Nurtured Heart Approach® (NHA) began as an approach to be used with intense children who had difficult behaviors and is now used worldwide with much success in home, school, and agency settings. NHA focuses on building Inner Wealth™ which leads to improved behaviors and relationships. |
Viviana Barajas, Nurtured Heart Approach Advanced Certified Trainer |
| Wednesday 11/2/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Emotional First Aid This training will focus on defining stress and the impact that it has on the body. It will introduce Emotional Freedom Technique and the ways that this intervention can be utilized to decrease anxiety for participants and for the children in their care. |
Bernadet Kaldani, LMFT & Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
| Wednesday 11/9/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
The Whole Brain Parenting: The Magic Wand for High Functioning Relationships This class is based on The Whole-Brain Child Workbook, by Daniel Siegel, M.D., and Tina Bryson, PhD. Emotional “flooding” is something that happens regularly for youth in care. It is also a frequent occurrence in caregivers, a form of PTSD, that happens as a result of compassion fatigue, exhaustion, and despair. Teaching caregivers how to see these floods as “signals" from their child's brain, instead of manipulative or intentional bad behavior is a heart-centered transformation for many people. Learning new ways to recognize signals and then create communication tools for individuals and families is a powerful, highly bonding experience that can positively impact self-esteem and self-efficacy in profound ways. |
Nick Lawrence, M.A. |
| Thursday 11/10/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC): Risks and Impacts on Foster Youth This class will provide participants with an overview of CSEC and the psychological and social dynamics that contribute to the ongoing maltreatment of children and victimization of young people by sex traffickers. The class will provide information on complex trauma, with a focus on the life events and contributing factors that often lead to the sexual exploitation of a child. Participants will learn about how children in foster care are particularly vulnerable to being sexually exploited. Care providers will be provided with tools to identify warning signs and indicators of CSEC involvement and learn how to identify and strengthen protective factors to prevent youth from involvement in CSEC. The class will also discuss harm reduction for building placement stability and safety as well as provide available community resources. *Not suitable for children/teens. |
Debbie Johnson, CEO of Without Permission |
| Thursday 11/17/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
You Can’t Build on Broken: Helping Children of Trauma Succeed This class will take a strengths-based approach to helping foster children who have experienced trauma be successful. Participants will learn how to approach foster children with empathy and understanding in order to focus on and enhance children’s strengths rather than their difficulties and struggles. |
Jerry Johnson, M.S. |
| Saturday 11/19/22 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Online - Zoom |
Attunement: The Healing Power of Relationships In this class, participants will take a deep dive into the nervous system and learn how self-regulation & co-regulation provide pathways to safety and connection for those who have experienced trauma. |
Holly Grace Currie, Registered ACSW |
| Tuesday 11/22/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Parenting After Adoption: Things to Consider When Adopting from Foster Care This class will help participants, who are considering adoption through foster care, prepare for life after finalization. The class will cover various topics such as how to talk to kids about adoption, how to parent children with trauma histories, how to be an advocate for your adopted child, being a transracial family, and how to negotiate possible relationships with biological parents/families after adoption. |
Nick Konner, FKCE Director |
| Tuesday 11/29/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Effects of Domestic Violence on Children & Teens This session will discuss the impact of domestic violence on children and teens. Exposure to domestic violence affects children physically, emotionally and behaviorally; the class will explore ways to help kids feel safer and to heal. Information about services provided by the Haven Women’s Center will also be presented. |
Janette Garcia, Haven Women’s Center |
| Wednesday 11/30/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Building Children's Emotional Intelligence Our ability to connect with others is a vital skill to teach children, particularly children who have experienced trauma. This class will examine attachment styles and learn ways to help children recognize emotion in others in order for them to have appropriate social interactions and build positive relationships. |
Bernadet Kaldani, LMFT & Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
DECEMBER 2022
Download December Schedule Click here to register for December classes
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| Date, Time & Location |
Class | Instructor(s) |
| Thursday 12/1/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Creating Positive Transitions This class will help caregivers create positive transitions for youth in their care. Caregivers will learn how to best prepare foster youth for transition between their home and a new foster placement, a relative placement, or a return to birth parents. |
Sheryl Dickson, M.A. |
| Saturdays *12/3/22 & 12/10/22 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Online - Zoom *This is a two-session class; attendance of both sessions is required to receive a certificate of completion |
Trust Based Parenting (TBRI) This 2-part series offers in-depth training for caregivers of children with trauma-based behavioral issues. The class will introduce caregivers to the research and methods developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis and her colleague Dr. David Cross, the founders of the Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University. Dr. Purvis has coined the phrase "children from hard places" to describe children who have experienced abuse, neglect, abandonment and/or trauma in early development. The class will use the Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) through problem-solving scenarios to provide practical skills to caregivers so they can build a stronger caregiver-child connection, which leads to better behavior. |
Elena Sweet, MSW |
| Tuesday 12/6/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Supporting Language Development for Infants & Toddlers This class will help participants learn the basics of the behavioral model and how it relates to language development. Participants will gain insight on the techniques that evoke the most language. A variety of techniques will be taught helping participants see immediate results with their children. The class will also learn 5 basic signs to help start infants on their way to communicating their basic needs. |
Devan Costa-Cargill, B.A., BICM |
| Wednesday 12/7/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Helping Children Build Resiliency Resilience is the ability to recover from traumatic events. Caregivers cannot fix all the hurts in their children’s lives, but they can foster their resiliency and give them the skills to heal. This class will examine resiliency and provide participants with the tools needed to help children become resilient. |
Bernadet Kaldani, LMFT & Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
| Thursday 12/8/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Helping Foster Youth Safely Navigate the Digital World With technology and kids’ culture changing constantly, it’s not realistic for caregivers to try to know everything about the latest apps, games and social networks kids are using. What we can do, though, is teach them things that will keep them safe and on the right track through a lifetime in the digital world. This class will discuss the use of cell phones, social media and general internet use. Participants will learn strategies to keep foster children safe online through establishing expectations for appropriate internet usage, teaching youth how to prevent inappropriate contact and protect personal information. |
Alison French, M.A. |
| Tuesday 12/13/22 Offered: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Or 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Foster Care Nuts & Bolts This class is only available for resource parents who live in or are approved through Stanislaus County The purpose of the training is to provide newer resource parents with information to enhance their parenting skills and provide resources and support to navigate the foster care system. The class will help resource parents understand and review the basics of foster care. Discussion will include the rights and responsibilities of resource parents, understanding the court process, visitations, working with biological parents and review of other important information from the resource family pre-approval classes. |
Nick Konner, FKCE Director |
| Thursday 12/15/22 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
The Impact of Attachment Styles in Foster Care & Adoption This class will examine attachment styles - how people do or don't connect to others. The class will look at how we get our attachment styles and how that impacts our relationships with the children in our care. Helping children heal comes through our relationships with them and our attachment styles impact that healing process. |
Jerry Johnson, M.S. |
JANUARY 2023
Download January Schedule Click here to register for January classes
| Date, Time & Location |
Class | Instructor(s) |
| Tuesday 1/10/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Harnessing Your Happiness Hormones Over time, our hormone levels get affected by many factors in our lives. Stress has the worst impact on us and can negatively impact the four happiness hormones (Serotonin, Endorphins, Oxytocin and Dopamine) and one stress hormone (Cortisol). The class focuses on the individual and their hormone levels. Learn how stress affects you and the necessity for better and more consistent self-care. |
Nick Lawrence, M.A. |
| Thursday 1/12/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) for Teens Developing a trusting relationship with any teenager can be a challenge. For teens with trauma histories, it’s especially challenging for both the teens and their caregivers. TBRI for Teens shows remarkable results from the implementation of Trust-Based Parenting skills with youth ages 11-18. TBRI is a trust-based and research-grounded intervention to meet the complex needs of children who have suffered trauma during early childhood. |
Elena Sweet, MSW |
| Wednesday 1/18/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
An Introduction to Autism This class will provide participants with an overview of the symptoms of autism and the ways that autism falls on a spectrum. The class will review possible co-occurring mental health disorders that may go along with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The class will also highlight current research, diagnostic criteria, age of diagnosis, as well as targeted interventions. Information about local resources and agencies that specialize in supporting the ASD community will be provided. |
Bernadet Kaldani, LMFT & Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
| Thursday 1/19/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Helping Foster Youth Safely Navigate the Digital World With technology and kids’ culture changing constantly, it’s not realistic for caregivers to try to know everything about the latest apps, games and social networks kids are using. What we can do, though, is teach them things that will keep them safe and on the right track through a lifetime in the digital world. This class will discuss the use of cell phones, social media and general internet use. Participants will learn strategies to keep foster children safe online through establishing expectations for appropriate internet usage, teaching youth how to prevent inappropriate contact and protect personal information. |
Alison French, M.A. |
| Saturday 1/21/23 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Online - Zoom |
Positive & Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACES) This class will explore the ways positive and adverse childhood experiences shape our lives, families, and communities. Participants will learn about the CDC-Kaiser ACE Study, neurobiology and the health effects of toxic stress, historical and generational trauma. The class will also explore how resilience reshapes our brains and futures . |
Holly Grace Currie, Registered ACSW |
| Tuesday 1/24/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Child & Family Teams (CFT's): Helping Resource Parents Understand Them This class will help participants understand the purpose and process of a Child and Family Team (CFT) meeting. CFT’s are used to determine how best to address the needs of a child in foster care and how to achieve positive outcomes of safety, permanency, and well-being for the child. Participants will learn their role, as well as others’ roles, in a CFT, how to prepare in order to be an active participant in the meeting and learn under what circumstances they can request to have an additional CFT meeting. |
Jennie Chavez & Megan Belden, Resource Family Mentors |
| Thursday 1/26/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Trauma and Its Impact on a Child's Brain Development and Behaviors This class will explore the impact that trauma has on the children in foster care. All children who enter foster care experience trauma to some degree. The class will examine how trauma impacts children’s brain development, their behaviors, how they interact with the world, and what we can do to help them. |
Jerry Johnson, M.S. |
| Saturday 1/28/23 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Online - Zoom |
Help! My Kid Only Eats Cheese Puffs: How to Expand a Child's Palate Are you struggling with a picky eater? Did your foster child arrive with a limited diet? Would you like to learn how to introduce new, healthy food options to your family’s meals and snacks? This class will help participants learn how to expand children’s taste buds, how to introduce new foods, how to reduce power struggles over food, and how to have enjoyable family meals. |
Devan Costa-Cargill, B.A., BICM |
| Monday 1/30/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Foster Care Nuts & Bolts This class is only available for resource parents who live in or are approved through Stanislaus County. The purpose of the training is to provide newer resource parents with information to enhance their parenting skills and provide resources and support to navigate the foster care system. The class will help resource parents understand and review the basics of foster care. Discussion will include the rights and responsibilities of resource parents, understanding the court process, visitations, working with biological parents and review of other important information from the resource family pre-approval classes. |
Nick Konner, FKCE Director |
| Tuesday 1/31/23 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Online - Zoom |
Foster Care Nuts & Bolts This class is only available for resource parents who live in or are approved through Stanislaus County. The purpose of the training is to provide resource parents with information to enhance their parenting skills and provide resources and support to navigate the foster care system. The class will help resource parents understand and review the basics of foster care. Discussion will include the rights and responsibilities of resource parents, understanding the court process, visitations, working with biological parents and review of other important information from the resource family pre-approval classes. |
Nick Konner, FKCE Director |
FEBRUARY 2023
Download February Schedule Click here to register for February classes
| Date, Time & Location |
Class | Instructor(s) |
| Wednesday 2/1/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Understanding Grief & Loss in Foster CareM any children enter foster care in a state of grief over a multitude of losses they have experienced in their lives. This class will define and discuss the elements of grief and loss for children and help caregivers learn ways to support children going through this process. |
Bernadet Kaldani, LMFT & Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
| Thursday 2/2/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Adoptions Through Foster Care This class will provide information and answer questions about adopting children through the foster care system. |
Sheryl Dickson, M.A. |
| Tuesday 2/7/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Trauma-Informed Care:How to Mend a Broken Heart, Including Your OwnT his class demonstrates the difference between a scary event and a trauma; how a trauma is formed, and how it relates to pre-set cortisol levels and the degree to which the person believed they might die. The class will use several activities to enter into an in-depth discussion of neuroscience, intro to the autonomic nervous system, the 5 Languages of Love and guided meditations to help mend the damage done from endured trauma(s). |
Nick Lawrence, M.A. |
| Thursday 2/9/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Empathy for Birth Parents This class will highlight the importance of having empathy for birth parents. Through videos and interactive exercises participants will gain a better understanding of the experience for parents that have had their children removed and placed into foster care. Having empathy for birth parents helps resource parents better understand the relationship between foster children and their parents and it enables resource parents and birth parents to work effectively and respectfully together in the best interest of the foster children. |
Jerry Johnson, M.S. |
| Saturday 2/11/23 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Early Childhood Attachment Styles This class will provide an introductory overview of attachment theory and will describe four early childhood attachment styles: secure, avoidant, anxious/ambivalent, and disorganized. Through short video demonstrations and facilitated discussion, attendees will learn the common causes and symptoms of attachment disorders as well as parenting tips and recommended activities for supporting attachment repair. |
Holly Grace Currie,Registered ACSW |
| Wednesday 2/15/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Executive Functioning:Tips and Strategies to Help Kids Build Critical Life Skills This training will explore executive functioning and its impact on daily life skills, specifically when impacted by trauma and/or in conjunction with a learning disability. Simple yet effective interventions are outlined targeting development of skills such as: self-regulation, problem solving, decision making, and goal-directed behavior. |
Elena Sweet, MSW |
| Thursday 2/16/23 Offered: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Or 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Foster Care Nuts & Bolts This class is only available for resource parents who live in or are approved through Stanislaus County. The purpose of the training is to provide newer resource parents with information to enhance their parenting skills and provide resources and support to navigate the foster care system. The class will help resource parents understand and review the basics of foster care. Discussion will include the rights and responsibilities of resource parents, understanding the court process, visitations, working with biological parents and review of other important information from the resource family pre-approval classes. |
Nick Konner, FKCE Director |
| Tuesday 2/21/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Teaching Kids Independence Through Visual Schedules Give children in your care the gift of independence through use of visual schedules, a picture agenda that will provide a visual cue to complete basic daily routines, chores, and more. Participants will learn how to create, use and implement simple visual schedules to assist young children through teens move more independently throughout their day. |
Devan Costa-Cargill, B.A., BICM |
| Wednesday 2/22/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Depression in Teens This class will examine the symptoms, causes, risks, and incidence of depression as well as the types of treatments available. Discussion will also include warning signs and prevention of suicide. |
Alison French, M.A |
| Saturday 2/25/23 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Online - Zoom |
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC): Risks and Impacts on Foster Youth This class will provide participants with an overview of CSEC and the psychological and social dynamics that contribute to the ongoing maltreatment of children and victimization of young people by sex traffickers. The class will provide information on complex trauma, with a focus on the life events and contributing factors that often lead to the sexual exploitation of a child. Participants will learn about how children in foster care are particularly vulnerable to being sexually exploited. Care providers will be provided with tools to identify warning signs and indicators of CSEC involvement and learn how to identify and strengthen protective factors to prevent youth from involvement in CSEC. The class will also discuss harm reduction for building placement stability and safety as well as provide available community resources. *Not suitable for children/teens. |
Debbie Johnson, CEO of Without Permission |
MARCH 2023
Download March Schedule Click here to register for March classes
| Date, Time & Location |
Class | Instructor(s) |
| Wednesday 3/1/236 :00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Suicide Awareness This class will explore identifying and understanding red flags of suicide, the language of how to talk to youth surrounding suicidal ideation and knowing how to help. The class will help participants understand the negative stigma attached to suicide and will review the statistics and the impacts of suicide in the United States focusing specifically on children and youth in foster care. Local and national resources will be provided. |
Bernadet Kaldani, LMFT & Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
| Thursday 3/2/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Early Childhood Development This class will educate caregivers on the five areas of development (physical/gross motor, fine motor, social/emotional, cognitive, and language) in infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The class will also help caregivers learn how to support their child’s development in each developmental area in order to help the child become well-rounded and healthy. |
Elena Sweet, MSW |
| Saturday 3/4/23 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM In-Person Only MJC East Campus 435 College Ave, Modesto Founders Hall, Rm 172 |
Memory Books: Saving Memories for Youth in Care This class will teach caregivers about Memories Books – what they are, how to make them and why they are important for children in foster care. Jotting down memories, taking snapshots, and saving mementos in a special box or album can mean the world to a child who spends time in foster care. Participants will learn how their creativity and a few minutes each week can create a safe place for children to document their past and create new memories. You will have an opportunity to start a memory book or box in class, please bring photos or other items for the project. |
Devan Costa-Cargill, B.A., BICM |
| Tuesday 3/7/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
You Can’t Build on Broken: Helping Children of Trauma Succeed This class will take a strengths-based approach to helping foster children who have experienced trauma be successful. Participants will learn how to approach foster children with empathy and understanding in order to focus on and enhance children’s strengths rather than their difficulties and struggles. |
Jerry Johnson, M.S. |
| Wednesday 3/8/236 :00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
How to Talk to Kids About Foster Care and Adoption This class will provide caregivers with the tools to talk to children of different ages about foster care and adoption. It is important for caregivers to know how to help children at different developmental levels understand foster care and/or adoption and to know how to answer questions that children might have. Participants will learn how to use books, movies, and other tools for talking to children about foster care and adoption. |
Sheryl Dickson, M.A. |
| Saturday 3/11/23 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Online - Zoom |
Signs of Development Delay and Activities to Promote Developmental Growth This class will support participants in their understanding of developmental milestones as a spectrum of typical. Resources will be provided to families on what to expect during different developmental stages and what to do if there are concerns about delays. We will also discuss how to incorporate developmentally appropriate activities into routines and additional strategies to support children in meeting their developmental goals. |
Gisele Flores, M.A., MJC Child Development Professor |
| Monday 3/13/23 Offered: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Or 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Foster Care Nuts & Bolts This class is only available for resource parents who live in or are approved through Stanislaus County. The purpose of the training is to provide newer resource parents with information to enhance their parenting skills and provide resources and support to navigate the foster care system. The class will help resource parents understand and review the basics of foster care. Discussion will include the rights and responsibilities of resource parents, understanding the court process, visitations, working with biological parents and review of other important information from the resource family pre-approval classes. |
Nick Konner, FKCE Director |
| Thursday 3/16/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Supporting Foster Youth in Therapy This class will focus on helping caregivers understand their role in the therapeutic process for the children and teens in their care. Caregivers will learn not only how best to support youth in therapy but how to communicate with therapists, what questions they can ask, and what information therapists can provide them. |
Alison French, M.A. |
| Tuesday 3/28/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
The Impact of Attachment Styles in Foster Care & Adoption This class will examine attachment styles - how people do or don't connect to others. The class will look at how we get our attachment styles and how that impacts our relationships with the children in our care. Helping children heal comes through our relationships with them and our attachment styles impact that healing process. |
Jerry Johnson, M.S. |
| Wednesdays *3/29/23, 4/5/23 & 4/12/236 :00 PM - 8:00 PM *This is a three-session class; attendance of all sessions is required to receive a certificate of completion Online - Zoom |
Transforming the Intense Child Workshop In this 3-part series, participants will be able to experience and practice the foundational concepts of the Nurtured Heart Approach®. Each class will build upon the other, increasing your skills in energizing the positive and bringing transformative changes within your family/relationships. The Nurtured Heart Approach® (NHA) began as an approach to be used with intense children who had difficult behaviors and is now used worldwide with much success in home, school, and agency settings. NHA focuses on building Inner Wealth™ which leads to improved behaviors and relationships. |
Viviana Barajas, Nurtured Heart Approach Advanced Certified Trainer |
APRIL 2023
Download April Schedule Click here to register for April classes
| Date, Time & Location |
Class | Instructor(s) |
| Saturday 4/1/23 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Turning Dreams into Degrees: Supporting Foster Youth through Early College Awareness and Preparation This class provides information about how to best support youth in grades 6-10. The class will empower caregivers to discuss the value of higher education with the youth in their care and provide ideas for how they can play an active role in supporting these foster youth to college. Caregivers will learn the significance of early college exploration, preparation, and key steps that they can take to help youth turn their dreams into degrees. |
Elena Sweet, MSW |
| Tuesday 4/4/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Suicide Awareness This class will explore identifying and understanding red flags of suicide, the language of how to talk to youth surrounding suicidal ideation and knowing how to help. The class will help participants understand the negative stigma attached to suicide and will review the statistics and the impacts of suicide in the United States focusing specifically on children and youth in foster care. Local and national resources will be provided. |
Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
| Thursday 4/6/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Why Do My Foster Kids Act This Way and What Can I Do About It? This class addresses trauma's sources and its impact on the brain and behavior. It will examine sensory processing issues and different attachment styles and how they impact foster children and the adults caring for them. Participants will also learn 14 things that can be done to create a felt safety environment in the resource home. |
Jerry Johnson, M.S. |
| Monday 4/10/23 Offered: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Or 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Foster Care Nuts & Bolts This class is only available for resource parents who live in or are approved through Stanislaus County. The purpose of the training is to provide newer resource parents with information to enhance their parenting skills and provide resources and support to navigate the foster care system. The class will help resource parents understand and review the basics of foster care. Discussion will include the rights and responsibilities of resource parents, understanding the court process, visitations, working with biological parents and review of other important information from the resource family pre-approval classes. |
Nick Konner, FKCE Directo |
| Tuesday 4/25/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Parenting Children with Prenatal Drug Exposure This class will look at the long-term effects of prenatal drug exposure on children. Discussion will focus on behaviors, parenting techniques, and what caregivers can expect, as well as realistic goals and treatment approaches. |
Alison French, M.A. |
| Tuesday 4/18/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Personality Disorder or Nervous System Overload Why do so many foster and adopted youth get diagnosed with personality disorders? Perhaps their behaviors are misunderstood; our nervous systems can get stuck in "fight or flight" which can make behaviors seem strange and out of place. In this class participants will learn how to recognize the state of their own nervous system and will be better able to help themselves, the children they care for, and others come back to center and begin to change their nervous system responses to many usually stressful situations. |
Nick Lawrence, M.A. |
| Wednesday 4/19/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Special Education & IEP Advocacy This training will highlight the topic of Special Education and focus on ways that foster parents and relatives can support their children through the educational system accommodations and supports program. Topics will include children having access to specialized services unique to their needs. Special Education services such as Student Study Teams (SST), 504 plans, Individual Education Plan (IEP) and how to navigate and understand these services will be presented. |
Bernadet Kaldani, LMFT & Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
| Saturday 4/22/23 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Turning Dreams into Degrees: Supporting Successful Transitions from High School to College This class provides information about how to best support youth in grades 11-12. The class will help caregivers to understand how to support the youth in their care to make a smooth transition from high school to college. Caregivers will learn about the benefits of college and the different pathways available to better support foster youth in making a plan. Caregivers will also learn about the key steps youth must take in their junior and senior year of high school, and the supports and resources that exist to help youth along the way. |
Elena Sweet, MSW |
| Tuesday 4/25/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Supporting Language Development for Infants & Toddlers This class will help participants learn the basics of the behavioral model and how it relates to language development. Participants will gain insight on the techniques that evoke the most language. A variety of techniques will be taught helping participants see immediate results with their children. The class will also learn 5 basic signs to help start infants on their way to communicating their basic needs |
Devan Costa-Cargill, B.A., BICM |
| Wednesday 4/26/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Parenting After Adoption: Things to Consider When Adopting from Foster Care This class will help participants, who are considering adoption through foster care, prepare for life after finalization. The class will cover various topics such as how to talk to kids about adoption, how to parent children with trauma histories, how to be an advocate for your adopted child, being a transracial family, and how to negotiate possible relationships with biological parents/families after adoption. |
Nick Konner, FKCE Director |
MAY 2023
| Date, Time & Location |
Class | Instructor(s) |
| Tuesday 5/2/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Child & Family Teams (CFT's): Helping Resource Parents Understand Them This class will help participants understand the purpose and process of a Child and Family Team (CFT) meeting. CFT’s are used to determine how best to address the needs of a child in foster care and how to achieve positive outcomes of safety, permanency, and well-being for the child. Participants will learn their role, as well as others’ roles, in a CFT, how to prepare in order to be an active participant in the meeting and learn under what circumstances they can request to have an additional CFT meeting. |
Jennie Chavez & Megan Belden, Resource Family Mentors |
| Wednesday 5/3/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Building Children's Emotional Intelligence Our ability to connect with others is a vital skill to teach children, particularly children who have experienced trauma. This class will examine attachment styles and learn ways to help children recognize emotion in others in order for them to have appropriate social interactions and build positive relationships. |
Bernadet Kaldani, LMFT & Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
| Wednesday 5/10/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Creating Positive Transitions This class will help caregivers create positive transitions for youth in their care. Caregivers will learn how to best prepare foster youth for transition between their home and a new foster placement, a relative placement, or a return to birth parents. |
Sheryl Dickson, M.A. |
| Thursday 5/11/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Trauma and Its Impact on a Child's Brain Development & Behaviors This class will explore the impact that trauma has on the children in foster care. All children who enter foster care experience trauma to some degree. The class will examine how trauma impacts children’s brain development, their behaviors, how they interact with the world, and what we can do to help them. |
Jerry Johnson, M.S. |
| Saturday 5/13/23 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Healthy Sexual Development In this class we will discuss the sexual and reproductive health of foster youth. We will discuss how to provide guidance and engage with youth in conversations about healthy sexual development/reproductive and sexual health. The goal of this class is to assist families and caregivers with the necessary tools to support the healthy sexual development of foster youth and know the rights of their sexual health care. |
Elena Sweet, MSW |
| Tuesday 5/16/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Building Rapport Through Play Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play also offers an ideal opportunity for caregivers to engage fully with their children. This class will teach how to build relationships with toddlers and children through play. Participants will learn why play is one of the most effective tools for building strong relationships with their children. The class will cover age-appropriate ideas, concepts and play skills as well as how to build opportunities for children to have choice and control. |
Devan Costa-Cargill, B.A.,BICM |
| Wednesday 5/17/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Emotional First Aid This training will focus on defining stress and the impact that it has on the body. It will introduce Emotional Freedom Technique and the ways that this intervention can be utilized to decrease anxiety for participants and for the children in their care. |
Bernadet Kaldani, LMFT & Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
| Monday 5/22/23 Offered: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Or 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Foster Care Nuts & Bolts This class is only available for resource parents who live in or are approved through Stanislaus County. The purpose of the training is to provide newer resource parents with information to enhance their parenting skills and provide resources and support to navigate the foster care system. The class will help resource parents understand and review the basics of foster care. Discussion will include the rights and responsibilities of resource parents, understanding the court process, visitations, working with biological parents and review of other important information from the resource family pre-approval classes. |
Nick Konner, FKCE Director |
| Tuesday 5/23/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Understanding Substance Use in Teens This class will review the signs a caregiver should look for when considering if their teen is using or experimenting with drugs and alcohol. The class will examine the effects drugs and alcohol can have on the teen brain, how to talk to your teen about substance use, and resources available for families dealing with teen substance use or addiction. |
Alison French, M.A. |
JUNE 2023
| Date, Time & Location |
Class | Instructor(s) |
| Wednesday 6/7/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) The class will define and provide an understanding of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children, including an exploration of the various subsets and behaviors related to this disorder. |
Bernadet Kaldani, LMFT & Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
| Thursday 6/8/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC): Risks and Impacts on Foster Youth This class will provide participants with an overview of CSEC and the psychological and social dynamics that contribute to the ongoing maltreatment of children and victimization of young people by sex traffickers. The class will provide information on complex trauma, with a focus on the life events and contributing factors that often lead to the sexual exploitation of a child. Participants will learn about how children in foster care are particularly vulnerable to being sexually exploited. Care providers will be provided with tools to identify warning signs and indicators of CSEC involvement and learn how to identify and strengthen protective factors to prevent youth from involvement in CSEC. The class will also discuss harm reduction for building placement stability and safety as well as provide available community resources. *Not suitable for children/teens. |
Debbie Johnson, CEO of Without Permission |
| Saturdays *6/10/23 & 6/17/23 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM *This is a two-session class; attendance of both sessions is required to receive a certificate of completion Online - Zoom |
Trust Based Parenting (TBRI) This 2-part series offers in-depth training for caregivers of children with trauma-based behavioral issues. The class will introduce caregivers to the research and methods developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis and her colleague Dr. David Cross, the founders of the Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University. Dr. Purvis has coined the phrase "children from hard places" to describe children who have experienced abuse, neglect, abandonment and/or trauma in early development. The class will use the Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) through problem-solving scenarios to provide practical skills to caregivers so they can build a stronger caregiver-child connection, which leads to better behavior. |
Elena Sweet, MSW |
| Tuesday 6/13/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Helping Foster Youth Safely Navigate the Digital World With technology and kids’ culture changing constantly, it’s not realistic for caregivers to try to know everything about the latest apps, games and social networks kids are using. What we can do, though, is teach them things that will keep them safe and on the right track through a lifetime in the digital world. This class will discuss the use of cell phones, social media and general internet use. Participants will learn strategies to keep foster children safe online through establishing expectations for appropriate internet usage, teaching youth how to prevent inappropriate contact and protect personal information. |
Alison French, M.A. |
| Thursday 6/15/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
A Sensory World This class offers insight and understanding about sensory issues that may make it difficult for a child to function at home and school. Caregivers will learn to recognize the difference between sensory problems and problem behaviors and how to help children overcome everyday struggles that hamper their success. |
Jerry Johnson, M.S. |
| Tuesday 6/20/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Executive Functioning: Tips and Strategies to Help Kids Build Critical Life Skills This training will explore executive functioning and its impact on daily life skills, specifically when impacted by trauma and/or in conjunction with a learning disability. Simple yet effective interventions are outlined targeting development of skills such as: self-regulation, problem solving, decision making, and goal-directed behavior. |
Elena Sweet, MSW |
| Wednesday 6/21/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Transracial Fostering & Adoptions This class will help caregivers understand the impact of transracial/transcultural placement and adoption on the child and resource/adoptive family. Participants will learn how they can best help children develop positive racial and cultural identities and how to connect children to their race and culture. The class will also discuss the importance of addressing racism and ways to help children deal with discrimination. |
Sheryl Dickson, M.A |
| Thursday 6/22/23 Offered: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Or 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Foster Care Nuts & Bolts This class is only available for resource parents who live in or are approved through Stanislaus County. The purpose of the training is to provide newer resource parents with information to enhance their parenting skills and provide resources and support to navigate the foster care system. The class will help resource parents understand and review the basics of foster care. Discussion will include the rights and responsibilities of resource parents, understanding the court process, visitations, working with biological parents and review of other important information from the resource family pre-approval classes. |
Nick Konner, FKCE Director |
