FKCE Class Information
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- 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.
2023-2024 CLASS CALENDAR
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
Click Picture for FKCE Google Calendar |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
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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 2023
AUGUST 2023
| Date, Time & Location |
Class | Instructor(s) |
| Wednesday 8/9/23 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 |
| Thursday 8/10/23 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. |
| Tuesday 8/15/23 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. |
| Saturday 8/19/23 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 8/22/23 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 |
| Thursday 8/24/23 6:00 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. |
| Wednesday 8/30/23 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 |
SEPTEMBER 2023
Click here to register for FKCE classes Download September Schedule
| Date, Time & Location |
Class | Instructor(s) |
| Tuesday 9/5/23 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. |
| Thursday 9/7/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Co-Regulating Emotion This class focuses on emotion regulation through co-regulation techniques. Children experience “Big” emotions and this class will help caregivers manage their own emotions while helping children in their care navigate their emotions. |
Melanie Almada, LMFT |
| Saturday 9/9/23 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 |
| Wednesday 9/13/23 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 |
| Saturday 9/16/23 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 |
| Tuesday 9/19/23 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 9/21/23 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. |
Brianne Hoak-Rangel, Without Permission |
| Monday 9/25/23 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 9/27/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Creating Positive Transition 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. |
OCTOBER 2023
Click here to register for FKCE classes Download October Schedule
| Date, Time & Location |
Class | Instructor(s) |
| Wednesday 10/4/23 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 |
| Saturday 10/7/23 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Online - Zoom |
Chill Out: Practices to Calm Your Nervous System Signs of a dysregulated nervous system can include: anxiety & overwhelm; irritability & anger; emotional reactivity; hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli; sleep disturbance & daytime fatigue; attention, memory & concentration difficulties; gut & skin conditions; and chronic pain or illness. In this highly experiential class, participants will learn about the function of the autonomic nervous system and practice a variety of evidence-based techniques aimed at calming, grounding, and self-soothing. |
Holly Grace Currie, Registered ACSW |
| Tuesday10/10/236:00 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. |
| Thursday 10/12/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM 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 |
Rescheduled to 11/7/23 |
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. |
| Saturday 10/21/23 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 10/24/23 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 10/26/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Incorporating Mindfulness in the Home This class explores how to add mindfulness practices to your existing caregiver strategies. Mindfulness practices can help reduce stress and caregiver burnout while also helping children feel more present and regulated. |
Melanie Almada, LMFT |
NOVEMBER 2023
Click here to register for FKCE classes Download November Schedule
| Date, Time & Location |
Class | Instructor(s) |
| Wednesday 11/1/23 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. |
| Tuesday 11/7/23 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. |
| Thursday 11/9/23 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 11/15/23 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. |
Bernadet Kaldani, LMFT & Andrea Barnett, LCSW |
| Saturday 11/18/23 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 |
| Monday 11/20/23 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. |
| Tuesday 11/28/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Understanding Grief & Loss in Foster Care Many 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, offer tools for supporting youth in their healing process, and examine the grief experienced by caregivers as they support children going through this process. |
Elena Sweet, MSW |
| Thursday 11/30/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
Promoting Healthy Boundaries This class will look at promoting healthy boundaries for children/adolescents. It will address strategies to help caregivers promote forming and maintaining healthy relationships. Relationships can be challenging for individuals who have experienced trauma and this class will help explore those challenges and describe ideas for maintaining healthy boundaries with others. |
Melanie Almada, LMFT |
DECEMBER 2023
Click here to register for FKCE classes Download December Schedule
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| Date, Time & Location |
Class | Instructor(s) |
| Monday 12/4/23 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. |
Rescheduled to 1/16/24 |
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. |
| Thursday 12/7/23 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Online - Zoom |
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. |
Devan Costa-Cargill, B.A., BICM |
| Saturday 12/9/23 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Online - Zoom |
Beyond Surviving: Supporting LGBTQIA+ Foster 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, Registered ACSW |
| Wednesday 12/13/23 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 12/14/23 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. |
| Saturday 12/16/23 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 |
JANUARY 2024
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FEBRUARY 2024
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MARCH 2024
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APRIL 2024
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MAY 2024
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JUNE 2024
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