Training

Training Opportunities

Children who enter the State’s custody bring with them a wide range of social, emotional, and developmental issues. To help these children, parents must develop new skills and have at their disposal many resources and support services. The key to building the necessary skills is ongoing, flexible training in a wide variety of topics. Training programs at Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine evolve from month to month in accordance with the needs of the families we serve.

Below are some of the many training programs offered by AFFM. If you are interested in any of these programs provided by AFFM or have questions or suggestions about other types of training sessions then please contact AFFM.

AFFM holds an annual spring training conference in April. The conference provides training designed specifically for families looking for unique and advanced learning opportunities.  It is also an opportunity to network with families and other providers from across the state.  In addition to the conference, AFFM offers numerous training sessions for both large and small groups.

If you wish to register for an upcoming training please click here or on the registration button below to see a listing of the scheduled training sessions.

National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC)

The National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC) is a new curriculum that is based on research and input from experts, families who have experience with fostering or adopting children, and former foster and adoptive youth. It provides potential foster or adoptive parents with the information and tools needed to parent a child who has experienced trauma, separation, or loss. It is a state-of-the-art classroom and online program that helps to prepare prospective foster and adoptive parents to be successful parents. In addition, the NTDC gives parents access to information and resources needed to continue building skills once they have a child in their home. Learn more about the NTD

Working With and Valuing Birth Family Connections

This workshop has an emphasis on finding commonalities that will encourage care providers to be strength-based in their approach. This class will also provide the opportunity to explore many options for being creative and positive about your children‘s contact and visitation and how all resource families can be a mentor and an important part in the success of these relationships.

Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine Inc. & The Kinship Program Partners with a variety of other state and national organizations and trainers to bring caregivers an array of training topics, platforms, and delivery methods to help meet their training needs. Click on the link below for a list of virtual training opportunities offered free to families.

Free Online Training. Some are local, others are nationwide. This list is frequently updated.

Training Required for Licensed Families

Period of Purple Crying. Training for resource families who need to complete this training please click he

Infant Safe Sleep.  For more information about a safe sleep environment.

Mandated Reporter Training. Resource families looking to take the Mandated Reporter training and test. This is required every 4 years as well as upon becoming a resource family. 

Other Training around the state. Click here to see more information about upcoming training sessions.