There are exciting plans in the wind! You can sample the first Fostering Families TODAY CEU Quiz on this website. As you read the articles in this issue, you should be able to answer the questions. The FFT CEU Quiz is a quick and simple "open-book" exam designed to help you "earn while you learn" in an affordable and convenient manner that fits your own schedule. If this concept appeals to you and others in your state or private foster care agencies, perhaps you will be able to earn Continuing Education Units toward the renewal of your annual foster parent license this way. While not a total substitute for interactive classes and training workshops, distance learning is a concept that has come of age.
Continuing education credits achieved this way is nothing new to many busy professionals. The American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Psychological Association (APA), the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and many educators associations are already using this approach for their members who subscribe to any of several professional publications. CEUs are awarded based on a measure of the time it takes to read and learn, usually in an estimated ratio of one credit earned per hour spent. FFT estimates that subscribers will average four hours of time reading and thinking about the stories in each issue, and therefore would be eligible for 4 CEUs. Subscribers seeking credits must complete the quiz and submit their answers along with a small fee to an external monitor to cover the cost of scoring and processing. In return, they receive a certificate to turn in to their states or accrediting agencies in order to receive home study credits toward licensing renewal.
As we go to press, two states are already providing their 5000+ licensed foster families with subscriptions to FFT and offering them CEUs toward the licensing requirements if they complete and pass the FFT CEU Quiz and turn in their participation certificates for credit. Applying for funding under Title IV-E for Parent Education makes this an enticing incentive for State trainers. Another four states are giving close scrutiny to the proposal as well. As the fiscal year draws to a close and some of you find dollars that must be spent, don't forget the time-honored rule: use it or lose it!
Distance or remote learning makes sense as an option for busy foster families---and the professionals who serve them. If this option appeals to you, why not speak to your foster parent association or foster care agency about promoting the concept? We also would be interested in hearing from you on the topic. Please share your comments by email at louis@adoptinfo.net or by mail to: The Editor, FFT, 541 E. Garden Dr. Unit N, Windsor, CO 80550 Let us hear from you!
