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Foster and Kinship
Care Education (FKCE) Program Mission
The mission of the Foster and Kinship Care Education Program
is to provide quality education and support opportunities
to caregivers of children and youth in out-of-home care so
that these providers may meet the educational, emotional,
behavioral and developmental needs of children and youth in
the foster care system.
The Role of the Chancellor's
Office & the Community Colleges
In 1984, legislation (Senate Bill 2003, Royce) was passed
to create the Foster Children and Parent Training Fund for
the training of foster parents. The Chancellor's Office has
responsibility for overseeing and allocating the funds to
the colleges statewide.
The Chancellor's Office of the California
Community Colleges has taken a lead role in expanding the
delivery of high quality foster and kinship care education
throughout the state. The Chancellor's Office and a system
of local community colleges implement the Foster and Kinship
Care Education Program each year, in collaboration with the
California Department of Social Services, a State Advisory
Committee, local county departments of social services, as
well as foster parent and kinship care provider associations.
The Foster and Kinship Care Education
Program sub-unit in the Chancellor's Office is a part of the
Career, Child and Community Development Unit within the Student
Services and Special Programs Division. The FKCE Unit is currently
comprised of three staff members who work under the guidance
of the division vice chancellor and the unit dean.
Why is the FKCE
Program Important?
From 1989 to 1998, the number of children in California's
foster care system has grown by more than 50%-- from 68,000
to 105,000. The dramatic increase in the state's foster care
population has been attributed to many factors-there are a
greater number of children living in poverty, increasing numbers
of parents who abuse alcohol and drugs, and increasing cases
of child abuse and neglect. The FKCE program plays a vital
role in providing licensed foster parents and relative caregivers
with the training and education that will help them in meeting
the multifaceted and often complex needs of the foster children
in their care. Through the 67 colleges with FKCE programs,
in 2002/2003 the community colleges played an important role
by providing over 25,600 hours of education/training to foster
parents and relative caregivers. (Statistics based on Little
Hoover Commission 1999 report)
Funding
The Chancellor's Office receives funding for the FKCE program
from three primary sources. The two State funding sources
are the State Foster Children and Parents Training Fund and
community college Proposition 98 funds. These State funds
are used as a match to pass through federal Title IV (e) funds,
by way of an interagency agreement with the California Department
of Social Services.
Overview
and Legislation
Originally known as the Foster Care Education (FCE) program,
the Foster and Kinship Care Education program (as it is called
today) of the Chancellor's Office of the California Community
Colleges was first established in 1984. With the passage of
Senate Bill 2003 (Royce), known as the Foster Children and
Parent Training Act (Statutes of 1984, Chapter 1597), the
Chancellor's Office was designated as the agency to administer
the program and provide funding to community colleges for
the provision of education and training to potential and existing
foster parents. The purpose of the legislation was to provide
education and training opportunities to foster parents to
assist them in meeting the needs of the foster children in
their care.
At the state level, the Chancellor's Office
collaborates with the California Department of Social Services
(CDSS) on issues impacting the education and training of foster
parents and relative care providers. The CDSS is represented
on the Chancellor's Office FKCE State Advisory Committee,
along with care providers and county representatives. At the
local level, each college FKCE program works closely with
their County Department of Social Services and local foster
parent/care provider organizations. Each college also facilitates
a local advisory committee, which assists the program with
referrals, as well as guidance on the type and format of education/training
that is needed in their county.
- In 1996, AB 3062 (Statutes of 1996, Chapter
1016) was passed, establishing a mandate for all foster
parents to obtain education/training at both the pre-service
and ongoing service levels.
- In 2000, AB 2307 was passed adding the
relative/kinship care provider population to the FKCE program's
target group.
- In 2002-2003, AB 1694 was passed
adding the Non Relative Extended Family Member population
as a target group for the FKCE program.
- In 2003-04 AB 258
The future direction of the FKCE program
is to attract and retain greater numbers of foster parents
and relative care providers, while at the same time maintaining
the high degree of quality the program has been founded upon.
Unit Staff
Sarah Tyson, Dean styson@cccco.edu
916-445-4755
Lucy Berger, Coordinator lberger@cccco.edu
916-323-5276
Carolyn F. Norman, Program Assistant II, cnorman@cccco.edu
Reports:
List
of Colleges and Counties Served:
FKCE State
Advisory Committee:
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