Running head: TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

Training Program Plan

Lakisha R. Washington
AET/570
November 9, 2015
Charity Jennings

TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

2
Training Program Plan
Training Program Description

Introduction
The benefits and value of effective training cannot be argued. However, no matter how
effective training is to a particular workforce it must be needed. If not, it is a waste of time,
talent and resources. Social Work is an area of human services that is always behind the curve
when it comes to purposeful training. Many of the training programs are effective, but are no
longer relevant in todays culture. Research supports that effective and relevant training can lead
to increased compliance with state and federal regulations. Even more, in the foster care
community it can provide favorable outcomes with finding suitable and long term homes for
clients.
Scope of Program
The Teenage Partnership Placement Training is a training program that will equip
foster parents of teenagers, and becoming teenagers to maintain healthy placements in foster
homes. This training will bridge the gap and provide skill and knowledge of how to support the
needs of teenage foster placements. The content of this training is different because it presents
opportunity for foster parents to share their experiences, and they are challenged to become
innovative. Whats diverse about this training? Current foster teens will participate, and share
their perspectives through discussion.
Intended Audience
The audience will be foster parents that have been certified through EMQ Families First
for at least one year. The training will be offered twice a year in an offsite location, preferably a
hotel. Lunch will be catered, the training will be free, and participants will receive a total of six

TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

hours toward annual continuing education requirements. The training will be facilitator led, and
will be provided in three sessions inclusive of one hour and a half each of instruction time.
Experience shows that most foster parents are retired, and do not attend formal training sessions
regularly, so its best to keep the training short with plenty of structured breaks.
Program Goals and Objectives
The partnership placement training will be responsible for achieving three goals, and one
main objective to accomplish the goals. Below is table that demonstrates goals, objectives, and
training agenda.
Goals & Objectives
Goals

Objective

Session I Preparation for the Placement -Foster Parents will identify four
preparations that they can do to make
Session II Making the Connection

their home ready for placement.

-Foster parents will demonstrate three
ways they can make connection with

Session III Sustaining the Relationship

teens.
-Foster parents will be able to describe
two practices that will deepen the
relationship.

TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

Training Agenda
Activity
Continental Breakfast
Welcome & Introductions
Session I
Break
Session II
Catered Lunch
Session III
Questions / Surveys

Time
9:00 a.m. - 9: 30 a.m.
9:30 a.m. -10:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m.
11:30 a.m. 11:45 a.m.
11:45 a.m. 1:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m.
3:30 p.m. 4:00 p.m.
Gap Analysis

EMQ Families First holds weekly and quarterly meetings to discussion current foster care
placements and to identify potential training needs. The agency has struggled to retain placement
with teenagers. Teenagers in general have a difficult time with rules, fluctuating hormones, and
rebellion. Changing homes, and adjusting rules can add an additional level of complication to
fostering, and relationship building with teenagers. Identified needs are gathered from specific
opportunities and challenges. The primary sources of gathering information are; society, people,
organizational responsibilities and adult life (Caffarella & Daffron, 2013). In this population that
equates to foster teens, social worker, and foster homes.
Questionnaires were provided to twenty foster homes with teenagers aged thirteen
through nineteen. The questionnaires asked ten basic questions that would reveal if the
teenagers felt their needs were met by the foster parents, and the home environment. Seventyfive percent shared that foster parents did not relate to them, but an astonishing ninety-eight
percent shared the home was void of basic technology components needed to complete
homework, and college preparatory research.

TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

Group sessions with ten foster teens, revealed that one hundred percent of them felt
inadequately supported for college preparation. Many of them were not aware of college
application dates, the financial aid process, and transitional resources available.
Care Plan Progress (Social indicators) reports revealed that sixty-five percent, of fifty cases
reviewed of teenagers placed in the agency- just didnt feel welcomed or a part of the foster
home. They simply felt like visitors.
These three analysis proved it is important for EMQ Families first to take action with training to
bridge the gap between foster teens, and foster parents. It was recommended that mandatory
training take place immediately. Ten fostered parents will pilot the training, and the social
workers will track the progress in order to make necessary changes to the placements.
Budget
All organizations are budget conscious. But non-profit organizations are even more
sensitive to budget funding. For profit training funds can be allocated from different areas to
cover or share training expenses. When dealing with nonprofit organizations it is more important
to stay on task. Regardless, as principal program manager it is imperative to have responsibility
for the management of the budget (Razik & Swanson, 2010, p. 283). The budget for this training
initiative will be $3,825.00 for the initial session, and a total proposed income of $10,000. EMQ
Families First receives an annual training budget allotment of $10,000 per year from the Federal
Government. The cost of this training will come from this budget. The remaining budget will
cover other trainings held by the agency.

Expenses
Category

Cost

Total

TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

Personnel
-Social Worker/Facilitator
-Foster Teen Stipend

6
$300.00
$200.00 ($25.00 per hr. x 8)
$100.00

Fridge Benefits

$0

$0

External Staff

$0

$0

Materials
-Copies of Training Materials
Technical Support

$100.00
$100.00
$0

Equipment
-Laptop
-Overhead Projector

$400.00
$2,000.00

Supplies
-Pens & Highlighters

$100.00

-Folders

$125.00

Travel
-Overnight Hotel Stay
-Overnight Meal

$0
$2,400.00

$225.00

$175.00
$125.00
$50.00

Facilities
-Conference Room Rental

$350.00
$350.00

Miscellaneous
-Catered Lunch

$300.00

$300.00

Income Estimates
Category
Parent Company
Donations
Participation Fees
Grants

Revenue

Total

TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

Government

7
$10,000

$10,000

Miscellaneous

Staffing Plan
The beauty of this training program is simplicity. The staffing selections for the training program
will be done by the agencies program manager. It is imperative to select seasoned social workers
carry out the facilitation. Internal social workers were selected as primary facilitators because
they already understand the audience, and have proven to assist participants in using a variety of
counseling techniques and learning strategies that will produce great training interaction
(Caffarella & Daffron, 2013).
Required Skills for all training program facilitators:
-Social Workers with Master of Social Work Degrees.
- Licensed Clinical Social Workers with three years of agency experience.
-Social Workers must have at least one year of facilitation experience.
Time Requirement:
-Social Workers will conduct four trainings per year.
- 8 hour workday for training
- A total of four Social Workers will be selected and trained to facilitate the program.
Additional Requirements:
-Social workers need to be upbeat, and understand adult learning principles.
Staff Performance Evaluation:
-Social Workers will be evaluated by the program manager at the end of each session.
- Evaluation surveys will be given to the participants to evaluate the training and facilitation.

TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

Additional resources needed:

-This program will staff four teenagers that are placed in foster homes to share their experiences
and give another perspective of the fostering experience.
Stakeholders

Stakeholder
Foster Family Agency

Goals in Training Program

-Create training program

Build Support
-Send out newsletters
regarding the training

Child Welfare Workers

-Assist with evaluation and

-Have a strong presence in

reporting success to state

monthly agency meetings

officials

assist with instructional

design
-Make sure training is

Foster Family

Social Workers

Participate in training

compliant.
- Share feedback during

program

training

-Engage in changing the

-Implement strategies learned

perceptive needs of teenagers

to sustain the placement

-Facilitate the program

relationship.
-Share with other foster
families the success of the
program
-Ensure all required families
are registered for training.

TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

9
-Hold foster parents
accountable for implementing

Former Foster Teens

-Serve as participant of the

learned training strategies.

-Be honest with their needs

training program.

-Talk about the training to

other foster teens

Communication Plan
Marketing Message
Everything rises and falls on communication. Training programs can have all the
necessary components for a successful learning experience but lack a strong communication plan
to make potential participants aware of the learning opportunities. The Teenage Partnership
Placements training message is making teenage placements work. This message is
motivating, and does not offend anyone in the placement triangle.

Teenage Placement Fact Sheet

TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

10

Teenagers are the hardest age group to find foster homes.

If a person enters the foster care at thirteen or older statistics, show these individuals
will live in an average of twenty homes before aging out of the system.

Teenagers on probation are hard to place in foster homes and are often sent to group
homes.

Foster parents are under trained to support teenage placements.

Social Workers lack conflict resolution strategies to support placements with

teenagers.

Training will make a difference is support teenage placements.

This training will begin the conversation to make the adjustments for successful
outcomes.

Promotional Channels
Colorful Flyers will be mailed to every foster parent inviting them to participate in the
training. The fact sheet will be included, and what the expected outcome of the training will
produce.
Social workers will play a large role in generating excitement regarding the training.
During each weekly visit, social workers will extend a personal invitation, and ask if the flyer
was received, and if there are any questions.
One week before each scheduled training, social workers will send a personal evite to
foster parents, and gather a list of attendees.
The night before the training, agency manager will follow up with a phone call to confirm
attendance.

TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

11

Benefits of the training program

The main benefit of this training program is that foster parents will be equipped to
support current placements, and open to taking in more teenage placements. Another benefit is
that this training will allow for everyone to be heard. The parent, the teen, and the social worker.
The instructional practices will include group activities, and an opportunity for participants to
share their personal experiences as a framework to connect newly learned strategies to support
the placement. Adults bring experience and knowledge to the classroom, and this training
supports this theory and opens the door for knowledge and experience to direct in class
discussions (Adayana, 2015). Even more important, adults want learning to be practical
(Adayana, 2015). This training is practical because it targets a specific issue that affects all
attendees. Because the training is so specific, participants should respond to the benefits.

Program Evaluation
Improving training is an ongoing process. It can be done with a combination of
evaluation methods. This training will be evaluated using the formative and summative training
method-due to the nature of the training. Formative evaluations lead to effective training and a
decision making for future adjustments in the training program (Caffarella & Daffron, 2013).
When dealing with non-profit budgeting, and competing for federal and state funding it is crucial
that program evaluations are done with accuracy, and implemented progress. The summative
evaluation provides an overall picture of success of the training program (Caffarella & Daffron,
2013).
The Agency Director will be the responsible party for performing the evaluations. The
purpose of the evaluation is to ensure that all training objectives are met, facilitators are skilled

TRAINING PROGRAM PLAN

12

with engaging the audience, and if the adults are using this training to support the framework that
has been established from prior learning experiences.
Questioning, and discussions will be used as the tools for formative assessment. The
program manager will assess the questions that are generated through the learning sessions.
What type of questions are asked from the foster parents (participants) and what type of response
does the facilitator provide? Discussions are key to evaluating this type of training because
fostering is about relationships. It will not be surprising if slight conflict arise during training
sessions. Discussions blockages can become fluid with great facilitation skills.
Summative evaluations will be completed after class, and evaluations provided thirty and
sixty days after trainings. Social workers will conduct the end of class evaluations in their
weekly home visits. Stake holders will meet twice a year to discuss the outcomes of the
evaluations to make appropriate changes for the next years training.
References
Adayana: Training Principles of Adult Learning. (2015). Retrieved from
https://cdns3.trainingindustry.com/media/2068131/principlesofadultlearning_full.pdf

Caffarella, R., & Daffron, S. (2013). Planning programs for adult learners: A practical guide
(Third ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Razik, T. A., & Swanson, A. D. (2010). Fundamental concepts of educational leadership and
management (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.