Why We Do This Work

Across the U.S., thousands of children are removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Each of these children deserves safety, stability, and love—yet many do not have access to a qualified foster family. The Church is uniquely positioned to step into this crisis, offering compassionate, Biblical care rooted in the love of Christ. With more than 350,000 Christian churches, the solution to the foster care shortage already exists within our congregations.

What We Are Doing About

Everything we believe—every Scripture and principle—has been baked into the course we’ve created. We don’t just talk about the importance of Biblical care—we teach it, model it, and pass it on to new foster families. This section shows how our convictions become curriculum, and how the 'why' drives every part of the 'what' we do.

Pre-Service Training Overview

Fostering Our Future offers a 100% online pre-license training course: Foundations for Strong Families and Supportive Communities. This course has been approved by the Florida Department of Children and Families and is designed to equip prospective foster parents for their journey. This 7-week, 27-hour training includes weekly Zoom-facilitated discussions and guides participants through the essentials of fostering in Florida. It provides practical, emotional, and spiritual preparation for meeting the needs of children who have experienced trauma and instability. Upon completion, participants will not only fulfill Florida’s pre-service training requirement but also gain the confidence and clarity needed to move forward through background checks, home studies, and placement.

How You'll Engage

• 🖥 Self-Paced Video Lessons

Participants work through video modules at their own pace each week. Lessons are short, focused, and include real-life examples, visuals, and practical instruction.

📖 Interactive Resources & Reflections

Each section includes downloadable materials, scriptures for reflection, and interactive prompts that help deepen understanding and personal application.

💬 Weekly Zoom Discussions

At the end of each week, students join a 3-hour, live Zoom session facilitated by an instructor. These discussions reinforce the material, answer questions, and foster community among participants.

Curriculum

9 Chapters · 167 Lessons

  1. 1

    Lesson 1: The Florida Foster Care System

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Fostering Our Future Introduction

    2. Welcome to Foundations! Free preview
    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 1 - Introduction

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      Lesson 1 - Objectives

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      Section 1.1 - Brief Overview of Foster Care in Florida

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      Section 1.2 - Roadmap to Florida's Child Welfare System

    7. Section 1.3 - Entering Florida's Child Welfare System Free preview
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      1.4 - Community-Based Care

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      1.4 - Community-Based Care

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      1.5 - Reasons for Entering the Child Welfare System

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      1.6 - Moving Through Florida's Child Welfare System

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      1.7 - Child Welfare Hearings

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      1.8 - Foster Care and Placement

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      1.9 - Case Management

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      1.10 - Judicial Review

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      1.11 - Exiting Florida's Child Welfare System

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      1.12a Summary of Dependency Court Slides

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      1.12 - Summary of Dependency Court (Can be done on your own)

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      1.13 - Roadmap to Florida's Child Welfare System

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      Lesson 1 Group Discussion Case Study

  2. 2

    Lesson 2: The Effects of Entering the Child Welfare System

    1. Lesson 2 - Introduction Free preview
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      Lesson 2 - Objectives

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      Section 2.1 - Trauma of Separation

    4. Section 2.1 - Reflection on Grief and Loss Free preview
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      Section 2.2 - Signs and Behaviors Associated with Grief and Loss

    6. Section 2.2 - ReMoved Free preview
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      Section 2.2 - Identifying Signs and Behaviors of Grief

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      Section 2.3 - Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma

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      Section 2.3 - Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma

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      Section 2.3 - Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma

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      Section 2.3 - Identifying Triggers

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      Section 2.4 - Trauma and Child Development

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      Section 2.4 - Identify Trauma's Impact on Development

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      Section 2.5 - Attachment and the Attachment Cycle

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      Section 2.5 - Indicators of Attachment Issues and Specific Concerns

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      Section 2.5 - The Attachment Theory

    17. Section 2.5 - Reflect on Your Attachment Style Free preview
  3. 3

    Lesson 3: Standards for Licensed Caregivers

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      Lesson 3 - Introduction

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      Lesson 3 - Objectives

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      Section 3.1 - Child's Resource Record

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      Section 3.2 - Standards for the Outdoor Area of a Foster Home

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      Section 3.3 - Standards for Water Safety and Pools

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      Section 3.4 - Standards for the Interior Area and Personal Space

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      Section 3.5 - Standards for Home and Fire Safety

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      Section 3.6 - Water Safety for Parents and Caregivers Certificate

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      Section 3.6 - Transportation Safety

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      Section 3.7 - Food and Nutrition Standards

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      Section 3.8 - Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard

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      Section 3.8 - Developmentally Appropriate Experiences Checklist

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      Section 3.8 - Creating Developmentally Appropriate Experiences

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      Section 3.8 - A Guide for Discussing Developmentally Appropriate Experiences

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      Section 3.8 - Reflecting on the Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard

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      Section 3.9 - Babysitting and Other Supervision Arrangements

    17. Section 3.10 - Multi-Ethnic Placement Act and Americans with Disabilities Act Free preview
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      Section 3.10 - Truths About Race

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      Section 3.10 - Truths About Race Reflection

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      Section 3.11 - Group Discussion

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      Lesson 2 & 3 Group Discussion Case Study

  4. 4

    Lesson 4: Introduction to Family Systems Thinking

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      Lesson 4 - Introduction

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      Lesson 4 - Objectives

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      Section 4.1 - Dr. Murray Bowen (1913-90)

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      Section 4.1 - Understanding Bowen Theory

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      Section 4.2 - The 8 Concepts

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      Section 4.2 - The 8 Concepts Reflection

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      Section 4.3: Emotional Triangles

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      Section 4.3 - Identify an Emotional Triangle

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      Section 4.4 - Differentiation of Self

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      Section 4.5 - Have You Stopped to Consider?

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      Section 4.5 - Counting the Cost

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      Section 4.6 - How to Conduct Family Meetings

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      Section 4.6 - Family Meetings

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      Section 4.7 - Family Systems Thinking

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      Section 4.8 - Family Roles

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      Section 4.8 - Identify Your Family Role

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      Section 4.9 - My Life

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      Section 4.10 - Creating Your Family Eco-Map

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      Section 4.11 - Group Discussion

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      Lesson 4 Group Discussion Case Study

  5. 5

    Lesson 5: Managing Behavior Part 1

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      Lesson 5 - Introduction

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      Lesson 5 - Objectives

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      Section 5.1 - What is Your Parenting Style?

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      Section 5.2 - First Day of Placement

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      Section 5.3 - Multi-Cultural Parenting

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      Section 5.3 - Implementing Multi-Cultural Parenting

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      Section 5.3 - Conflict of Values

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      Section 5.3 - Can I Parent Multi-Culturally?

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      Section 5.4 - Guidelines for Living with Traumatized Children

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      Section 5.5 - Sexual Abuse and Guidelines for Parenting

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      Lesson 5.5 - Preventing Human Trafficking Training

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      Section 5.6 - What Can You Do?

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      Section 5.7 - Developing a Plan for Coping with Behaviors

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      Section 5.8 - Florida Discipline Law

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      Section 5.8 - Positive Discipline Techniques: Role Modeling

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      Section 5.8 - Positive Discipline Techniques: Encouragement

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      Section 5.8 - Positive Discipline Techniques: Charts and Rewards

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      Section 5.8 - Positive Discipline Techniques: Setting Limits

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      Section 5.8 - Positive Discipline Techniques: Consequences

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      Section 5.8 - Positive Discipline Techniques: Rules

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      Section 5.8 - Positive Discipline Techniques: Modifying the Environment

  6. 6

    Lesson 6: Managing Behavior Part 2

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      Lesson 6 - Introduction

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      Lesson 6 - Objectives

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      Section 6.1 - Psychotropic Medications Training

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      Section 6.2 - Family Huddle

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      Section 6.3 - Mobile Response Team

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      Section 6.3 - Mobile Response Teams Around Florida

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      Section 6.4 - Adverse Childhood Experiences

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      Section 6.5 - ACEs and the Impact on the Brain

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      Section 6.5 - Calculate Your ACEs Score

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      Section 6.6 - Hope-Informed Care

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      Section 6.6 - Reversing Effects of ACEs Video

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      Section 6.7 - Encouraging Attachment

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      Lesson 5 & 6 Group Discussion Case Study

  7. 7

    Lesson 7: Family Advocacy

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      Lesson 7 - Family Advocacy: Family First and the Child's Best Interest

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      Lesson 7 - Objectives

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      Section 7.1 - Getting to Know Robin Rosenberg

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      Section 7.2 - Implementing Family First

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      Section 7.3 - Overview of Florida Senate Bill 80

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      Section 7.4 - Best Interest Determination

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      Section 7.5 - Priority of Placement

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      Section 7.6 - Multidisciplinary Teams

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      Section 7.7 - Placement and Educational Transitions

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      Section 7.8 - Placement Transition Planning

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      Section 7.9 - Placement of Siblings

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      Section 7.10 - Post Disposition Change in Custody

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      Section 7.11 - Transition Plan and Judicial Review

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      Section 7.12 - Reinstatement of Parental Rights

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      Section 7.13 - Other Considerations of Senate Bill 80

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      Section - 7.14 - Conditions for Return Certification

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      Section 7.14 - Takeaways and Questions

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      Section 7.15 - Group Discussion

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      Lesson 7 Group Discussion Case Study

  8. 8

    Lesson 8: Working Together as Part of the Treatment Team

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      Lesson 8 - Introduction

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      Lesson 8 - Objectives

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      Section 8.1 - Review of Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT)

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      Section 8.2 - Preserving Family Connections

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      Section 8.2 - Co-Parenting Successfully

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      Section 8.2 - Additional Types of Family Time

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      Section 8.4 - Working with a Case Manager

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      Section 8.4 - Working with a Case Manager

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      Section 8.4 - Working with a Case Manager

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      Section 8.5 - Medical Treatment

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      Section 8.7 - Behavioral Health Services

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      Section 8.8 - Addressing the Child's Educational Needs

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      Section 8.6 - Guardian ad Litem Interview

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      Section 8.3 - Developing a Life Book

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      Section 8.3 - Developing a Life Book

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      Section 8.3 - Developing a Life Book

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      Lesson 8 Group Discussion Case Study

  9. 9

    Lesson 9: Transitioning Out of Care

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      Lesson 9 - Introduction

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      Section 9 - Objectives

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      Section 9.1 - Review Transition Plans

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      Section 9.2 - Reunification

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      Section 9.3 - Termination of Parental Rights to Adoption

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      Section 9.3 - Grounds for Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights

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      Section 9.3 - Terminating Parent Rights

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      Section 9.3 - Review Reinstatement of Parental Rights

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      Section 9.4 - Adoption

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      Section 9.5 - Extended Foster Care and Transition to Adulthood

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      Section 9.6 - Trauma of Transition

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      Section 9.7 - Signs and Behaviors of Grief in Foster Parents

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      Section 9.8 - Interview a Foster Family

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      Section 9.9 - Broken Places

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      Section 9.9 - Broken Places Discussion

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      Section 9.10 - The 3 Things You Need To Do Before Your First Placement

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      Section 9.11 - 2024 Legislative Update

    18. (Included in full purchase)

      Lesson 9 Group Discussion Case Study

    19. (Included in full purchase)

      Fostering Our Future - Conclusion

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