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Training

The Federation of Foster Families of Nova Scotia administers training programs for foster caregivers on behalf of the Department of Opportunities and Social Development. The Federation also offers recruitment and training for foster caregivers to become program instructors. Training consists of the following programs:

Training Programs for Prospective Foster Caregivers:

P.R.I.D.E Foster/Adopt Pre-Service Training Program
P.R.I.D.E stands for Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education. The P.R.I.D.E Foster/Adopt Pre-Service Training Program is a training program for prospective foster caregivers & adoptive parents and is a model for the development and support of resource families. It is designed to strengthen the quality of family foster care and adoption services by providing a standardized, structured framework for recruiting, preparing, and selecting foster caregivers, and adoptive parents. It also provides foster caregiver in-service training and ongoing professional development.

All prospective foster caregivers are required to complete the P.R.I.D.E Pre-Service Program in order to become approved as a Regular foster home and in order to attend other foster caregiver training.
View our Referral Form

The program is divided into nine sessions and can be presented individually as evening sessions or combined as full-day workshops. Training is facilitated by a Regional Foster Care/Adoption Recruitment Worker from the Department of Opportunities and Social Development and a Federation of Foster Families Foster Caregiver/Adoptive Parent Co-Trainer.

To learn more about the P.R.I.D.E Foster/Adopt Pre-Service Training Program, or about becoming a foster caregiver, call 1-800-565-1884 or click here.

FFFNS TRAINERS –

Pre-Service:

Ann Jennex-Roberts

Barb Pike

Ken Smith

Debbie Cain

Mary Ann Burke

Norma MacDonald

Allie Pitre

Sheila Hill

Jennifer Fraser

Gwen Mosher

Keith Comeau

Megan Smith

PRIDE:

Ann Jennex-Roberts

Barb Pike

Corrie Williams

Marina Keeping

Marilyn Clyke

Ellen Carter

Debbie Vater

Sheila Hill

Mary Ann Burke

Taryn Baek

NCI:

Marina Keeping

Ernie Matheson

Marilyn Clyke

Brian Wolfe

Pius Trainor

Wendell Fraser

Taryn Baek

Sensitivity:

Marina Keeping

Gwen Mosher

Charmaine Struthers

Pius Trainor

Wendell Fraser

Jordan McCallum

Brian Wolfe

Training Programs for Approved Foster Caregivers:

Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NCI)

Introduced to Nova Scotia foster caregivers in 1994, this program teaches practical skills and techniques to:

Recognize the stages of crisis development and choose the appropriate response
De-escalate a situation and effectively intervene
Provide the best care, welfare, safety and security for everyone involved in the crisis

New foster caregivers are required to participate in Nonviolent Crisis Intervention training within one year of receiving their first placement. The Basic Program consists of two days of training. An annual one-day Refresher is required to maintain their NCI certification.

If you have been certified in NCI at your workplace within the past year and you can provide the Federation with a photocopy of your blue certification card, participation in the one-day Refresher instead of the two-day Basic training will be acceptable.

NCI Basic 2025 Spring Training Dates

NCI Refresher 2025 Spring Training Dates

Click here to register for the Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Program

Sensitivity Training

New foster caregivers are required to complete Sensitivity Training within two years of receiving their first placement. First developed and launched by foster caregivers, social workers, adult educators and representatives of various community groups and organizations in 1997, this two-day workshop is designed to help foster caregivers study and discuss the harmful effects of prejudice of any form, whether it is racism, discrimination toward people with disabilities, or because of sexual orientation.

The program sets the stage for appreciating diversity and testing our assumptions about others. That is, when a child or youth comes into foster care, they bring their own values, beliefs and ways of doing things all of which may be quite different for the foster family. As well, the child or youth may be from another race, religion, or language group; or they may be gay, lesbian or bisexual; or they might have a disability of some kind. To give them the best care, the foster family must respect and value their uniqueness, appreciate their individual gifts, and must also promote their positive self-esteem. To do this, caregivers require the specialized knowledge and skills taught in Sensitivity Training.

Although many foster caregivers receive “sensitivity training” at their place of employment, the Federation’s program is specifically designed for dealing with children in foster care.

Sensitivity 2025 Spring Training Dates

Click here to register for the Sensitivity Training Program!

P.R.I.D.E

A list of P.R.I.D.E. training modules can be found on the Foster care Nova Scotia website. Please click the following link to see more information.

PRIDE Training Module Descriptions

Standard First Aid Training

St. John Ambulance Standard First Aid/CPR Level “C” – The Federation of Foster Families of Nova Scotia, with the assistance of the Department of Opportunities and Social Development, now covers the cost of registration for this training. Participants are reimbursed for mileage and childcare.

Please contact Michele Roberts at the Federation office (michele.roberts@novascotia.ca) or (902) 424-5665 to register or find out more about upcoming training dates.

Should it be necessary to cancel or reschedule, please note the following:

Cancellations with 6+ business days notice will receive a FULL refund OR may choose to transfer to an alternate date with no transfer fee.
Cancellations with 3-5 business days notice will be charged a $40 (plus tax) administration fee OR may choose to transfer to an alternate date (see below regarding transfers)
Cancellations within 1-2 business days notice may choose to transfer to an alternate date (see below regarding transfers); however, a refund is NOT available
NO Shows will NOT receive a refund or credit

**There will be a transfer fee of $25 (plus tax) for transfers requested with 5 business days notice, or less, prior to the class date