Alaska Center for Resource Families
Self-Study and Alternative Training Policies and Procedures
The Alaska Center for Resource Families offers self-study materials that qualify for training credit and assists licensed foster parents or adoptive families in meeting Alaska’s foster parent or adoptive parent training requirement, and to learn more information to help you care for special needs children.
We have a large selection of library materials that are available to anyone that visits our Fairbanks or Anchorage offices. If you live outside of Fairbanks or Anchorage and need material on a specific topic we can help you choose what’s best for you from our lending library and from this self-study catalog. Call today and we can help you assess your needs.
The training requirement for foster parents:
In Alaska, two-parent foster homes are required to have 15 hours of training for their home each year. Single-parent foster homes must have 10 hours. Each parent on the foster care license must have at least five hours (5) of training in their licensing year. The Alaska Resource Family CORE training is required for all foster parents and should be completed before any other training is done.
The training requirement for adoptive parents:
All families who are adopting children from the child welfare system should have training and complete the Alaska Resource Family CORE on site or Self-Study workbook. Then they should complete the Adoption and Guardianship on-site training or Self-Study workbook.
ACRF POLICIES
ACRF Library Materials:
You may visit our ACRF offices in Anchorage and Fairbanks and browse through the library and check out materials of your choice. You may also order materials using the internet. You can go to www.acrf.org and look at the on-line catalogue, email us at acrf@nwresource.org or call ACRF at 1-800-478-7307, except in Fairbanks/North Pole, call 479-7307. We will mail you a self-study catalogue if you do not have one.
We will make every effort to send your order in a timely manner. ACRF will e-mail Self-Study courses to you if you have an e-mail address. We will mail books and videos to you and other courses if you do not have an e-mail address. The check out period for videos, books and audio tapes is two (2) weeks. You may keep the Self-Study courses that are developed by ACRF for your future use.
ACRF recognizes that some foster parents have difficulty attending on-site training due to child care and work demands. To help foster parents meet the annual training requirement, ACRF provides a self-study option to complete at home.
Credit for Training:
ACRF will give foster and adoptive parents training credit for Self-Study or alternative training that is ordered from our library. For each course you complete, you will need to complete a questionnaire that shows you have studied the material and understood it. Read or view the course, fill out the questionnaire, and return the materials to ACRF. If you successfully complete the questionnaire, your training hours will be automatically recorded and a training report will be mailed to you. Both foster parents may complete the same Self-Study course; however, once completed, we can not give you credit again for that same a Self-Study course, video or book. Training submitted within your licensing year may not be carried over to the next year.
Alternative Training Credit:
Foster and adoptive parents can receive training credit for educational opportunities completed outside of ACRF onsite or self-study training. For these alternative opportunities to qualify for training hours, the sessions must contain an educational component that pertains to caring for children with special needs. You must complete the Training Information Sheet for Alaska-Licensed Foster Parents and attach documentation that you attended the training. This form and your verification will be reviewed by an ACRF training coordinator to ensure the validity and quality of your submission.
Acceptable documentation includes a certificate of completion, a copy of a certification card (such as CPR) a letter or note signed by the presenter with the presenter’s qualifications, the hours in training and the title of the training.
Any independent study (reading or watching educational videos not in our library) may contribute to your training hours. To get credit, you need to fill out a special form called “Selected Reading Questionnaire” or “Selected Video Questionnaire” available through ACRF.
All forms are available on our website www.acrf.org or you can call us at 1-800-478-7307. In Fairbanks/North Pole, call 479-7307.
ACRF LENDING LIBRARY POLICIES
1. The Alaska Center for Resource Families (ACRF) will make every effort to forward all materials from the video and book library to the requesting party within two (2) to four (4) working days of the request. We will e-mail materials whenever possible.
2. When we cannot e-mail materials, ACRF will pay regular postage costs for printed materials sent to the foster parent or community professional requesting materials. The individual making the request is responsible to RETURN resource materials to ACRF at their OWN COST for regular mail delivery. In the event postage cost creates a hardship for the foster parent, he/she is requested to contact ACRF for alternate arrangements.
3. The check out period for books, videos and audio tapes is two (2) weeks. The due date can be found on the card pocket on or in each item. If you need more time to review the material, please call ACRF to extend the deadline PRIOR to the due date.
4. ACRF may find it necessary to put certain materials on RESERVED when they are to be used for our training or curriculum development purposes.
5. For any materials returned to ACRF in an obviously damaged condition, the library user will be sent a bill to pay for a replacement copy. If the materials are received by the requesting party in a damaged condition, they must notify ACRF immediately. There is NO charge for these materials though you are financially responsible for any lost or damaged material.
6. The limit for the number of items checked out during the same time period is as follows:
BOOKS, VIDEOS AND AUDIO TAPES: You may order two (2) items or one (1) set or series per household, for a two (2) week period. A longer check out period may be given to remote areas - return dates may be increased up to four (4) weeks.
COURSES, INFORMATION PACKETS AND CLUSTER PACKETS: There is no return date - you may keep the information sent to you. Please limit your order to three (3) packets per household. We will e-mail these materials whenever possible.
7. In the event library items have not been returned within 5 working days of the date due indicated on the card pocket, a reminder postcard will be sent allowing a 10 day extension. If materials have still not been returned a notice will be sent. This notice will include a bill for the replacement cost of the late materials.
Non-response within ten (10) days from the date of the second billing will necessitate in revoking of privileges to use the Self-Study Library from any ACRF office until the materials or fee is returned to us. All financial assistance requests will be denied while a foster parent is on a REVOKED status.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding our Library Policy and Procedures, please feel free to call us at 1-800-478-7307 or 479-7307 for Fairbanks and North Pole areas.