All Children - All Families: Training Program

The All Children – All Families expert LGBTQ cultural competency training program can be customized for the needs of individual agencies. All Children – All Families offers two options: a Training of Facilitators to build an agency’s internal training capacity and a 3-part, customizable Training Series for which ACAF Master Trainers provide training for agency staff.

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3-Part Training Series

The Training Series offers both foundational material and advanced content tailored for direct service professionals who work with LGBTQ children, youth, and families. Led by ACAF Master Trainers, the training series is approved for up to 18.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by the National Association of Social Workers. In general, each full day of training is eligible for 6 hours. Training is offered on a fee-for-service basis and the cost is based on the number of trainers, days of training, and other specifics. Below is an overview of our three-part Training Series.

An Introduction to LGBTQ Competency for Child Welfare Professionals

This critical first session in the All Children – All Families training series equips child welfare professionals with a comprehensive foundation of knowledge on LGBTQ youth and families and their experiences within the child welfare system.  Participants will explore key concepts and terminology, research on LGBTQ families and experiences of LGBTQ youth in foster care, as well as the steps every child welfare professional can take to welcome and affirm LGBTQ youth and families within the walls of their agencies and beyond.

Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ Families

This session in the All Children – All Families training series outlines the essential agency policies and practices that are welcoming to LGBTQ prospective parents.  Specific, practical suggestions for how to conduct non-biased, LGBTQ-competent home assessments, confidently engage in discussions with children about being placed in LGBTQ-headed families, and navigate challenges and pitfalls in the process of matching LGBTQ parents with children awaiting families are explored.

Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ Youth in Foster Care

This session in the All Children – All Families training series provides child welfare professionals with a deeper understanding of LGBTQ youth today, emphasizing the three pillars of child welfare: safety, permanency, and well-being.  Participants practice the skills necessary to discuss and assess sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression with young people, advocate for the educational and health care needs of LGBTQ youth, and ensure affirming placements for LGBTQ youth.

Training of Facilitators

The Training of Facilitators (TOF) program builds the capacity of child welfare agency staff to deliver internal LGBTQ competency training. Over three days, the TOF equips prospective facilitators to deliver five modules that cover foundational content on supporting and serving LGBTQ children, youth and families. Prospective facilitators begin by observing training as participants and then complete two days of classroom instruction by ACAF Master Trainers. Prospective facilitators conduct teach-back presentations and receive feedback from ACAF Master Trainers to ensure a firm grasp of content and teaching methods.