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May 2023Vol. 24, No. 4Four Ways to Access the National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster and Adoptive Parents

The National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster and Adoptive Parents (NTDC) was funded through a 5-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau. This cooperative agreement was led by Spaulding for Children in close partnership with other agencies.

NTDC is fully available at no cost, and there are four potential options to gain access to the curriculum materials. As part of determining how NTDC will be implemented, agencies will need to assess how each option fits with existing structures and what work may be needed to develop the structure for professional staff and participants to gain the desired level of access.

The four options below differ in several ways, including the level of interactivity, the availability and type of provided materials, and the ability for professional staff to monitor participants' course progress and completion:

  • NTDC website - The NTDC website allows users to download curriculum materials to a local device. The website includes files needed for the self-assessment and the classroom-based and right-time trainings. Each of these components is organized by theme and includes all curriculum materials, including guides, PowerPoint presentations, handouts, videos, podcasts, and more.

  • CapLEARN - This learning management system (LMS) is a federal website that provides access to training to build child welfare capacity through learning. To create a free account and access learning opportunities, register on the CapLEARN website.

  • Agency LMS - Interactive course materials were developed using the Moodle LMS. Agencies currently using Moodle (version 3.11 and above) will be able to directly import course materials onto their websites. Agencies can also download online and interactive curriculum components in formats that can be modified or directly added to their LMS. Agencies may also request curriculum files; however, materials will be provided in .mbz and .imscc formats only. The receiving agency will need to download and configure files for their LMS, as needed. Spaulding for Children offers limited consultation to assist agencies with this transfer. For sites interested in this option, contact scohick@spaulding.org for additional information.

  • Spaulding for Children portal - For sites interested in providing interactive access to their participants but do not want to use CapLEARN or do not have their own LMS, Spaulding for Children will host and fully manage an interactive system. For agencies interested in this option, contact scohick@spaulding.org for additional information.