Web-Based Training Center for Foster & Adoptive Parents

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目的目的是开发，生产和评估通过DVD或网络提供的寄养和养父母的电子培训中心。该网站将为儿童保育系统的父母提供高质量和全面的继续教育。这些家长往往无法安排参加培训活动，这严重限制了他们所能获得的材料的数量、质量和相关性。初期课程将包括三个教学领域的19门课程：处理儿童的严重情绪问题，应对学校问题和亲属关怀。在第一阶段，我们完成了一门关于愤怒爆发的课程的开发。交付格式反映了一个国家的最先进的多媒体演示，其特点是：一个重点介绍的问题，从父母的故事叙述的问题，一个问题和回答会议与临床专家，信息的合成，并建议家长后续的步骤。在评估研究中，利用DVD格式，我们发现，父母在治疗组作出了非常显着的改善知识以及父母的信心和观点的变化，关于愤怒爆发，与父母在控制组。家长们还报告说，用户对这些材料的满意度很高。在第一阶段，我们将开发和制作18个额外的课程。评估研究将评估家长在知识和自我认知方面的收获，从三个教学领域的每一个课程的子集。该网站将在一个由州和县机构组成的全国网络中推广。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The aim of this project is to develop, produce, and evaluate an electronic training center for foster and adoptive parents delivered via DVD or the Web. The site will provide high quality and comprehensive continuing education for parents in the child care system. These parents are frequently unable to make arrangements to attend training activities, which severely limits the quantity, quality, and relevance of materials available to them. Initial course offerings will include a total of 19 courses in three instructional areas: Dealing with Children's Serious Emotional Problems, Coping with School Issues, and Kinship Care. In Phase I, we completed development for one course on Anger Outbursts. The delivery format reflects a state-of-the-art multimedia presentation that features: a focused introduction to the problem, story narratives from parents about the problem, a question-and-response session with a clinical expert, a synthesis of information, and suggested steps for parent follow-up. In the evaluation study, utilizing a DVD format, we found that parents in the treatment group made highly significant improvements in knowledge as well as changes in parent confidence and perspective regarding Anger Outbursts, compared with parents in the control group. Parents also reported a high degree of user satisfaction with the materials. In Phase l we will develop and produce 18 additional courses. The evaluation study will assess parent gains in knowledge and self-perceptions with a subset of courses from each of the three instructional areas. The site will be promoted throughout an established national network of state and county agencies.