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Okay, this is 4 year old info. But I believe it's still 30 hours. I did 5 - 6 hour classes on Saturdays with an hour lunch in between.
I'm just going to be totally honest with you, Hugsie, at the time I took these classes I was completely bored and felt I really didn't learn anything that common sense and living hadn't taught me. The most powerful classes were the ones with speakers who had been in the system. We had a class about birthparents. 3 moms who had all been to rehab and in various stages of getting their kids back talked to us and that was eye opening.
And my final class was a potluck with families who had either adopted or fostered. The woman whose 6-year-old fost/adopt son didn't know what crumbs were or what a hallway was, yet knew that his birth dad sold "rocks" stayed with me. She told us that her son would speak gibberish when playing cops and robbers with his cars and action figures because he had no idea what they would say to each other due to the transited lifestyle he led with his birthmother. This story brings tears to my eyes everytime I think of it and see my 3-year-old playing with his police car and saying things he knows cops say.
In my opinion, the classes can't even begin to explain or show you what it's like to be part of the system. If I knew the true story, I would have run out of the building screaming. The classes are like you learning multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. Then you get a placement and suddenly you're thrown into Algebra II.
I think its faster with a private agency because they make their money off of having foster parents, in part. Thus I think slightly more motivated. My agency is currently offering $500 to families that refer other families to them, who complete the foster parenting classes and get a placement.
With a private agency, you are licensed through that agency and not DCF. So I believe your agency handles the bulk of your paperwork.
It's better to ask questions, don't feel embarrassed. I was very naive when my son came home. He was my first placement. Though I am thankful I was eased into the system.
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