.07   Resource Parent Training.

A. Pre-service Training.

(1) Each resource parent applicant shall complete a pre-service training program approved by the Administration. This training shall cover the following:

(a) Role and relationships between local department personnel, the resource parent, the child in care's parents or legal guardians, and the child in care;

(b) Developmental needs of children in out-of-home care;

(c) Attachment, separation, grief, and loss;

(d) Trauma-related behaviors and trauma-informed parenting;

(e) Confidentiality;

(f) Behavior management;

(g) Reasonable and prudent parenting;

(h) Co-parenting with parents and legal guardians;

(i) Supporting a child in care’s relationship with their parents or legal guardian;

(j) Maintaining a child in care’s connections;

(k) Reunification and permanency plans;

(l) Effective communication;

(m) Conflict resolution;

(n) Cultural and religious differences between the resource parent and the child in care’s family

(o) Issues faced by individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+2;

(p) Caring for children in care with medical, mental health, and behavioral needs;

(q) Recognizing and responding to signs of depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions;

(r) Administration and storage of medications;

(s) Recognizing and reporting signs of child abuse and neglect; and

(t) Services available for children in care and resource parents.

(2) The local department may consider another nationally recognized pre-service training program completed within the prior 3 years as meeting the pre-service training requirement.

(3) If a resource parent applicant completes the pre-service training, the training is valid for 3 years from the date of completion.

(4) Resource parents who relocate to Maryland and have had an active resource home license in another state within the prior 3 years may be exempt from pre-service training requirements at the discretion of the local department.

B. Continuing Training.

(1) Each resource parent shall complete at least 10 hours of training approved by the local department annually, including 2 hours of behavior management training, every 2 years.

(2) The training may cover the areas listed in §A of this regulation and any additional topics as needed.

C. CPR & First Aid Training. Prior to a local department licensing a resource parent and at 2-year intervals thereafter, each resource parent shall complete cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid training.