SHELTER, INC.

Shelter, Inc. recognizes the importance of foster parents as part of the foster care team and the need for ongoing support services.  We are committed to providing our foster parents and their families with information they may find helpful in addition to the direct support they receive from Shelter, Inc. staff.

Training Credits for License Renewal

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) requires each foster parent to complete sixteen hours of training prior to renewing their foster care license every four years.  There are various ways that Shelter, Inc.'s foster parents may complete the required training:

Shelter, Inc. seminars and foster parent trainings - Attend seminars and trainings given by Shelter, Inc.'s Community Education or Foster Care departments.

DCFS in-service training programs - View DCFS training modules and schedules or call Shelter, Inc.'s Licensing Specialist at 847.590.6190 ext. 35 for more information.  Foster Parents may register for classes by calling DCFS at 877.800.3393.

DCFS lending library - View the Lending Libraries Catalog for Illinois Foster & Adoptive Parents. To request items from the lending library, mail or fax the completed form from the back of the catalog to:

Your local library - Check out information on foster parenting, adoption, child development and parenting, behavioral disorders, discipline methods or related material from your local library.  To receive credit for books or videos you review, please fill out a Foster Parent Training Credit Approval Form and submit to Shelter, Inc.'s Licensing Specialist.

Educational Advocacy Requirement

Before the date of your first foster care license renewal, DCFS requires that at least one foster parent in your home attend educational advocacy class, which is offered at the end of Foster/Adopt PRIDE Pre-Service Training.  the class certifies foster parents to participate in their foster child's individual education plan (IEP) if he or she is enrolled in special education.  If foster parents elect not to take the educational advocacy class at the end of PRIDE training, both DCFS and the College of DuPage offer this course as a stand-alone class.

 For more information on Shelter, Inc's Foster Parent Support programs,

• Call us at 847.255.8060
• Email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• visit our Foster Parents Resources page