The Child Welfare Training Academy (CWTA) at the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) has a vision to provide the District of Columbia‘s social workers, resource parents, and community partners with the knowledge, skills, support, and coaching that effectively promote the safety, permanence, and well-being of children and families in the District of Columbia.
Under the purview of the Deputy Director for the Office of Planning, Policy, and Program Support (OPPPS), CWTA is one component of the Development and Equity administration responsible for ensuring the implementation of an effective child welfare training system that not only fulfills the District's legal mandates for the training and licensing of social workers, but also provides the highest quality child welfare instruction available for social workers, supervisors, and resource parents.
CWTA Training Goals
CWTA EMPHASIZES A STRONG COMMITMENT TO DEVELOPMENT.
CWTA uses established training and development guidelines as well as measurements via course evaluations and participant feedback to monitor training outcomes. CWTA trainers show their commitment to development through teaching numerous courses: social worker and resource parent pre-service and in-service, social worker and resource parent cross-training in-service, and functioning-based, job-specific topics. CWTA’s commitment also extends to coaching newly hired staff with the goals of enhancing knowledge transfer and developing the child welfare professionals of tomorrow. The value of day-to-day work experiences cannot be underestimated, especially when supplemented through coaching, courses, professional associations, action teams, conferences, and independent study.
CWTA TAILORS DEVELOPMENT TO MEET THE AGENCY’S STRATEGIC PLAN.
CWTA creates development opportunities in response to Agency demands in collaboration with the Agency’s various administrative areas. The focus of these tailored development initiatives is to build competencies that ensure critical skills gaps are closed, and the intellectual capital of the Agency increases. To ensure that the development options offered at CFSA are evidenced-based, CWTA researches best practices in parenting and child welfare for incorporation into programs and courses. CWTA also solicits feedback from learners on a consistent basis with the goal of continuing to refine and enhance CWTA’s learning opportunities.
CWTA TAILORS DEVELOPMENT TO MEET THE LEARNING NEEDS OF RESOURCE PARENTS.
In addition to preparing foster parents for their roles as caregivers through in-service training, CWTA provides guidance through family development plans. These plans help resource parents discern their own unique strengths, interests, and areas where they may need extra assistance in the learning process. When resource parents create their development plans, careful attention is paid to pursuing a variety of development options.
The CFSA Child Welfare Training Academy (CWTA) is approved by the DC Board of Social Work as a continuing education provider for licensed social workers in the District of Columbia.
