Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05

MAPP Classes Starting Soon for Bridges Foster Care

Rainbow Center – Children & Family Services will soon be offering MAPP (Model Approach to Partnership and Parenting) classes for prospective foster parents through the agency’s Bridges Foster Care program.

“Becoming a foster parent is a lot of hard work with great rewards. I think one of the greatest rewards is being able to offer a home for a child who needs to have a safe place. Parents will be rewarded because they will learn a lot about themselves, as well as knowing that they changed a child’s life,” said Bridges Foster Care Director Dori Gold.

Getting Started

The process of becoming a licensed foster parent begins by filling out an application. After approval, applicants will be invited to attend a MAPP class. Local and national background checks are conducted before classes begin.

What is MAPP?

MAPP is a 30-hour program that helps both the agency and potential foster parents decide if becoming a foster parent is right for them. Classes typically involve 10 meetings that are three hours long. Potential foster parents learn about the foster and adoption experience, how to be a loss expert, helping children with attachments, managing behaviors, dealing with a child’s birth family connections and much more.

In addition to MAPP classes, several home visits are conducted to determine if the home meets licensing standards. Foster parents are also required to have a fire extinguisher, a current physical examination, TB testing for all adults in the home, CPR/First Aid training and three references.

After training and paperwork is complete, a professional puts together a family study, assessment and the licensing packet. All materials are sent to the state of North Carolina’s licensing authority for approval.

“The whole process takes about three months, but our goal is to make the training process enjoyable, and develop dynamic one-on-one partnerships with foster parents,” continued Gold.

For More Information

Gold summarizes the Bridges Foster Care program by adding, “When we place a child in a foster home, we want them to be able to stay there. We choose the child for the family; we don’t just put a child into a home because it is available. We are very careful about the placement because we want it to be a success for the child and foster family.”

MAPP classes will start in the near future. if you are interested in attending a class, contact Bridges Foster Care Director Dori Gold at 336-667-3333 or email dgold@rccfs.com.