Child Protection Certification

Child protection is not an easy job. In order to effectively perform this job you require the prerequisite skills and abilities. You should also have adequate knowledge about this job. Child protection professionals have a hard time developing these skills. Child protection certificate program have been specially designed to ensure that you develop these skills easily without much effort.

These skills are absolutely necessary so that you can smoothly perform your job. There are various professional development centers over the world that provides certification training. These development centers are responsible for making the curriculum of the program.

The phase 1 of child protection certification program is of 2 months. Basic knowledge and skills of child protection are imparted in the classroom. The goals of well being, permanency and safety are emphasized throughout the program. Topics include child safety assessment, case initiation, child maltreatments, staffing, interviewing, documentation, decision making, domestic violence, neglect and removal and permanency. Trainees are then given knowledge about child protection software in the computer lab.

After class room training the trainees are given knowledge in web based training. Topics include relative care giver program and federal funding. Assessment is done on a regular basis. Whatever is taught in class has to be reinforced. Field training is specially designed for reinforcing the classroom training. It involves observation of interviews of both adults and children. It also involves court hearings and various staffing activities.

Supervision: The supervisor ensures that trainees are not assigned any cases and sufficient time is given to complete the necessary field activities. After completion of phase one training the trainees are expected to give a written test. It is an objective test which has multiple choices.

Phase two of child protection certification program is of 4 months. Areas that are covered in this program include documentation, assessment, interpersonal skills. The trainee is given a schedule of the training in advance.

In the first month of training field training sessions are given. During these sessions the trainer accompanies the trainee on the field for the trainee’s cases. The skills and the abilities that are taught in the first phase are implemented in case work situations. Feedback about the field training session is immediately provided to the trainer.

The trainers facilitate detail analysis of trainees child protection cases. Emphasis is given on skill practicing. The supervisor discusses all case work situations. The supervisor then reinforces and evaluates case work practices of the trainees. An assessment is done on a field based performance which involves analyzing professional interpersonal skills.
The review panel then takes the final decision about the trainees overall performance.

Child protection certification is valid only for 3 years. For recertification, you have to attend in-service instruction program for a period of 48 hours. In this program instructions are given on ethics and conduct and casework practice skills for a period of 24 hours.

Child protection certification program are also a part of many university courses. Many are encouraged to be part of this child certification program.