"What is MAPP training?" is the question that many people ask when they learn that they need this 8-session (24 hour) course to foster or adopt a child from the Department of Children and Families (Formerly the Department of Social Services).
MAPP (Massachusetts Approach to Partnerships in Parenting) is adapted from a program developed at the Child Welfare Institute and has been redesigned by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families in 2001.
Typically, the instructors are experienced social workers along with an experienced foster or adoptive parent. This course must be started before the homestudy begins and it covers the information necessary to make an informed decision about adopting a waiting child from DCF.
The approximate Course Schedule is as follows:
The first meeting provides an overview of the course; an overview of the caregiving process and the permanency planning for children in state care. As well, there is a discussion that MAPP is the first step in the "mutual assessment" process; both the social worker and the parent need to assess if this adoption path is the most appropriate path.
The second meeting addresses a child's transition into foster placement; understanding the move from both the child and birth parent's perspective and learning about the experience of loss and the stages of grieving.
The third meeting discusses children's development; assessing "normal" development, the effects of maltreatment on development, the importance of "attachment" and the cycle of attachment.
The fourth meeting outlines approaches to behavior management; different management techniques, their implementation and special considerations for children who have been abuse and neglected.
The fifth meeting addresses the special needs of children in care; the importance of their health and safety, the need of children who have been sexually abused and the need of children that have been exposed to domestic violence.
The sixth meeting explores the importance of maintaining and supporting connections; to birth family, to culture, to foster parents and to the memories of caretakers.
The seventh meeting is typically a panel discussion with panel guests that are foster parents, adoptive parents, therapists, DCF lawyers, or other involved people in the adoption process. Class members are encouraged to bring family and friends to this meeting.
The last meeting in MAPP is a chance to revisit the information presented, the impact of placement on the foster/adoptive family and how to make the decision about fostering or adoption.
