Under contract with the Department of Children and Family Services (Department), the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides pre-service and in-service training required under Title IV-E for both new and veteran DCFS and Purchase of Service (POS) direct service and supervisory staff who provide direct child welfare service to children and families. Pre-Service training is also offered for adoption workers.
Pre-service and in-service training is delivered through classroom (physical and virtual), online on-demand, and a hybrid approach. Pre-service training courses are required for child welfare employee licensure candidates, and 20 clock hours of in-service employee professional development is required of child welfare direct service staff every two years. There are a wide variety of trainings offered through this program that satisfy ongoing state mandates, federal initiatives, and DCFS training goals.