Welcome from all of us at the Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System!
It is my pleasure to welcome you not only to our website but also to our organization. The goal of our organization is relatively simple: to support the knowledge and skill development of child welfare professionals (workers, supervisors, directors, and providers) and caregivers (foster parents, adoptive parents, guardians, and congregate care providers). We do this by providing innovative, research-based, learner centered, and culturally responsible learning opportunities to those who promote the safety and well-being of children, youth, and families. We strive to promote the best child welfare and out-of-home care practice through education, skill development, strategic partnerships, and effective advocacy. Our role is to support you in being the very best professional you can be.
Each of you brings a unique set of experiences and skills to the table, and we envision this as a strength of all professional development opportunities we offer. The range of experience we can draw from is a valuable resource as TOGETHER we explore more effective ways to support children and families. We are committed to training approaches that reflect this, and our expectation is that you will encounter an atmosphere where you feel comfortable to ask questions, state opinions, and formulate arguments. The goal, as we see it, is that as a group we come out the other end of any professional development opportunity having had both a fun and a useful educational experience that you can apply directly to your work. As we enter a new era of training that involves more self-paced learning and has a greater reliance on technology, I want to assure you that we will continue to maintain the same great quality and offer frequent opportunities for group learning and interaction with trainers and peers alike. We remain committed to serving you through exceptional professional development opportunities that are available, accessible and of high quality at acceptable costs.
Darin Smith, Executive Director
Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System