The federal government plans to award up to $1 million to continue expanding a free national training program designed to help foster, adoptive and kinship caregivers prepare for the challenges of caring for children who have experienced trauma, separation and loss. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Administration for Children and Families and Children’s Bureau, announced its intent to make a single-source cooperative agreement of up to $1 million to Spaulding for Children in Southfield, Michigan.
The proposed funding period will run from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2027, according to a Federal Register notice published September 2. The money will support continued implementation and expansion of the National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster/Adoptive Parents, commonly known as NTDC.
What Is the National Training and Development Curriculum?
NTDC is a free, trauma-informed training curriculum that child welfare and adoption agencies can incorporate into preparation and ongoing education for foster, adoptive and kinship families.
The curriculum was developed with federal funding through a five-year cooperative agreement led by Spaulding for Children beginning in 2017. Its development incorporated research as well as input from experts, families with fostering and adoption experience, and former foster and adoptive youth. The program includes self-assessment, classroom-based training and what NTDC calls “Right-Time Training,” which gives caregivers access to additional educational resources when particular challenges arise.
The classroom portion currently includes 19 training themes totaling approximately 28 hours. Training topics are designed to help families better understand issues that can arise when parenting children who have experienced trauma, separation or loss while developing skills that can support children’s healthy development and family stability.
Why HHS Is Planning a Single-Source Award
The planned cooperative agreement differs from a typical competitive federal grant because HHS intends to award the funding directly to Spaulding for Children. According to the Federal Register notice, HHS determined that Spaulding is uniquely positioned to continue the work because the organization developed NTDC under the original Children’s Bureau cooperative agreement and owns and manages the curriculum.
Spaulding also hosts the NTDC materials and has experience helping child welfare systems implement the program.
Although the curriculum and resources were made publicly available at the end of the original project, HHS says agencies continue to need assistance implementing the training effectively. The new funding is intended to provide that support while allowing more states, tribes, territories and agencies to use NTDC.
The Training Is Free for Agencies and Families
One notable feature of NTDC is that the curriculum itself is available at no cost. Public and private child welfare and adoption agencies can access the materials without purchasing a commercial training program, and families can also access free online Right-Time Training courses.
Those courses can be completed using a phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer and include videos, podcasts, activities and quizzes. Topics are designed to provide caregivers with information when they encounter particular situations or need additional support. The curriculum was originally piloted across several child welfare systems, including state, county, territorial and tribal sites, as well as a private agency serving families pursuing private domestic or intercountry adoption.
NTDC materials can also be adapted by agencies to address local training requirements and needs.
Why Caregiver Training Matters
Becoming a foster, adoptive or kinship caregiver can involve challenges that extend far beyond ordinary parenting preparation. Children entering foster care or joining adoptive families may have experienced trauma, loss, disrupted attachments or multiple changes in caregivers. Families may need specialized knowledge to understand behaviors, maintain children’s important connections and respond appropriately when challenges emerge.
HHS says effective and relevant training is critical for both prospective and current foster, adoptive and kinship caregivers. The federal agency also views caregiver preparation as part of developing and maintaining resource homes and supporting more stable placements for children.
Rather than creating a new training program, the proposed $1 million award is intended to keep an existing federally funded curriculum available while helping additional child welfare systems put it into practice.
Funding Could Continue Through September 2027
If the cooperative agreement proceeds as announced, Spaulding for Children could receive up to $1 million for work performed between September 30, 2026, and September 29, 2027. The funding is authorized through the federal Adoption Opportunities Program.
For foster, adoptive and kinship families, the immediate takeaway is that NTDC resources remain available free of charge. Families interested in the program can access its online training resources, while agencies can use the curriculum as part of their own caregiver preparation and continuing-education programs.
The new federal funding is primarily aimed at expanding implementation and providing the support agencies need to use those resources effectively, potentially bringing the curriculum to more caregivers and child welfare systems around the country.
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Amanda Blankenship is the Chief Editor for District Media. With a BA in journalism from Wingate University, she frequently writes for a handful of websites and loves to share her own personal finance story with others. When she isn’t typing away at her desk, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, son, husband, and dog. During her free time, you’re likely to find her with her nose in a book, hiking, or playing RPG video games.