National Family Development Credential Program (FDC)
Overview
The National Family Development Credential® Program (FDC), an NCCRS member since June 2021, was established in 1996 at Cornell University and is currently housed within the University of Connecticut Center for the Study of Culture, Health and Human Development (CHHD). The National Family Development Credential® Program issues the Family Development Credential and the Family Development Leadership Credential. The FDC Program is a professional development course and credentialing program for frontline family workers and leaders to learn and practice skills of strength-based family support. FDC courses are offered to frontline workers who work with families across the life span including young children, teen parents, retired people, people with disabilities, and many other groups.
The FDC program offers two courses:
Empowerment Skills for Workers - a 90- hour interactive training for frontline workers in a variety of work settings. In addition to classroom instruction facilitated by an FDC certified instructor, participants develop a Skills Portfolio and pass an exam to earn the credential.
Empowerment Skills for Leaders - a 30-hour interactive training for supervisors and leaders in a variety of work settings. In addition to classroom instruction facilitated by an FDC certified instructor, participants develop a Skills Portfolio to earn the credential.
Both courses utilize the core principles and concepts of family development to enhance their organization’s capacity for empowerment-based support and leadership. FDC courses are offered through interagency partnerships by community-based instructors and portfolio advisors who are trained by their state's credentialing organization.
Students and admissions representatives please note: NCCRS does not provide transcripts. Transcript requests and inquiries should be directed to the organization offering the courses, examinations, or apprenticeship. See the Source of Official Student Records in the sidebar near the top right side of this page.
Titles of all evaluated learning experiences
Source of Official Student Records
Descriptions and credit recommendations for all evaluated learning experiences
80 hours of interactive instruction and 10 hours of portfolio advisement, based on the text, Empowerment Skills for Family Workers.
June 2016 - Present.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: apply the eleven (11) core principles of family development and explain the seven (7) steps of family development and seven (7) roles of the family development worker while assisting families to restore their sense of hope and ability to care for themselves and their families; practice the necessary skills to help families move from dependence on government programs to a healthy, sustainable relationship with their communities; learn to communicate with skill and heart by using empathy, understanding the importance of non-verbal communication skills and conflict resolution techniques; practice a variety of mindfulness skills and techniques to reduce stress in the workplace; create stress reduction and wellness programs to balance work and family responsibilities; understand cultural competence and barriers to a culturally-competent society; coach families to set and reach their own short- and long-term goals for healthy self-reliance in their communities; develop skills and competencies needed to work effectively with families; learn how to form a partnership with families to help them assess their needs and strengths; advocate for and prepare strength-based assessments; identify specialized services and community resources to support families; define the purpose and prepare for home visits by identifying potential safety issues; assist families by setting and achieving goals through shared power by using family development plans; and identify strengths and supports needed to build a supportive community through collaboration.
This course is taught in-person and/or an online format (with a required workbook - Empowerment Skills for Family Workers) consisting of on-going and cumulative competency-based self- assessments, portfolio (reviewed by a National FDC reviewer), and a final exam. The portfolio contains, for each of ten chapters, responses to at least three “Activities to Extend Your Learning” from the Worker Handbook; plan and carry out at least one skills practice with reflection for each chapter; this is shared with an assigned portfolio advisor and their comments documented in the portfolio. The last section of the portfolio contains three (3) Family Development Plans the worker creates with one family, to demonstrate an ability to work with family member(s) as they choose a goal and begin to take steps toward achieving that goal. Reflections are prepared on the family development plan outcome and an overall course. Students work with a trained portfolio advisor for ten (10) hours throughout the course, who provides guidance to complete required portfolio work.
The course consists of ten (10) chapters: Family Development: A Sustainable Route To Healthy Self- Reliance; Communicating with Skill and Heart; Presence and Mindfulness: Cornerstone of Healthy Relationships; Taking Good Care of Yourself; Our Diverse World; Strength-Based Assessment; Helping Families Set and Reach Their Own Goals; Helping Families Access Specialized Services; Home Visiting; and Collaboration and Community Support. The FDC curriculum offers a wide variety of activities to engage learning: presentation, role-play, paired interaction, small and large group discussions, visualization, personal reflection, self-assessment, case studies, and brainstorming. The purpose of the curriculum activities is to help workers learn and practice skills and competencies of strengths-based family development.
In the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 9 semester hours in Family Studies, Human Services, Child Family Development, Community Outreach, Social Services, Social Work, Health Services, or related discipline areas (6/21).
30 hours, flexible time frame.
June 2016 - Present.
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to: understand and practice the core concepts and competencies of strength-based family development and explore how they align with empowerment-based leadership; recognize the characteristics of an empowered workplace; understand the paradigm shift of “power over” to a “shared power” approach to leadership; increase awareness of the difference between deficit oriented practices and the family development approach in the workplace; understand the qualities of mindful leadership; practice the skills necessary to develop increased cultural humility and inclusiveness in the workplace; develop and offer services and programs consistent with the philosophy and best practices of family development and through participation in community-based professional development; and actualize the benefits of interagency and interdepartmental collaboration in achieving outcomes-based goals.
Major topics covered include leading an empowered workplace through implementation of family development best practices; shifting a leadership approach from a deficit approach to an empowerment approach; reflecting on personal leadership styles and leadership vision; types of organizational change and building capacity for transformation; leadership and self-empowerment; supporting staff during organizational transitions and traumatic events; conflict resolution skills; and strengthening cultural humility and inclusiveness in the workplace.
Each student reads the Empowerment Skills for Leaders textbook throughout the 30-hour course. A comprehensive Instructor Manual provides interactive lesson plans and activities for instructors to utilize in each of the five chapters of the curriculum. In addition, there are supplemental resources and suggested articles for each of the chapters.
Each student develops a Leadership Portfolio of skills practices working with a peer advisor applying the concepts taught in the course. Portfolios include an Independent Learning Project for each of the five chapters, a Leadership Empowerment Plan and an Overall Reflection. Peer advisors provide written and verbal feedback throughout the process. Portfolios are submitted to National FDC for review and approval before credentials are issued.
In the upper division baccalaureate category, 4 semester hours OR in the graduate degree category, 3 semester hours in Child, Adolescent and Family Development, Human Services, Human Services Administration, Social Services, Social Work, Health Services, or related disciplines, or Organizational Leadership (6/21).
