About us

Overview

Originally known as the Foster Care Education (FCE) program, the Foster and Kinship Care Education program (as it is called today) of the Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges was first established in 1984. With the passage of Senate Bill 2003 (Royce), known as the Foster Children and Parent Training Act (Statutes of 1984, Chapter 1597), the Chancellor's Office was designated as the agency to administer the program and provide funding to community colleges for the provision of education and training to potential and existing foster parents. The purpose of the legislation was to provide education and training opportunities to foster parents to assist them in meeting the needs of the foster children in their care. At the state level, the Chancellor's Office collaborates with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) on issues impacting the education and training of foster parents and relative care providers. The CDSS is represented on the Chancellor's Office FKCE State Advisory Committee, along with care providers and county representatives. At the local level, each college FKCE program works closely with their County Department of Social Services and local foster parent/care provider organizations. Each college also facilitates a local advisory committee, which assists the program with referrals, as well as guidance on the type and format of education/training that is needed in their county.