Family Support Training

Family Development Credential Program

The Family Development Credential Program

When families have the right resources and support, communities thrive. The Family Conservancy is offering the Family Development Credential (FDC) Program to help individuals and organizations that support families implement shared approaches and maximize impact.

Complete the Interest Form

What is The Family Development Credential Program?

The national Family FDC is an intensive, professional development course for individuals who work with families. The FDC helps ensure frontline workers across all sectors (social workers, police officers, human resources, teachers, etc.) are using the same highly effective approaches to support families.  

The FDC program is transforming the way agencies work with families – fostering collaboration, reducing duplication, and providing a way to streamline training for frontline workers.

Who is the Family Development Credential for?

Candidates for the FDC program are professionals from a wide range of governmental, private and non-profit agencies, faith based organizations, health care providers as well as businesses and large corporations who are invested in working effectively with families.

An Overview of the FDC Course:

  • 80 hours of interactive instruction based on the text, Empowerment Skills for Family Workers, a strength-based family support curriculum developed by Cornell University.
  • An experiential and supportive adult learning environment that promotes discussion and reflection.
  • Development of a Skills Portfolio documenting knowledge and skills with guidance of a trained portfolio advisor.
  • With successful completion of the FDC Course, an approved portfolio and passing a standardized exam, candidates earn the nationally recognized and respected FDC Credential.  Candidates are also eligible to apply the credential toward college credit and/or contact hours.

Core Competencies of the FDC Course

  1. Family Development: A Sustainable Route to Healthy Self-Reliance
  2. Communicating with Skill and Heart
  3. Presence and Mindfulness: Cornerstones of Healthy Relationships
  4. Taking Good Care of Yourself
  5. Our Diverse World
  6. Strength-Based Assessment
  7. Helping Families Set and Reach Their Own Goals
  8. Helping Families Access Specialized Services
  9. Home Visiting
  10. Collaboration and Community Support

FDC Outcomes: What the Research Shows

Research conducted on the outcomes of FDC training demonstrated:

  1. Enhanced skills in helping families develop their own goals of self-reliance
  2. Workers used family development skills in their personal and professional lives
  3. Improved communication among workers
  4. Increased effectiveness in working with families