How do I find a MAPP class in NYC?

April 29, 2013 8:16 AM

My spouse and I want to be foster parents in New York City. The whole system is exasperatingly decentralized, but we've gone to two orientations, filled out reams upon reams of paperwork, gotten physicals, put down 28 years of address history on our SCR forms. Now we need to take a MAPP training. The catch is that the agency nearest us holds the training Monday and Thursday nights. I work Thursday nights, so that is out. I've been calling agencies trying to find an open MAPP class, to no avail so far. So I'm wondering if the MeFi hive mind has any insights on finding an open MAPP class in NYC.

MAPP, for the uninitiated is "Model Approaches ot Partnership Parenting" or something. It's a 5-10 week series of classes designed to prepare you for foster parenting.

PS. I went back and forth about asking this anonymously. I realize that the harm of attaching my name to a question like this is probably close to nil, but I still feel awkward attaching my name to our quest to foster.

posted by anonymous to Law & Government (5 answers total)

YouGottaBelieve holds open MAPP classes 7 days a week all over the city. Show up half an hour before your first class; you have to take the classes once a week for 10 weeks (aka, you can't do all the classes all over the city and be done in 1.5 weeks; they do allow makeup classes though). Classes are rolling so you can start anytime, no need to wait for class #1. They do not mind if you're not planning to work with them; I'm guessing almost all of the people who took classes with us were being certified for other agencies.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:22 AM on April 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

Not that you asked, but have you been reading Fosterhood?
posted by Ideefixe at 8:34 AM on April 29, 2013 [3 favorites]

Graham Windham has theirs on Saturdays.
posted by houseofdanie at 12:17 PM on April 29, 2013

Interesting: fosterparentcollege.com offers online pre-service classes. Online training hours are accepted by 4 agencies in the city, including the NYC ACS. The number of hours varies by agency, and I don't know if any of those include pre-service classes, but it might be worth looking into.
posted by houseofdanie at 12:27 PM on April 29, 2013

Mod note: Update from the OP:

Thanks, All.

"You Gotta Believe" is definitely a great resource. They don't make it clear that you can drop in, but it sounds like you can. I also discovered that NYSCCC has complete lists, per county, of agencies at http://nysccc.org/map/ -- a huge resource if you have to resort to calling around.

(And yes: I read Fosterhood. She's the one who convinced me it is possible to make your way through the bureaucracy without going insane.)

posted by goodnewsfortheinsane (staff) at 5:56 AM on May 28, 2013