Family Development Credential Program

The Family Development Credential (FDC) Program is a catalyst for needed change by transforming the way agencies interact with Families.

There is a widespread consensus among families, workers and policymakers that services for families need to change. Family workers need systematic, comprehensive coursework to help families take on a larger role in shaping their own future. An important component of the FDC program is the community-based, collaborative interagency nature of the classes. Public health workers sit beside workers from Child Protective Services, Head Start, faith-based agencies, school districts and other organizations in an interactive classroom setting designed to break down stereotypes and barriers by fostering an atmosphere of mutual respect among frontline workers, who very often serve the same families. FDC uses a well researched; strengths based approach to reorient agency practice to the family support model by providing cross agency training.

What is FDC?
FDC is a professional development course and credentialing program. The curriculum provides workers with the skills and competencies necessary to empower individuals and families to solve problems and to set and reach their own goals. This systematic, comprehensive program of study provides both skill development and a way to identify the “credentialed worker” as one with consistency and professionalism in their work with families. In addition to the FDC is the Family Development Leadership Credential (FDLC) which is geared toward supervisors and leaders of family serving agencies to review and practice critical skills needed to develop mutually respectful, empowerment-based relationships with staff, collaborators and community stakeholders.