About the Training Program

Professionals who work with caregivers and young children (birth to 3 years) often see the need to support and guide caregivers in building nurturing and responsive relationships with children. Promoting First Relationships gives professionals the knowledge, tools, and strategies to do so. As of early 2010, we have conducted over forty Promoting First Relationships Workshops in every region of the United States and in Japan.

Through this training, participants learn a unique consultation and intervention strategy that they can integrate into their work, whether in the high risk, special needs, child care, or other early childhood fields. The strategy can be used one-on-one with parents and also with child care providers and early childhood teachers responsible for group care. Because Promoting First Relationships is a positive, strengths-based model, caregivers are open to the intervention and gain competence, and thus investment, in their caregiving.

The Promoting First Relationships training program integrates theory, practice and intervention. Trainers use various learning approaches including video case studies, role-playing, and reflective dialogue. These approaches allow participants to apply the framework directly to issues faced in their work environment.

Why Promote First Relationships?

Parenting and providing child care to young children is a joyful experience, yet it is also challenging and demanding. Poverty, poor parenting models, family stress, special needs, or behavioral difficulties can make the task even more complicated. These first relationships between children and their parents or other caregivers - the people who are closest to them - are crucial to children's later development, particularly their social and emotional development. When these first relationships are positive, children develop confidence in themselves, trusting relationships with others, and a hopeful outlook on life.

So why Promote First Relationships? Because how we are as parents and caregivers is as important as what we do.

There are currently three different levels of Promoting First Relationships training available. Please note that completion of the 3-day Learner's Workshop (Level 2) is required prior to participating in Level 3 traning. Please click here for more information about this Workshop.

Training Levels

Level 1: Awareness Building

1.5 to 4-Hour presentations facilitated by Program Director, Dr. Jean Kelly, or another Promoting First Relationships Master Trainer. Presentations designed to introduce the concepts of Promoting First Relationships.

Level 2: Knowledge Building

3-day Learner's Workshop, click for more information.  

Our three day workshop is designed to give service providers knowledge about using Promoting First Relationships within one’s own practice. The workshop is taught by PFR Master Trainers and includes the curriculum, parent handouts, and training in the following elements:

• Elements of a Healthy Relationship
• Attachment Theory and Secure Relationships
• Reflective Capacity Building
• Development of Self for Infants and Toddlers
• PFR Consultation Strategies
• Challenging Behaviors
• Intervention Planning Development

Level 3: Skill Building

           
Prerequisite: Knowledge Building 3-day Workshop

Our Level 3 training is a more intensive mentored training program with two models, our Reflective Practice and Learner Model.

Reflective Practice is a mentored model where a PFR Master Trainer attends agency based case conferencing and mentors participants in a reflective practice case consultation strategy based on PFR curriculum.

Learner Model is a mentored model where a PFR Master trainer works with service providers within their own practice setting mentoring the trainee in the use of PFR methods and consultation strategies. The Learner Model consists of a total of 20 mentored visits with two different families.  Each mentored visit lasts 2 ½ hours and includes a 75-minute visit with the family and a 1-hour reflection with the mentor afterward.

Please contact Jennifer Duval at jjduval@u.washington.edu for more information.