Last week Victor Vieth, Director of Education and Research for the Zero Abuse Project, did a presentation for Safe Passage on his CAST (Child Advocacy Studies) curriculum. CAST trains 30,000 child protection workers and other first responders annually in 20 states in skills needed for child protection work.
This research paper documents CAST’s success with experiential training using simulation labs. Students are taught “how to interview children, interrogate a suspect, work with a non-offending caregiver, find corroborating evidence, explore alternative hypotheses during an investigation (and) testify effectively in both civil and criminal cases of child abuse…”. (p. 13).
Minnesota is currently developing the Child Welfare Training Academy (CWTA) which is also making a commitment to experiential learning, including a simulation lab. We will report more details on the CWTA curriculum and delivery system as they become available.
Free Webinar next Wednesday September 16th at 2:30
Ericca Maas, Executive Director of Close Gaps by Five, will talk about the key role her organization has played in promoting early childhood education in Minnesota, including early learning scholarships for infants and toddlers in child protection and foster care.