The Family Development Training and Credentialing Program, sponsored by the Children's Trust Fund, is an 80-hour comprehensive professional development course that brings together diverse groups of people working with families. It provides a common set of information and skills established on a strength-based model developed in the 1990s by Claire Forest at Cornell University.The curriculum includes the following topics: Family Development: A Sustainable Route to Healthy Self-Reliance; Communicating with Skill and Heart; Taking Good Care of Yourself; Diversity; Strengths-Based Assessment; Helping Families Access Specialized Services; Home Visiting; Facilitating Skills: Family Conferences, Support Groups, and Community Meetings; and Collaboration.Successful completion of the training, portfolio, and test qualifies a participant to receive the FDC credential from the University of Connecticut / School of Family Studies. Credentialed individuals are eligible for six undergraduate college credits. For more information, contact Maria Ramos at 203-498-4184 x 17 or by email at Mramos@womensconsortium.org.