Family Development Credentialing
The Family Development Training and Credentialing (FDC) Program was created by Cornell University, College of Human Ecology, Department of Human Development, FDC Cornell Empowering Families Project.
FDC provides frontline workers with the skills and competencies needed to empower families.
FDC provides frontline workers with the skills and competencies they need to empower families to attain a healthy self-reliance and interdependence within their communities. FDC offers quality, sequential training enabling workers to develop these skills and competencies, and provides a credential recognized throughout the country. FDC-PA is the official affiliate of the Cornell University program in Pennsylvania, offered through the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania.
Comprehensive Family Development Training, Portfolio Advisement and Credentialing is available through local official training programs in various regions of the state. All of the official training programs in Pennsylvania are coordinated by a designated CAAP staff approved by Cornell University and are governed by specific program policies and procedures. The Instructors for these programs participate fully in an FDC-PA Instructors Institute, led by a designated trainer, who is approved by CAAP. This institute prepares them to offer the local FDC program. Portfolio Advisors for these programs attend FDC-PA Advisor Training Sessions, led by a designated trainer, who is approved by CAAP. This training prepares them to act in support of portfolio development in the official training programs.
Each of the local programs has a Lead Agency which has assumed the responsibility for implementing the local FDC-PA training program in accord with the statewide program policies and procedures. The local Lead Agency develops its own policies and procedures regarding applicant selection, fees, attendance, etc. which are submitted to the CAAP in writing. However, local policies and procedures may not be in conflict with state policies and procedures.
Lead Agencies must be legal entities, recognized by the state of Pennsylvania, with appropriate management and fiscal capacity. The Lead Agency must represent a local consortium or collaboration, to assure that there is community wide buy-in to the implementation of the FDC principles. If the Lead Agency is not a member of the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania, the local Community Action Agency should be invited to be an active partner in the community collaboration.