Alternative Parenting Experience : a training for increasing participation in foster care in the life and ministry of Memorial Baptist Church, Jefferson City, Missouri.

This project will introduce the Alternative Parenting Experience (APEX) training as a process for increasing participation in foster care in the life and ministry of Memorial Baptist Church, Jefferson City, Missouri. The project will implement a seven-week intervention with the APEX training, which has three main components: 1) training and certification as a Certified Respite Provider through the Cole County Department of Social Services, facilitated by a licensed social worker, 2) training on the biblical, theological, and social reasons for foster care in the local church, 3) engaging in two respite care events (one in-home interview and one three-hour group respite), and 4) a guided journal to record the experiences of each participant throughout the trainings. Eight church members were selected to participate in the APEX training, each of whom was asked to complete all seven-weeks of the intervention and to take part in pre- and post-intervention interviews. The research of this project was guided by two major research questions: 1) What effect did the APEX Training have on participants’ involvement in foster care in Jefferson City, Missouri and 2) What effect did the APEX Training have on members’ understanding of their relationship with God as parent?