Family Support
Family Development Credential

The Family Development Credential (FDC) provides participants with the skills and competencies needed to empower families to attain a healthy self-reliance and interdependence with their communities. This credential is recommended for frontline workers, such as home visitors, case managers, family resource center workers, community health workers and teacher aides.

The FDC was developed in 1996 under a partnership between the New York State Department of State’s Division of Community Services and Cornell University. The Interagency Workgroup on Family Support and Empowerment, a collaboration of fifteen major state agencies, under the leadership of the New York State Council on Children and Families, advised the process. Family workers receive the Family Development Credential after they complete 90 hours of interactive instruction; prepare a “Skills Portfolio” from opportunities to apply the principles of FDC in their work with families; and pass a state-credentialing exam.

In the past ten years, FDC courses have been offered to a wide range of government, private, and not-for-profit agencies as well as businesses and corporations. Over 4,500 workers have received their credential. Agency supervisors report that FDC training has increased effectiveness in helping staff work with families and has improved communication among workers. Research conducted on the outcomes of FDC training reveals that workers used family development skills in their professional and personal lives, and enhanced their skills in helping families develop their own goals of healthy self-reliance.

The Family Development credential is offered through Cornell University. For more information, contact: www.human.cornell.edu/che/HD/FDC/index.cfm