Core Practice #4: Using effective discipline techniques, not punishment, especially physical/corporal punishment. We are very specific in the terminology we use and go beyond teaching only what foster parents can legally do, to include what is most effective. (Example, legally they can’t spank, but they can use timeouts, even though research shows timeouts are ineffective non-physical forms of punishment.) To review PTC's teachings, read our articles: Discipline versus Punishment , Disciplining children, and What Discipline Works.