PRIDE

PRIDE is a model for the development and support of all families interested in providing adoption, fostering or kinship care. PRIDE begins with the pre-service training for applicants.
It’s designed to strengthen the quality of both foster care , kinship care and adoption services by providing a standardized, structured framework for recruiting, preparing and selecting families.
It also provides foster parent training with ongoing professional development.

The name PRIDE was selected by foster and adoptive parents in Illinois, where PRIDE was first developed. It stands for Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education.

The PRIDE model is based on the philosophy that the value of family life for children, however family is defined, is compelling. Because of this, knowledgeable and skilled foster, kinship and adoptive parents are integral to providing quality services.

PRIDE pre-service and in-service training programs are designed to teach knowledge and skills in 6 essential competency categories:

• Protecting and nurturing children;
• Meeting children’s developmental needs, and addressing developmental delays;
• Supporting relationships between children and their families;
• Connecting children to safe, nurturing relationships intended to last and a lifetime;
• Participating as a member of a professional team; and
• Reinforcing a child’s heritage and cultural identity.