Foster Care :. PRIDE

Alameda County utilizes the PRIDE curriculum (Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education) to train new Resource Parents and continued education of current Resource Parents, including adoptive parents. PRIDE is designed to strengthen the quality of family foster care and adoption services by providing a standardized, consistent, structured framework for the competency-based recruitment, preparation, and selection of foster parents and adoptive parents, and for foster parent in-service training and ongoing professional development. This training program rests on the belief that the value of family life for children is compelling, and all efforts must be made to support relationships between children and their family of origin whenever safely and therapeutically possible.

PRIDE has embedded within it’s curriculum 5 essential competency categories prospective and current Resource Parents should be continually assessed for as they provide substitute care for children placed out of home:

1. protecting and nurturing children and youth
2. meeting children and youth's developmental needs and addressing developmental delays
3. supporting relationships between children, youth and their families
4. connecting children and youth to safe, nurturing relationships intended to last a lifetimes and,
5. working as a member of a professional team.
6. The training includes nine 3-hour sessions on topics relevant to successfully parenting children and youth who are in out-of-home placement.

The training includes adult interactive learning that assists the Department and the participants in assessing areas of growth and strength while identifying what demographic the participant would work best with. A wonderful opportunity for both sides to get to know one another in a relaxed learning environment!

Contact: Faith M. Battles, MSW Child Welfare Supervisor responsible for the recruitment, development and support of Resource Parents and Adoptive Parents in Alameda County at 510 780-8942 or contact our information hotline at 510 259-3575 for further information.