What is involved in the certification process?
In order to be certified as an adoptive family, families must complete the PRIDE training course and have a completed homestudy.
PRIDE training is a required curriculum for families interested in special needs adoption. The training covers topics such as child abuse/neglect, emotional and behavioral issues, discipline, and overviews of adoption and foster care. The training is an excellent opportunity to meet other families who are going through the process as well. It is also an opportunity to educate yourself about adoption and foster parenting and dispel myths and ease fears.
The homestudy is a comprehensive report of your family and home environment. The Homestudy also examines your financial, physical, emotional and psychological capabilities to parent a child. The completed homestudy includes an application, summary of your family’s history, interviews, criminal background and child abuse clearances. The timeline of the homestudy can vary from family to family.