This is no ordinary information and educational training …. Real information for real pre and post adoptive and foster families …. Families Like Ours gives you what you need to know to prepare you for your journey.

P.R.I.D.E.^? Training (Parents' Resources for Information Development Education) is also sometimes called The Foster Parent & Adoptive Parent Preparation Course. If you’re planning on adopting a child or children currently in the Washington State foster care system, you are required to take the P.R.I.D.E. pre-service training and orientation. We have combined them so you receive a complete orientation about adoption, foster care and the process.

 List Of Upcoming P.R.I.D.E. Trainings

Who should attend?

• Anyone with the goal of adoption from the foster care system
• Anyone wanting to become a foster parent
• Anyone wanting to provide a BRS^? foster home
• Anyone wanting to be a respite^? provider

This is more than just sitting in a room, it is an active participating workshop program facilitated in a discussion format. The goal is not to teach you how to parent, but to enhance your parenting skills, help you understand adopted children better, and familiarize you with children that are in the foster care system.

We're thinking about doing an International adoption^?, should we attend? Yes! We have several agencies that work with families adopting internationally and recommend their families take our P.R.I.D.E. training. One of the myths of international adoption is that you'll never deal with the issues a foster child may present. That is simply false. During this training you'll learn about eating issues, the bonding process, issues related to attachment^?, F.A.S.D., building parenting skills and more.

What will I walk away with?

• The ability to set realistic goals for yourself, your family and the child
• A complete understanding of all the players and their roles in the process
• A common-sense guide on how to select the agency and program that is right for you
• Real-world examples with real-world answers
• An understanding of how the culture, community and self, affect you and the child
• Expectations from the home-study process
• Sufficient information to get a placement that will work best for you and your family
• Explanation of attachment and bonding
• Effective discipline for yourself and the child
• A good understanding of parenting survivor tools
• Myths and misinformation dispelled about adoption, foster care and the foster system
• A good sense of the money involved: how much, when and how to keep it
• Tips on how to keep yourself out of trouble

This is unlike any other P.R.I.D.E. training. We do not work on theory; we talk about the real world, real kids, and real answers. Our job is not to prepare you for “passing your home study^?,” but to prepare you to be an adoptive or foster parent. Important: You DO NOT need to take the orientation when taking our P.R.I.D.E. training. We have included that section for you.

Is there anything else I get out of this? Every family that attends our P.R.I.D.E. training or Adoption 101 trainings are automatically enrolled in our independent peer-to-peer mentoring program. That means you'll always have a “buddy” there to answer questions, provide guidance, and lend an ear when you need it most. We're families-helping-families, we have been there too.

How do I register? Registration is quick and simple. First, select an upcoming P.R.I.D.E. Training on our web site. Then, click on the registration link. You can also call us at 206-441-7602 to register for the Families Like Ours Pride training.

"The training from Families Like Ours was fantastic.  There was instruction, advice, and a lot of humor used to provide all the information and support we could possibly need as we made one of the biggest decisions of our lives.  Not only do they help navigate through the red tape of the adoption process, but are there to help you keep your sanity once the child is placed in your home." Michael and Megan, adoptive family