P.R.I.D.E.

Parent Resources for Information, Development, and Education.

What does this mean and what is it for?
My sweet husband and I are ADOPTING.  We started this process last year and are hoping to have a bigger family by Christmas this year.  I have thought about adopting since I was 16yrs old and now that dream is going to come true.  To start the process we went to the Adoption Orientation Class.  It was somewhat informative, but it was the next classes that were interesting.  We had to take 27hours of P.R.I.D.E.  So for 5 weekends we spent 7 hours in class.  It was mostly lectures with a few group activities.  They covered so much information that most people would never even think of.  I really learned a lot and at times was overwhelmed with what we would have to do, and go through, to just start the process.  Not to mention what the kids have and are going through.  During the last class they brought in some speakers to talk to us and answer a few questions.  One of he speakers was a young girl who had aged out of the system.  She told us about her life and all the things she had to go through.  The only thing she wanted was a real family, and that is what we want to give. 
After we were done with the P.R.I.D.E. classes we got our physicals and went to the Foster Care Lisence Orientation.  To become adoptive parents you have to have a foster care lisence because the children will be in your home for at least six months before the Judge will sign the papers making your family legal.  So we will be foster parents for about six months. 
During the orientation they went over how the system works and how it has changed from even five years ago.  It has become a system to help the Children and not just put them somewhere, but to give them a better life.  We have to be fingerprinted twice, have background checks, our home inspected, and tons of paperwork, and that is just the begining.
On this coming Monday starts the process of getting our home ready.  It is part of what they call a Home Study.  We have to have everything needed for the different age groups of Kids we will be having in our home.  This means beds, crib, dressers, clothing, toys, high chair, booster seat, car seat, closet space, etc...  They will also be checking for the safety of our home.  What most people would consider normal living, as adoptive (foster) parents we are held to a much higher standard.  Our Home has to be secure and safe for these children whom are entrusted to us. 
We will have two seperate case workers assigned to us.  One for the adoption and one for the foster care.  They work together but can't share the paperwork so this means there is tons of paperwork and still more classes to take.  We have to take a CPR course and two other classes that will be assigned to us from the adooption case worker.
Rob and I are looking forward to hopefully having 3-4 kids in our Home by Christmas.  It will be a huge change in our lives, but one we are looking forward to and are excited about.