PRIDE - Session 5 (04/01/08)

Session Five: Strengthening Family Relationships - The focus of this session is on family identity, cultural heritage, and self-esteem in children. Participants have the opportunity to learn ways to help a child develop positive cultural identity and important family and sibling connections.

The first portion of this class was very informative. We discussed ways to help a child feel welcome and like they are a "part" of the "family" even as foster children. For example, to take a family photo that Includes them! Assign them "their" seat at the dinner table, or put their name on their bedroom door, which symbolizes they have their own space in your home, etc...

We also learned a little more about the Visitation with the Biological family during the children's time in foster care, during the time that they will be living with us, until the rights of the parents have been officially terminated. The visitation starts off at 2 hours twice weekly, and will either increase or decrease depending on the birth families progress. Due to the fact that we will be in the foster to adopt program, we will receive chil(ren) that the social workers are already convinced that the parents rights will be terminated, which means we will have less visitation with the birth parents.... could be 1 hour once a week, more or less. We also learned the importance of retaining as much information from the birth parents as possible during these visits, regarding family history, medical and other wise. The children's likes and dislikes regarding food, colors, movies etc... to understand the children the best possible, and to be able to tell them about their birth families when they are old enough to start asking questions.

Over all, We feel this class taught us quite a bit that we will be able to use in the future.
No.... we did not turn in the application yet.. unfortunately, there are still a couple unfinished documents that "one" of us is still working on. The Social worker will not typically start working with us until the PRIDE classes are complete, but I still want to get it turned in as soon as possible, so that we can at least get our social worker assigned to us... WE WILL NEXT WEEK!
4 classes to go!!!! (but who's counting, giggles)