PRIDE Training in Nova Scotia: What Foster Parent Applicants Actually Go Through

Most prospective foster parents in Nova Scotia hear "27 hours of mandatory training" and assume it is box-checking — a series of videos and policy summaries you get through before the real evaluation begins. That expectation tends not to survive contact with the actual sessions. PRIDE training is where the abstract idea of fostering starts to become concrete, and it is where many applicants first realize what they are genuinely signing up for.

Here is what the training covers, how it is structured, and what you should know before you register.

What PRIDE Stands For

PRIDE is an acronym: Parent Resources for Information, Development, and Education. It is a standardized pre-service training curriculum used across multiple Canadian provinces and designed specifically for prospective foster and adoptive families. Nova Scotia's DCS uses PRIDE as the primary pre-service model before the SAFE home study.

The training is built around five core competencies. These are not abstract values — they are the practical skills DCS wants to see evidence of in every approved foster parent:

1. Protecting and nurturing children
2. Meeting children's developmental needs and addressing developmental delays
3. Supporting relationships between children and their families
4. Connecting children to safe, nurturing relationships intended to last a lifetime
5. Working as a member of a professional team

Every session in the nine-session series links back to one or more of these competencies. At the end of training, your trainer submits a record of your participation to the social worker conducting your home study.

The Nine Sessions: What Each One Covers

The 27 hours are divided into nine three-hour sessions. The content is cumulative — later sessions build on earlier ones — so attendance at each session matters.

Session 1 — Connecting with PRIDE. An introduction to the foster care system, the PRIDE framework, and the roles involved in the process.

Session 2 — Teamwork Toward Permanence. Covers the multidisciplinary team and the shared work of planning for a child's permanence.

Session 3 — Attachment. Covers attachment and the impact of disrupted bonds on children in care.

Session 4 — Loss and Grief. Examines how children in care experience loss and grief and how foster families can support them.

Session 5 — Strengthening Family Relationships. Covers birth-family relationships and the foster parent's role in shared parenting.

Session 6 — Positive Discipline. Physical discipline is not permitted in foster homes. This session covers positive discipline and de-escalation strategies.

Session 7 — Continuing Family Relationships. Covers supporting siblings and maintaining community ties.

Session 8 — Planning for Change. Prepares the foster family for new arrivals, transitions, and departures.

Session 9 — Making an Informed Decision. Provides a final self-assessment of readiness to foster.

Format Options

PRIDE training is available in three delivery formats depending on availability in your district:

• In-person: Sessions run on consecutive evenings or over a weekend, hosted at a DCS district office or community location. This is the traditional format and the most common in rural areas.
• Online: Some sessions are delivered online. Check with your district office for the current format and participation requirements.
• Hybrid: Certain districts combine online pre-work with in-person group discussions. Check with your district office for what is currently available.

Ask your district whether there is any cost or required material for the current session.

How to Register

You register through the DCS district office that is handling your application. Contact is typically established when you call 1-800-565-1884 to initiate the application process. Your assigned worker will provide session schedules and the registration process for your specific region.

Register through your district office and confirm how the training record will be linked to your application file before enrolling.

What Happens After Training

Completing PRIDE training does not mean you are approved to foster. It is one step in a process that also includes clearances and the SAFE home study. Your PRIDE trainer's completion report is included in the materials your social worker reviews when preparing your home study report.

Training is not a test you pass or fail. It is an opportunity for DCS — and for you — to assess whether fostering is the right fit. Participants who have doubts during training are encouraged to raise them with their social worker rather than push through. The goal is placement stability, not throughput.

The Nova Scotia Foster Care Guide includes a full session-by-session preparation outline and suggested reading to help you get more from each PRIDE session rather than simply attending.

See more Nova Scotia guides →