This article describes the system of training and support of foster carers and adoptive parents in Estonia. Families go through several steps: an assessment, PRIDE pre-training and PRIDE training. The PRIDE (Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education) program has been used for the training of foster families in Estonia since 2000s. Families are trained and assessed through 5 essential competency categories of PRIDE model: protecting and nurturing children; meeting children's developmental needs; supporting children's relationships with their birth families and others. Various support services are offered for foster, adoptive and kinship families. They can be used both during the preparatory period (before the child arrives) and when the child is already in a family. For family-based substitute careers there are: mentoring, individual (psychological, supervision) counseling and group counseling (support groups, supervision groups and mini trainings).
