Adoption and Embryo Program
Information and Outreach Services
Ongoing Support Services for Families
Beginnings provides ongoing support by offering counselling and outreach related to pregnancy, adoption and embryo donor/recipient services.
Our professional staff have extensive knowledge and expertise working with individuals, couples, and families in the field of adoption and pregnancy support. Beginnings recognizes that issues related to any of our specialty service areas have life long implications for all involved. Staff will be there to navigate open adoption and embryo donor/recipient relationships and openness agreements.
Beginnings is available for questions from children created through third party reproduction. Children may have questions and, possibly, concerns as they mature and grow older. The Beginnings family can play a supporting role for children and their parents as needed.
Information & Outreach Services for Social Service Professionals
Beginnings education and outreach services uphold our steadfast commitment to a child-centred approach dedicated to embracing connections and bringing families together. This is our guiding principle and our priority is to ensure expectant parents and families have access to information and resources. Beginnings provides education, training, clinical consultation and support at no cost to community partners, agencies, pregnancy care centres, hospitals, clinics, medical professionals, and social workers across the province for adoption and within Canada for our Embryo Program.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us should you have any questions or if your organization is interested in learning more about supporting expectant parents and our adoption and embryo programs.
How Beginnings works with Service Providers
“Beginnings always does such great work and so I thought of you first when a new mom wanted to learn more about adoption for her baby”
~ Hospital Social worker making a referral regarding an urgent situation
“I thought the presentation went well and the staff found the information to be really helpful. For many people, it was new information, and I think that workers felt more equipped to be able to present open adoption as an option”
~ Counsellor feedback following an adoption workshop in the GTA
“It was a wonderful session and our staff and volunteers were grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the option of private adoption for some of our clients”
~ Pregnancy Resource Centre
Beginnings Family Services
Educational Programs
Upcoming Seminars
Pregnancy Education
Baby Smarts
In 2009, Beginnings launched our Baby Smarts Program. Our agency has a long history of working with pregnant teens and young people who are parenting or exploring adoption and we wanted to offer a program that addressed many of the challenges they face. This program was initiated as a way of connecting with youth in high schools and youth group settings.
Adoption Education
PRIDE Training
PRIDE (Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education) training has been required for all CAS adoptions since April 2007. For private domestic and international adoption, PRIDE is required for all adoptive applicants who started their home study after December 31, 2007.
Contact Beginnings
Have Questions?
FAQs
Beginnings views education as the cornerstone for building strong families. Since many of the families who come to Beginnings are created through adoption, embryo donation and single parenting, there is a need to provide support and education to families who have special needs. It is one thing to adopt, donate or receive embryos, or parent on your own, but all parties need to find ways to help their children growing up in unique situations. Beginnings programs offer insight and understanding in how to meet their childrens’needs.
We offer the following programs:
- Parenting and family support programs
- Prenatal support
- Life skills
- Baby Smarts – Healthy Relationship Program
Birth parents and embryo donor parents can attend all programs at no cost to themselves. Adoptive parents and embryo recipients can attend for a fee for service.
Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education (PRIDE) is a comprehensive 27 hour training program that is now recognized as essential preparation for all prospective adoptive and foster parents. It is mandatory in the province of Ontario. It is completed in tandem with the Home Study process before adoptive applicants can adopt. It is offered at various times and locations in Ontario.