Whether you live in lone star state or are wanting to adopt from Texas, there are three ways to build a family: through state-sponsored foster care, domestic adoption, or international adoption.
Adopt From Texas
One of the first things to consider when adopting is who is eligible to adopt. In the state of Texas, you must:
- Be at least 21 years of age (Note: age requirements vary state to state and country to country. If you are pursuing international adoption, be sure to check your country requirements at the U.S. Department of State website.)
- Be single, married, or divorced. All sexual orientations may apply.
- Have no health requirements that would prohibit you from parenting a child.
- Be able to show you’re financially stable.
- Have adequate sleeping space in the home.
The next four steps are the same regardless of what type of adoption you choose to pursue. First, locate an agency in your state – even if you are pursuing an international adoption with an agency in a different state, your home study will need to be conducted in the state in which you reside. Next, you will need to complete the application process for the agency you have chosen. The application process includes information about you and your motivations for adoption.
Once your basic application is complete, you will begin work on your home study. Your home study is essentially a collection of documents designed to give your social worker, the courts, and/or the sending and receiving countries, an overview of your life. Your home study will include criminal background checks, letters of reference from your employer, letters of reference from your friends, verification of your income, health reports, and a home safety inspection. Your social worker will help you evaluate what age range of children you are prepared to welcome into your home and the characteristics or special needs of those children. Often this process can help identify what kind of child you anticipate joining your family.
Often in tandem with the application and home study process is prospective adoptive parent/foster parent training. These trainings are designed to help you understand the background of the child who may join your family. Topics include: attachment, grief and loss, conspicuous families, and parenting kids from hard places. For international adoption, a minimum of 10 hours of training is required per the Hague Convention. For foster care families, the minimum is 20 hours of training per year.
To find out more about foster care from Texas visit: https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Adoption_and_Foster_Care/Get_Started/default.asp
To find more about international adoption visit: Hague accredited adoption
If you are interested in pursuing domestic adoption from Texas, remember every state has different laws. From advertising practices, relinquishment, birth parent expenses, post-adoption contact agreements, birth father rights, and finalization in Texas law visit:
https://adoption.com/wiki/Texas
Do you feel there is a hole in your heart that can only be filled by a child? We’ve helped complete 32,000+ adoptions. We would love to help you through your adoption journey. Visit Adoption.org or call 1-800-ADOPT-98.
