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Requirements for Foster/Adopt Families

• Basic Requirements
• Additional Requirements
• Foster/Adopt Family Responsibilities
• Can foster families adopt?
• Can adoptive families provide foster care?
• What are the expenses associated with becoming a foster parent or adoptive parent?
• What are the associated costs to adopt?

Basic Requirements

The prospective foster/adoptive parents may be single or married and must:

• be at least 21 years of age, financially stable, and responsible mature adults,
• complete an application (staff will assist you, if you prefer),
• share information regarding their background and lifestyle,
• provide relative and non-relative references,
• show proof of marriage and/or divorce (if applicable),
• agree to a home study which includes visits with all household members,
• allow staff to complete a criminal history background check and an abuse/neglect check on all adults in the household, and
• attend free training to learn about issues of abused and neglected children.

The training provides an opportunity for the family and DFPS to assess whether foster care or adoption is best for the family. The family may withdraw from the meetings at any time. There is no charge for the meetings. Foster/adoptive parents generally train together.

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Additional Foster Care Requirements

In addition to the basic requirements, foster parents must:

• have adequate sleeping space.
• allow no more than 6 children in the home including your own children or children for whom you provide day care.
• agree to a nonphysical discipline policy.
• permit fire, health and safety inspections of the home.
• vaccinate all pets.
• obtain and maintain CPR/First Aid Certification.
• obtain TB testing as required by the local Health Department for household members.
• attend annual trainings as required by your Child Placing Agency.

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Responsibilities of Foster and Adoptive Families

Foster Parents:

• provide daily care and nurturing of children in foster care;
• advocate for children in their schools and communities;
• inform the children's caseworkers about adjustments to the home, school, and community, as well as any problems that may arise, including any serious illnesses, accidents, or serious occurrences involving the foster children or their own families;
• make efforts as team members with children's caseworkers towards reunifying children with their birth families;
• provide a positive role model to birth families and
• help children learn life skills.

Adoptive Parents:

• provide permanent homes and a lifelong commitment to children into adulthood;
• provide for the short-term and long-term needs of children;
• provide for children's emotional, mental, physical, social, educational, and cultural needs, according to each child's developmental age and growth;
• may become certified as a foster family and accept children who are not legally free for adoption, but whose permanency plan is adoption.

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Can foster families adopt?

Yes! Many families are interested in both fostering and adopting. They agree with the agency that the children's needs come first. In most cases, this means helping prepare children for reunification with their birth family, mentoring the birth parents, or working toward a relative or kinship placement.

When termination of parental rights is in the children's best interest and adoption is their plan, then foster parents who have cared for the children will be given the opportunity to adopt. Dual certification of parents to both foster and adopt speeds up the placement process, reduces the number of moves a child makes, and allows relationships to evolve with the initial placement process. Nearly half the adoptions of children in DFPS foster care are by their foster families.

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Can adoptive families provide foster care?

Yes! Adoptive families who are willing to accept placement of children who are not yet legally free for adoption but have a plan for adoption can also become certified as foster families. This dual certification increases the opportunities for successful adoptions. In some areas of the state, a "buddy system" has been developed in which experienced foster families, who understand the challenges and rewards of foster parenting, are available to share experiences with new families and give support.

What are the expenses associated with becoming a foster parent or adoptive parent?

DFPS does not charge a home study fee to prospective families. However, there are some ancillary costs for families that families will be responsible for in the during the verification and approval process. 

The following list includes some of the estimated expenses that foster and adoptive parents will be responsible for:

WHAT ARE THE ASSOCIATED COSTS TO ADOPT?

CPS does not charge any fees to adopt children. Families are responsible for legal fees related to the legal consummation of the adoption, all or some of which may be reimbursed if the child is eligible for adoption assistance. A family adopting a child with special needs may be reimbursed for non-recurring (one-time) adoption expenses if both of the following apply:

• The child is placed for adoption by DFPS or placed in Texas by a licensed child-placing agency (LCPA).
• An adoption assistance agreement is signed before consummation of the adoption.

If the child is adoption assistance eligible, the adoptive family may seek up to $1200 per child in reimbursement expenses for reasonable and necessary fees, which may include the following:

• Fees paid to child-placing agencies.
• Court costs.
• Attorney fees.
• Amicus fees.
• Other fees directly related to legal completion of the adoption.

DFPS reimburses the adoptive family after the adoption is consummated and the family has provided DFPS with proof of payment. The family must also show that reimbursement for the expenses is not available from another source.

If DFPS receives a request for reimbursement more than 18 months after the adoption’s consummation, DFPS may refer the request to the Comptroller of Public Accounts for processing and a miscellaneous claim.

Exception: A stepparent who adopts his or her stepchild does not qualify for reimbursement of nonrecurring adoption expenses.
If the child is not adoption assistance eligible, the family is responsible for obtaining their own attorney and paying the fees associated with the adoption. Such fees can range from $1200-$1500 or more.  Attorneys set their own fees and DFPS does not negotiate these.

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