Adopting in Lubbock
You have several options when choosing what adoption agency to work with through the entire adoption process. Below you will find information about Adoption as well as Requirements and FAQ information.
Choose an Agency
First, you want to choose a local area agency that best suits your family’s needs. There are many great organizations to work with that will guide and handle your case through the entire adoption process.
Attend an Information Meeting
After choosing the agency of your choice, you will need to attend an information meeting. Click on the Calendar for upcoming meeting times and dates.
At these meetings, they will discuss the scope and requirements of being a foster or adoptive parent, give you basic information, and answer any questions you have.
Preparation and Selection
If you meet the basic requirements, you are invited to meet with staff to decide if fostering or adopting is right for your family. You will also be assessed by staff. This process furnishes you with information about the agency and the children who come into the foster care system.
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
- attend free training to learn about issues of abused and neglected children
Additional 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 20 hours or more of training each year
Responsibilities
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
Responsibilities
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.
Training
You will attend training to learn more about the children available and to assess your strengths in parenting children. The classes also boost your knowledge and confidence to meet the challenge of taking children into your home and to be sure you are ready to follow through on the commitment.
Additional Training Requirements
The state minimum standards require that prospective foster families also complete the following trainings or certifications, which are not part of the PRIDE or other Pre-Service model curriculum:
- Behavioral Intervention
- Certification in both First Aid and infant/child/adult CPR
- Cultural Competency
- Medical Consent
- Normalcy
- Preventing and Recognizing Sexual Abuse
- Psychotropic Medication
- Reporting Suspected Abuse or Neglect
- Runaway Prevention
- Suicide Prevention
- Trauma Informed Care
- State minimum standards require that verified foster homes receive pre-service and annual in-service training. Depending on the number of foster parents and the needs of the children in a foster home, the annual training requirements range from 20 hours per family to 30 hours per foster parent or 50 hours for a single parent home.
Cost $
Little or No Cost
Adopting from the U.S. foster care system is generally the least expensive type of adoption, usually involving little or no cost, and states often provide adoption subsidies to adoptive parents to help with the expenses of raising a child.
Stepparent and kinship adoptions are also generally not very costly.
Additional Cost Resources
Defray Cost for Children With Special Needs
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) has an adoption assistance program to help defray some of the costs associated with adoption of a child with special needs. The criteria:
- The child is at least six years old;
- the child is at least two years old and a member of a minority group.
- the child is being adopted with a sibling or to join a sibling;
- the child has a verifiable physical, mental, or emotional handicapping condition.
If the child meets the above special needs definition, they may also qualify for insurance and assistance with legal fees.
*The Texas Legislature passed a law in 2009 that provides ALL children adopted from foster care a state supported college tuition and fee waiver, including those who are not special needs.
Free Donation Items
Do you need help with getting childrens clothes or other items?
Check out Caleb’s Closet for more details and support.
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Free College Education: see State College Tuition Waiver (DFPS)