FOSTER AND ADOPT FAQ

Foster care is a temporary living arrangement for abused, neglected, and dependent children who need a safe place to live when their parents or another relative cannot take care of them.
Yes, but not like traditional adoption.
Private adoption is the permanent placement of a child in a “forever home” through a private domestic or international adoption agency. Foster-to-adopt is a form of adoption in which a child is placed into a home as a foster child, with the expectation that the child will become legally free and be adopted by the foster parents. Only a portion of children that enter foster care will become adoptable.
The state provides a stipend for the child that covers the cost of food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities. Health insurance is covered through Medicaid.
Foster parents can work full-time, part-time, be retired, or stay at home.
Foster parents can be married, single, widowed, or divorced.
While you cannot choose the specific children you foster, you can specify an age range and gender you prefer. Fostering comes in all shapes and sizes.
Yes. While private adoption can cost $20,000 or more, adoption through foster care can cost little or nothing.
Schedule a visit with a local foster agency. They will walk you through the process. Visit this page for more info.
In Texas, the Department of Family & Protective Services (DFPS) oversees 30,000 foster children in 11 regions. While DFPS ultimately manages the system, they contract with private agencies (Child Placing Agencies, or CPAs) to recruit and oversee additional foster homes. Families can choose to get licensed either through DFPS or a CPA. They essentially do the same thing, but it’s good to look around for an agency that fits your family’s personality and needs.
NOTHING AT ALL. Kids are in foster care through no fault of their own, but rather are victims of mistakes their parents made.