Anyone have any information on the foster-to-adopt program or traditional adoption?

Question

My husband and I currently reside in TX and are looking to foster-to-adopt or adopt a child. Any personal experience you would like to share with us would be appreciated. If any of you know anything specific about being active duty military and wanting to adopt, any specifics on that would be great.

Thanks

Answer 1

We foster-to-adopted in Texas.

The process was easy, time consuming, but easy.  First, you need to contact your local CPS office and talk to them.  They will give you the names of different organizations in your area that train foster, foster-to-adopt, and adopt-only parents.  These organizations are paid by the state, and so are free to you.  They will enroll you in the needed classes/training, perform your home study, and generally help you through the process.  You will need to get your home inspected by licensing, the health department, and the fire department.  

We were foster-to-adopt, it took two years from starting our training to a final adoption.  We adopted brothers.  Here is some information and advice:

- In training, they will make a point of giving you the worse case scenario for these kids.  They will talk about kids with major behavioral and physical problems, kids on multiple medications, etc.  However, this is the worst case scenario, don't think that all foster care kids are high demand.

- If you want to adopt only, then trying to adopt younger kids can take a long time (many people want younger kids and so there is more competition).  Willing to foster and willing to take 'legal risk' kids increases your chances significantly.  Legal risk is when there is a case history with CPS to suggest being placed for adoption is likely.  

- The most important reason to adopt through the state is because you are helping kids in real need of a good home.  However, another benefit is it will cost you nothing.  I have family who privately adopted and it cost them over $10,000 (and this was 15 years ago), and frankly, the process they went through wasn't any easier or fast than ours.  Save your money to spend on the kid(s).

- When we started the process, we originally were only going to adopt a single young (under 3) child.  However, in Texas, there are benefits to adopting siblings and older kids.  For example, if you adopt siblings, minority, or older kids the state will pay for their college.

Answer 2

Be prepared to foster to adopt if the parents still have "rights", it's hard!!!  It's worth it in the end, if it's going to happen.  We have fostered to adopt this same little one for two years and although the parent's won't have rights for much longer...it's still no guarantee that we will get to adopt this child.  With your situation I can say this...we got this little one because his previous foster home had to move (out of state) and being a ward of the state of (the state we live in) the child could not legally move out of their home state.

Answer 3

My hudband and I just got our first foster child.  They left withing the week and it hurts.  We cried all night and the next day.  And yes, we are still going to take in more until we are able to adopt one.  We would love to find a child to adopt, but private adoption is so expensive, this is why we went with the state to help us adopt a child.  My advice to you is do it, just be ready to love the childern unconditionally and be hurt and upset when they leave. Then you move on to the next child or childern that needs  some love and care.  Good luck.

Answer 4

Well, our adoption happened after my husband retired from the Air Force, so I'm sorry I can't help you with the military aspect of it.

However, the website for Texas' Foster Care and Adoption Program is:

http://www.adoptchildren.org

It has all the links and resources you need to start in the state of Texas, and even has a child search feature in which you can view children available for adoption right now, that can help you get acquainted with the verbiage used in adoption.

We adopted from foster care in Oklahoma, and we were matched in 2006 with a 9 year old boy and 10 year old girl, and it has been SUCH a rewarding experience for us.

Surprisingly enough, the children had minimal issues and were READY...more than, to be adopted.

Our experience is truly NOT the horror stories you hear of older child adoption, so just take heart to read the horror stories, but realize that you can get a great story, too.

Answer 5

My friend just adopted a baby boy yesturday when  he was born!!!!!!!yeah!!!! I think that people like you all are  the most thoughtful  people ever do for a  child that needs you!!!!!!!! And good luck you cant get rid of them when they are a teenager!lol!

Answer 6

www.adoption.com adoption.about.com   try these websites