Every year in Texas, tens of thousands of children who are abused or neglected by the people they trust come into the state’s care and thousands of these children are never able to return to their birth families. 

It takes a special family to adopt a DFPS child.  Many of the children who come into the state’s care have special needs because they are older, belong to a sibling group, are from ethnic minority groups, or have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. People who are thinking about adopting children through DFPS should have an understanding of or be willing to learn the dynamics of these special needs and also how abuse and neglect may affect children.

The general requirements to be an adoptive parent are:

* Be at least 21 years old;

* Be financially self-sustaining;

* Be married, single, divorced, or widowed;

* Attend sessions with other prospective parents to learn about children’s needs and backgrounds;

* Consent to a criminal and abuse/neglect background check; and

* Participate in a home study.

Depending on the circumstances, adoptive parents may be eligible for various benefits from programs to help defray some of the costs associated with adopting a special needs child. Children who receive adoption assistance may also be eligible for a program that exempts them from having to pay tuition and fees at state supported colleges, universities, junior colleges, and technical schools.

For more information call the Foster Care and Adoption Inquiry Line at 1-800-228-8226 or visit http://www.adoptchildren.org/.