Adoption in Texas
Adoption is a wonderful way to grow your family and comes with many rewarding benefits. When you choose to adopt, you not only experience the joy of adding another member to your family but also, you help in providing a loving home to a child who may have gone without.
Though the state of Texas encourages adoption for those who are able, it does ask that adoptive parents meet certain eligibility requirements. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services details the basic requirements and responsibilities for adoptive families.
Basic requirements
The requirements for prospective adoptive parents are not stringent. The state allows both married couples and single individuals to adopt and does not discriminate based on sexual orientation, divorce status, gender, race or any other defining characteristic. However, to adopt a child, you must be at least 21-years-old, responsible and financially stable. You must be willing to provide information regarding your lifestyle and background, provide both references from both family members and acquaintances and complete an application. If you are married or divorced, the state asks that you provide proof of either/or. You must also agree to undergo a home study, undergo a criminal background screening and attend free training on issues common of children of abuse and neglect.
Basic responsibilities
If you meet the few requirements the state sets forth for prospective adoptive parents, you must then demonstrate a willingness and capacity to follow through with certain responsibilities. The responsibilities are no different than the ones you would take on had you had a biological child. Those include providing a lifelong commitment and permanent housing to the child into adulthood. You must agree to meet to the short- and long-term needs of the child and to provide for the child’s mental, emotional, physical, educational, social and cultural needs in accordance with the child’s developmental age and growth.