Question: What is required to become an adoptive parent? Answer: You need to find a licensed child-placing agency in your state so that a home study can be completed. This will involve the completion of training, a check of your references, and a criminal background check. The cost is minimal with a public state agency. The cost varies with the private adoption agencies. In either case, there are federal income tax credits available for families who adopt children. Most public state agencies such as DFPS will only perform a home study for families who are willing to become the adoptive parent of the children they have waiting for adoption. Generally, children available for adoption through DFPS have special needs. These children may be:

school-age members of sibling groups diagnosed with disabilities or conditions that affect their physical, emotional, or medical well-being African-American, Hispanic, or other ethnic backgrounds

Question: Why doesn't DFPS (Texas Department of Family and Protective Services) place infants for adoption? Answer: DFPS rarely places infants for adoption because children come into the temporary care of the agency due to abuse and neglect. The majority of children placed in adoptive care through DFPS are ages 7 to 17.

Question: Can we look up information on the different adoption agencies in Texas? Answer: Yes please go to http://www.txchildcaresearch.org/. Each child-care facility's regulatory history of inspections and reports will be available online. You may also call 1-866-TX-CHILD.

Question: Can Texas children be placed out of state? Answer: Yes. Out-of-state homes must be approved for adoption by agencies licensed or certified to approve adoptive home studies in the state where the home is located. Your state's home study and the placement of a child in your home both must meet the Minimum Standards for Child-Placing Agencies prescribed by the Child Care Licensing Division of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Texas participates in the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. This is an agreement among states to cooperate with each other in the interstate placement of children.

Question: Can Texas children be placed out of the country? Answer: Generally, Texas children cannot be placed outside the United States.

Question: What is the cost of adoption? Can I receive any assistance to adopt? What are the tax implications? Answer: The cost of adoption through a public state agency is nominal. Adoption assistance is available in different forms including tax credits.

Question: When do you get too old to adopt? Answer: There is no maximum age limit on adoptive parents. There is a minimum age requirement of 21, but many older parents make wonderful adoptive parents for older children.

Question: How long is the waiting list? Answer: The waiting time involves completion of the home study and training, as well as the right match for meeting the needs of a particular child.

Question: I am divorced. Can I foster or adopt? Answer: You may be eligible to become an adoptive parent if you are single, divorced, married, or widowed.

Question: We both work and can't afford for one of us to quit to take care of an adoptive child. Answer: Both parents may work and still adopt children.

Question: I am single and do not own my home. Can I still adopt? Answer: Yes, single parent families can adopt and you do not have to own your home to adopt a child.

Question: We have children and we want to adopt. Answer: Many families who adopt have birth children who are still living in their homes or who have grown up and moved out on their own.

Question: We want to adopt but we can't afford it. Answer: You do not have to be rich to become an adoptive parent. You need to be financially stable. Also, adoptive parents may receive an adoption assistance to defray the cost of adopting a child that may have special needs.

Question: How long does adoption last? Answer: Adoptive care is a permanent, lifelong commitment to a child.

Question:I am not yet approved to adopt. How do I start? Answer: If you reside in another state, and you are not yet approved to adopt in your state, you may start the adoption approval process by calling a licensed child-placing adoption agency in your state. You may visit your state web site for information regarding your state's adoption resources.

If you live in Texas, you may submit your interest to become an approved adoptive family or a licensed foster family by filling out an interest form in the How to Start section or by leaving a message at the Foster Care and Adoption inquiry line at 1-800-233-3405.