If you want to expand your family, one good option is becoming an adoptive or foster parent. Fostering or adopting helps provide children with a good home where they're loved and accepted. Some may come from difficult backgrounds, so they need the support of a loving family.
When you decide to become a foster or adoptive parent, you'll need to attend a meeting to learn more about doing so. If you meet the first set of requirements, you'll be able to meet with the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) for an assessment. You'll also be given more information on the kinds of children who are in the foster care system along with help to decide if fostering or adopting is a good choice for you.
Do foster parents or adoptive parents get any kind of training?
Foster parents receive training before they bring children into their homes. While some states require only 16 hours of training, Texas requires 16 hours in addition to the Parent Resource Information Development Education (PRIDE) program. PRIDE takes 35 hours to complete.
The State of Texas also requires several additional trainings including certification in CPR and First Aid, psychotropic medication training and universal precautions training. If you think that's everything, that's not the case. A family home study must be completed before a child can be brought into your home. It helps determine what kind of child would fit in best with your family and allows a caseworker to learn more about you and your family life. Failing a home study could mean you lose the right to adopt or foster a child.
Source: Texas Adoption Resource Exchange, "Steps to Become a Foster/Adoptive Parent," accessed Dec. 22, 2017