Texas foster care and adoption guidelines

Thank you for considering becoming a foster or adoptive parent.

On this page:

• State contact information
• Foster care and adoption licensing requirements
• Costs to foster and adopt
• Post-adoption support services
• Agency contacts and orientation information
• Information on Texas' children

State contact information

See a map providing contacts for each of the 11 Texas Department of Family and Protective Services regions.

Para información en español, contacte:
Phone: 800-233-3405
Línea directa para informacion de la adopcion y de familias temporales. Este programa es un servicio del Departamento de Servicios de Regulación y Protección de Texas.

Documentos de la adopcion y de familias temporales

Licensing requirements for foster or adoption

• Must be at least 21 years of age, financially stable and responsible, and a mature adult.
• Complete an application (staff will assist you, if you prefer).
• Share information regarding their background and lifestyle.
• Provide relative and non-relative references.
• Be single, married, widowed, or divorced. Please show proof of marriage if you are married and/or proof of divorce if you are/were divorced and proof of spouse's death if widowed.
• Agree to a home study which includes visits with all household members and inspection of all parts of the home, grounds, and outbuildings.
• Allow staff to complete a criminal history background check and an abuse/neglect check on all adults in the household. (Adults are people age 14 and older who live in or visit your household regularly.)
• Attend free training to learn about issues of abused and neglected children.

The training provides an opportunity for the family and the family’s agency to assess whether foster care or adoption is best for the family. The family may withdraw from the training meetings at any time. There is no charge for the training meetings. Foster and adoptive parents generally train together.

Costs to foster and adopt

The cost of adoption through a public state agency is nominal. The main costs when preparing for adoption are those associated with licensure as all families must become licensed in order to adopt. These costs when working with DFPS include FBI fingerprints, CPR/First Aid training, TB tests, and potential updates to your home (fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, medication lock boxes, child proofing, etc.) Each private Child Placing Agency operates differently and may require more or less. 

In addition to these upfront costs, there are certain legal fees necessary for the consummation of adoption. These fees could be negligible if the child being adopted qualifies for adoption assistance. CPS Policy 1700 illustrates the Adoption Assistance Program including eligibility and benefits. Within the section, there is further explanation of the nonrecurring adoption expense. CPS Policy 1714.7 explains that adoptive families may seek up to $1,200 in reimbursement of expenses for reasonable and necessary adoption fees. These may include fees paid to child-placing agencies as well as court costs, attorney fees, and other fees directly related to legal completion of the adoption.

Agency contact and orientation information

Find out about foster and adoption information meetings in your area.

Information on children

In August 2021 there were 28,753 children in foster care in Texas and 5,925 children waiting for adoptive families.   Find out more.