Foster to Adopt

Cassi, I know if you go to [url]www.kidsincourt.org[/url] website there is a list of organizations that work with CPS to foster/adopt. These are listed by areas around Dallas/Ft. Worth. If you go to this website and then at the top click on foster/adoption and then partner agencies you can pull up the list. My husband and myself are going through CPS directly so I can't really give you a good or bad recommendation on any of them. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

we are looking to go through CPS directly also. We are trying to find out more information and we are going to go to a meeting on Tuesday night. We are looking to foster/adopt 0-2 y/o. I have no idea what are chances are oh getting that age, but race does not matter to us. Do you have any idea what the wait time is? Have you had your homestudy done? Cassi

We did foster care through Depelchin in Houston Texas and ended up adopting two babies. We got one at 5 days old and the very next day we got a 3 day old. We finalized the adoptions January 13,2005. They were 17 months old. Good Luck!!

how much do adoption run doing it through depelchin? I had thought about them but was unsure of the cost. You can private messege me if you want. If you do not want to say about what is cost you that is fine. Cassi

Our lawyer charged us $2,200. for both adoptions. She usually charges 1500 per adoption but since ours were going to be on the same day and both were basically ready to finalize, the gave us a break. We started out as foster parents and the classes were free as was the home study and fire inspection through Depelchin. The only money that we paid was to get the house up to their standards with smoke alarms and setting up the room for the children. you are welcome to email me.

Hello lambgal, I've seen a few of your messages (on different forums) and perhaps I can answer a few of your questions from them as well as here. I am also in Houston and we are with DePelchin. Our kids are from DFW area. We went to CPS's orientation meeting, and did not feel comfortable there (as well as we had not been married long enough for their rules since my husband has been married before). We are not in DePelchin's infant section, but are licensed for foster-to-adopt ages 0-17. How long does it take? Classes at CPS were 10 weeks (3 hours a week), but they also have Sat. classes (something like 8 hours a day...still has to equal 30 hours). DePelchin's classes were mostly every Tues. and Thursday with 2 Wed. and a Sat. (over in the time of a month). It is a lot of time right up front, but they serve dinner at most classes (not wed. or sat -- sat is CPR/1st aid, and 1 wed. was pizza night). The last meeting was a covered dish pot-luck. Also, DePelchin is the largest private non-profit (at least I believe so) and they do all the PRIDE classes for 4 agencies. So, our timeline was like this: Pride was May/June 2004, Homestudy started end of July and finished in 3 weeks, licensed Aug. 31, 2004, placement Oct. 22, 2004. We were looking straight adoption or very low risk foster-to-adopt, so we didn't take the 1st few offered (also wanted a boy and girl). With the law changes coming up for CPS, you may want to start out with a private non-profit so you don't have to change mid-stream. (there are other good agencies, we just liked DePelchin...and they paid for everything to get licensed -- some of the others don't). Another reason we like DePelchin (over CPS) is their after-care commitment. Even with an infant, should there be any problems (say teenage years), there are therapist and support groups ready to help. This is one point I would look for with any agency that you go with. Now, DePelchin is only in Houston (so, you'd probably have to come back here for your on-going annual training), but there may be other agencies...perhaps Spaulding for Children...I know Catholic Charities is nationwide. As far as how much, we will only pay for the adoption lawyer. However, that will be reimbursed under the non-re-occuring expenses -- which maybe because we have special needs (sibling minority group and older). I'm not 100% sure on that requirement since we're not ready for adoption just yet (TPR is done, but appeals are not), but it is not tied to DePelchin. Oh, and last, you asked if all infants have problems ... depends. You might be on a very long waiting list if your want list is really picky. Besides, some of the "problems" don't show up until school (which is why post-adoption care is so important). Hope there was some helpful info in there. And like Suzilyn, I'll be glad to try to help any way I can. Just ask. Take care.

Thanks for your reply. We are looking at going through the Bair Foundation. They are a Foster agency, but a friend of mine works for them and she was telling me that they get alot of foster parents that end up adopting their fc. We are not real picky as to gender of child or race. Bair can get our homestudy and classes done in about 6 weeks. We were just told that they had one lady go through in 3 weeks. What law is changing with CPS? I might have read somehting on it. My husband and I are just not sure who we are wanting to go through. It is just such a tough choice.

Since you are moving to the Dallas area relatively soon, I would probably pick an agency that can service you up there as well as here in Houston. That might narrow down your choices. About CPS and the law change. Our worker said that CPS will no longer be able to do it's own foster care. CPS just can't monitor all the foster homes as often as they should be (we're monitored at least every 2 weeks, and some CPS workers can only get out to the house once a quarter -- but I think it's supposed to be once a month). Just too many kids are falling through the cracks and too many CPS workers getting out because of the workload and stress. Anyways, hope everything gets going for you soon so you can get your little soon.

Well we have decided not to move until after we get am adoption finalized. So we will be here a while. We are going to the CPS meeting tonight but I believe we are going to go through the Bair Foundation. I have a friend who works there are she told me yesterday that they were looking for a foster/adopt home for a 4 day old and a 2 month old and they had no where to place them. She said we can get everything done through them in the matter of about 6-8 weeks tops. We are in the process of filling out all the paperwork and such. Cassi

That's really fast! WOW! Good thing you have a connection with that agency. Sounds like you've really found a way to get through all the red tape in getting a license. Hopefully the CPS meeting went well for you. I wish you well.