Just starting out

It is baloney that you get healthier kids going directly through CPS. When kids are removed from their home, if there isn't a networking situation the worker knows of, they contact CPU (central processing unit). They give all the information to them, submitted on a short or long form, depending. CPU then sends out a "broadcast" to the agencies (CPS included) in the region (and if that doesn't work, more broadly). In region 3, for example, when I started, there were 96 agencies. THere are more now. Anyway, some of those agencies have a focus so aren't interested in placing the child broadcasted. Others don't have people who could take them. The rest all contact their people who may be interested and submit anyone who may say yes. CPU lets the worker know what they've found. The worker makes the decision on a number of factors. Distance is often a factor. Their own biases may come into play. They may get a referral (how I got my sweet Monkey was that another worker mentioned us as we came across as a potential family and so the worker went with us). Anyway, a family is chosen, the worker makes arrangements with the agency worker (whether cps or private) and the child is placed. The great majority of kids are "basic" kids. That means that they are within the range of needs expected for FOSTER kids (not all kids!). They have a certain range of developmental, social, learning, behavioral, etc issues. However, almost ALL children are PLACED as basic and the percentage of those needing to be level'd up are done so within the first few months. Children's level does follow them to subsequent placements unless they went home in the inbetween. You would be given the information about what level they are if you are getting them from another home. We originally went with CPS directly as we are not mainstream Christians and don't believe a typical statement of faith, attend a traditional church, etc. This time, we found an agency more inclusive. I think the closest agency branch to Longview is Sulphur Springs. BTW, in Region four, you will not have ANY trouble getting kids quickly regardless of how you go, I don't think. So many Reg 4 kids are placed in Reg 3 because they simply don't have enough homes. Of course, Reg 4 is HUGE also. Longview and Clarksville, for example, are in the same region! Hope this helps :)

It is baloney that you get healthier kids going directly through CPS. When kids are removed from their home, if there isn't a networking situation the worker knows of, they contact CPU (central processing unit). They give all the information to them, submitted on a short or long form, depending. CPU then sends out a "broadcast" to the agencies (CPS included) in the region (and if that doesn't work, more broadly). In region 3, for example, when I started, there were 96 agencies. THere are more now. Anyway, some of those agencies have a focus so aren't interested in placing the child broadcasted. Others don't have people who could take them. The rest all contact their people who may be interested and submit anyone who may say yes. CPU lets the worker know what they've found. The worker makes the decision on a number of factors. Distance is often a factor. Their own biases may come into play. They may get a referral (how I got my sweet Monkey was that another worker mentioned us as we came across as a potential family and so the worker went with us). Anyway, a family is chosen, the worker makes arrangements with the agency worker (whether cps or private) and the child is placed. The great majority of kids are "basic" kids. That means that they are within the range of needs expected for FOSTER kids (not all kids!). They have a certain range of developmental, social, learning, behavioral, etc issues. However, almost ALL children are PLACED as basic and the percentage of those needing to be level'd up are done so within the first few months. Children's level does follow them to subsequent placements unless they went home in the inbetween. You would be given the information about what level they are if you are getting them from another home. We originally went with CPS directly as we are not mainstream Christians and don't believe a typical statement of faith, attend a traditional church, etc. This time, we found an agency more inclusive. I think the closest agency branch to Longview is Sulphur Springs. BTW, in Region four, you will not have ANY trouble getting kids quickly regardless of how you go, I don't think. So many Reg 4 kids are placed in Reg 3 because they simply don't have enough homes. Of course, Reg 4 is HUGE also. Longview and Clarksville, for example, are in the same region! Hope this helps :)

Thank you for responding. All help is appreciated and im thank full. I looked online for the sulpher springs agency but couldn't find it. Could you list a few that is not a Christian based agency. We grew up in a church and believe but are not active in a church. You prefer agencies over CPS? thanks for all the info.

I too am starting out the process, currently going through DFPS in Region 7. It is a bit slow, and getting in contact with my local coordinator is difficult, so I am considering going through an agency. Like you, not religious so I will be definitely looking for recommendations.

The Foster Care system is being revamped to where CPS will no longer have a Foster Care until. They will still provide adoptions though. This is what we learned in our Foster Care and Adoption class last weekend. We are in Region 9 which is where they started the new system first. They are going to be changing in every region soon. I would suggest in Texas to go with a private non profit agency. Especially with the new system, there are guidelines and procedures they follow now that keep the kids safe and their first priority. Its pretty much a checks and balances system now.

We are similar in faith but not active. We are going through an agency that is faith based, but they have never turned us away for being non-active. I had to same worry though when we first started. I would just call an agency if you do find one and ask what their policy is no not active faith foster parents.

I would agree with PP - because of the changes and upcoming changes look into private agencies over CPS. I am with a faith based organization and they have never asked me about attending church or my personal beliefs (OK, so they know I am a minister, but I don't work in a church setting, and for child placement purposes they don't care when or where I attend.) And I know for a fact that not everyone in the agency is of the same denomination that supports the agency and I am sure that there are some who don't attend church, for whatever reason. Are there agencies that really make you go to church? How do they enforce that? Just curious. Oh, and I was going to say that going through an agency I got a healthy baby girl at three days old - so it can happen. Good luck on your journey

PP, when my husband and I looked into straight domestic and some international adoptions, a lot of the agencies nearby had a policy for Christian homes only. On the applications ask for the Church affiliation and faith. On our Foster Care/Adoption application for our current agency also had a Church affiliation space. However, they do not require it for you to go to church or have the same belief as the agency. My question would be, how do these agencies out there who are faith-based-only handle cases with children from other faiths?

This is, indeed, a good question because it has ramifications for children from other faiths. For example, if e.g. a Buddhist child comes into care and is placed in a Christian faith-based agency, you will have the absurd situation that potential Buddhist foster parents cannot access this child because, ironically, they are Buddhists and cannot sign the required statement of faith! In effect, the agency acts as the gatekeeper to shield a child from his/her own birth culture. As a licensed social worker myself, I find the current situation ethically disturbing. Officially faith-based agencies will state that they are "culturally sensitive" and "respect the child's birth culture" etc. etc. but in reality, they still require in practice the foster parents to expose the foster child to a foreign faith. (Is this culturally sensitive? Umm, not really). In Texas (and I think it's the same idea in other states), it states: "A social worker shall not refuse to perform any act or service for which the person is licensed solely on the basis of a client's age, gender, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or political affiliation." 781.201. Code of Conduct. Subchapter B of Title 22. Assuming that faith-based foster care agencies have social workers :eyebrows: that means that these social workers violate this section of Title 22. Theoretically, they could be reported to the State Board of Social Worker Examiners, but in reality this does not happen. I am all hope that awareness to the needs of children from other faiths will increase and that in future, foster care and faith will be more decoupled.

I know that my agency would NOT require me to take a child of a different faith to my Christian church. In fact just the opposite, I would be expected to take them to their own church. Even if I had a teen who preferred a specific denomination different than mine I would be expected to do what I can to make sure they attend the church of their choice. If the child was too young to know the difference and they would just be in a nursery anyway I suppose it would not matter. But if they can voice an opinion or the parents want ssomething specific I would be expected to comply with that.