How to Be a Foster Parent in Texas

Foster parenting is not for everyone. It requires an enormous amount of time, commitment, love, energy and money. For some people, however, it is the calling of a lifetime. People who are willing to open their home to a child are able to change not only the lives of the child but also their own lives. Being a foster parent is a rewarding and challenging experience but requires some work and preparation.

Instructions

    • 1

      Fill out the Foster Care/Adoption Interest form at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website (see Resources). This will notify the department of your interest in becoming a foster parent and will provide it with the necessary contact information so that a representative can schedule the required informational meetings and provide you with the appropriate paperwork.

    • 2

      Attend an informative meeting and assess whether you meet the requirements. You will receive detailed information about this meeting in the packet sent to you by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Some of the requirements you will need to meet include being at least 21 years old, completing an application, passing a background check, providing impeccable personal and professional references and agreeing to a home study by a state representative.

    • 3

      Participate in a meeting with a Texas Department of Family and Protective Services employee. This meeting will include an assessment of you and your family for potential placement, as well as a discussion as to whether foster parenting is right for you and your family. This will also allow you to be entered into the system as a potential foster parent once you have completed the necessary training and evaluations.

    • 4

      Attend PRIDE training. PRIDE stands for Parent Resource Information Development and Education. This is a 35-hour training program that provides knowledge for prospective foster families on issues such as loss and grief, attachment issues, behavior, abuse and neglect, sexual abuse and the effects of the welfare system. This training will help prepare you for issues that may arise once a child is placed in your home.

    • 5

      Complete additional training sessions. The state of Texas also requires prospective foster families to complete universal precautions training, psychotropic medication training and certification in first aid and infant/child/adult CPR.

    • 6

      Participate in a family home study. A caseworker from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services will visit your home and observe you and your family. During this observation, the caseworker will discuss with you all aspects of your personal history, including family interests and lifestyle, types of children who would best fit with your family, your strengths and weaknesses, and what about your home would best benefit a child in need. If you are approved, you will be entered into the list of prospective foster parents and will be matched with a child by the state department.

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