Your Complete Guide to Adoption in Texas

Adoption in Texas can be a life-changing journey. If you’re searching for Texas adoption information, then you’re most likely coming from one of two places.

First, you could be a woman experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. Adoption is a way to create a better future for yourself and your child. But you may be wondering: How does this process work, and how can you know if adoption in Texas is the right thing for you?

Or, you might be a hopeful parent exploring different ways to start or grow your family. This process can be amazing but also very confusing. There’s a lot to learn about Texas state adoption.

If you’re a prospective birth mother or hopeful adoptive parent, you’ve come to the right place. We know how overwhelming this process can feel. That’s why we’ve created this guide to teach you all about Texas adoption.

The following Texas adoption information can help answer important questions for prospective birth mothers and hopeful parents living in Dallas, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth or anywhere else in Texas.

Choosing Adoption in Texas

How can you know if adoption in Texas is right for you? It’s a very personal decision. We wish we could tell you, exactly, how to determine the best path for your future.

One helpful step in determining if adoption in Texas is right for you is to speak with a professional from an agency. You can contact us today if you’d like to be connected with an adoption professional.

And, speaking of professionals, one of the most important decisions you’ll make in the entire Texas adoption process is choosing an agency to work with.

A Helpful List of Adoption Agencies in Texas

Child adoption agencies in Texas provide the required services in order to complete a successful adoption placement. Working with the right agency can make or break your experience with the whole process.

Why is this so important for adoption in Texas? Because while adoption is a beautiful journey, it is also a complicated legal procedure. This process is delicate. All the requirements must be met exactly — otherwise the whole thing could be at risk.

The first step to choosing the right agency for your adoption in Texas is to identify the type of agency that best suits you. When you’re a hopeful adoptive parent, this largely depends on the type of adoption you are pursuing. When you’re a prospective birth mother, there are a few key characteristics to look for in a potential agency.

Let’s take a look at the three types of adoption agencies you could choose from.

Domestic Adoption Agencies in Texas

Domestic adoption, also called private adoption, is the process of placing a newborn baby in the care of adoptive parents. If you are a prospective birth mother, this is the type of adoption you will take part in when you create an adoption plan. For hopeful parents considering adoption in Texas, private adoption is the best path to adopting a newborn baby. Other types of adoption, as you’ll see, typically involve the placement of older children.

For prospective birth mothers considering adoption in Texas, there aren’t alternate types of adoption to consider. Private adoption is the pathway to creating an adoption plan while pregnant and placing your newborn with adoptive parents.

When you’re a prospective birth mother, you’re in charge of the process. You decide the type of family you want, the level of openness you’d like and the hospital for prenatal care and delivery. You also choose the exact parents for your baby. You do all of this with the support of your adoption agency.

Are you ready to reach out to a professional? Below, we’ve listed local and national professionals that serve the state of Texas:

Foster Care Adoption in Texas

There are thousands of children in the Texas foster care system waiting for the love and permanency of a family. If you’re a hopeful parent who feels compelled by this need, then pursuing Texas state adoption could be right for you.

Foster care adoption in Texas involves working with the state to be placed with a waiting child. Typically, waiting children are a bit older; the average age is 8 years old. Many hopeful parents have a desire to meet the existing needs of these children and are also attracted to the lower cost associated with foster care adoption.

Interested in foster care adoption? Below, you’ll find a list of professionals that could help you get started:

International Adoption in Texas

Adoption in Texas might mean going outside of Texas, and the U.S., for placement. International adoption is still an option for hopeful parents, although the number of international adoption placements per year has been declining for more than a decade. There are millions of children around the world waiting for a family, and you could provide the love, permanency and security a child needs.

The first step toward international adoption in Texas is finding a Hague-accredited adoption agency to work with. Below, we have listed several such agencies that are based in Texas:

You can read our in-depth guides to each type of adoption for a lengthier definition of each. Take your time choosing a type of adoption in Texas, as it will shape not only your family-building process but the rest of your life.

Texas Home Study Professionals

There’s one other important professional to discuss. If you’re considering adoption in Texas as a hopeful parent, one of the first things you’ll need to do is complete a home study. This is a review of your lifestyle, living situation and adoption readiness. The point is to ensure that you are ready to take on all of the responsibilities that come with an adoption placement.

Some agencies — often called “full-service agencies” — are able to provide home studies for adoption in Texas. Others are not, and you might want to contact a home study provider on your own that is separate from your agency.

Here are a few licensed home study organizations that can provide the Texas adoption services you need:

What to Look for in Texas Adoption Services

The professionals you choose can change your whole adoption experience. How can you make a good choice? There are a few things that everyone can keep in mind when searching for Texas adoption services:

Experience: How long has the agency been operating? How many placements do they help complete each year? How large is the staff, and how many years of combined experience do they have? The top adoption agencies in Texas will have years or decades of experience.

Availability: Your needs during the adoption process won’t always occur during normal working hours, especially if you’re a prospective birth mother. Does the agency have availability outside of the typical 9 to 5? Top rate adoption agencies in Texas will have 24/7 availability to meet your needs.

Licensing: The best adoption agencies in Texas are fully licensed. You may find other Texas adoption centers that claim to provide all of the same services but do not have the same licensing. Being fully licensed ensures that the adoption is done in a safe, legal and ethical way. This is important for the protection of your rights and the success of your placement.

Experience, availability and licensing are hallmarks of high-quality adoption services provider in Texas. There are some additional items to look for, as well.

For prospective birth parents:

Adoption and hospital planning
Education about unplanned pregnancy options
Programs for adoption financial assistance

For hopeful adoptive parents:

Adoption education and parenting resources
Advertising services
Financial protection programs
Home study services

Adoption Lawyers in Texas

Adoption is a legal process. Each state has its own adoption laws, so you will need to find a Texas attorney that specializes in family law, specifically Texas adoption law.

It’s common for your agency to refer you to a trusted attorney that they have experience working with. However, you may want to find an attorney on your own. If so, you could consider some of the local professionals for your adoption in Texas:

Things to Do During Your Texas Adoption

There’s a chance you are adopting a child from Texas but live in a different state. If that’s the case, you should be prepared to spend some time here. Whether that’s for pre-placement contact or the post-placement ICPC wait, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the Lone Star State. Here are a few:

For more information about traveling to Texas, visit www.traveltex.com.