How to Become a Foster Parent in Texas

Description

Foster care in Texas provides temporary, family-based care for children and youth who cannot safely remain with their parents or legal guardians. Foster parents provide daily care, nurturing, supervision, structure, transportation, educational advocacy, medical coordination, emotional support, normal childhood experiences, life-skills development, and connections to parents, siblings, relatives, culture, religion, school, and community while the child's family works toward reunification or another court-approved permanency goal.

Agency

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, commonly called DFPS, oversees the state's child-protection, foster-care, and public adoption system. Foster homes are generally verified and supervised by DFPS or by licensed private child-placing agencies that contract with the state. In areas operating under Community-Based Care, a regional Single Source Continuum Contractor coordinates placement services, foster-family recruitment, provider networks, and other foster-care responsibilities in partnership with DFPS.

Who Can Apply

Responsible adults who are at least 21 years old may apply to become foster parents in Texas. Applicants may be single, married, divorced, or widowed; may have children or no children; may rent or own their residence; and may work outside the home. They must be financially stable, complete required training, provide references and personal-history information, participate in a home study, pass criminal and child-protection background checks, maintain a safe home, and demonstrate the maturity and ability needed to care for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, trauma, separation, grief, or disrupted attachments.

Average Time To License

Many Texas families complete foster-home verification within approximately three to six months, although the timeline varies by DFPS region, Community-Based Care contractor, child-placing agency, training availability, background-check processing, references, applicant responsiveness, home-inspection results, and the type of foster-care program pursued. Therapeutic, primary-medical-needs, or other specialized programs may require additional preparation and assessment.

Website

Visit the official agency website

Minimum Age

Texas requires prospective foster and adoptive parents to be at least 21 years old. There is generally no fixed maximum age, but applicants must demonstrate sufficient physical health, emotional stability, maturity, judgment, energy, support, and long-term caregiving capacity to meet the needs of children placed in their home.

Residency

Applicants seeking verification through Texas DFPS or a Texas child-placing agency must reside in Texas and live within the service area of the approving agency or Community-Based Care contractor. Families living outside Texas generally must obtain an approved home study through their own state before they may be considered for placement of a Texas child through the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children.

Marital Status

Texas permits qualified single, married, divorced, and widowed adults to foster. When applicants are married, both spouses participate in the application, training, interviews, background checks, and home-study process. Agencies also evaluate significant relationships, previous marriages and divorces, household stability, communication, conflict resolution, and each adult's willingness to support the foster-care placement.

Income Requirements

Applicants must be financially stable and able to meet their household's ordinary expenses without depending upon foster-care reimbursement. The home-study worker reviews employment history, income, debts, insurance, housing expenses, budgeting, financial obligations, and the family's ability to pay for a child's immediate needs before the first reimbursement payment is received. Foster-care payments are intended to reimburse child-related expenses rather than serve as household income or wages.

Home Ownership

Applicants do not need to own their home. A rented or owned house, apartment, condominium, manufactured home, or other appropriate residence may qualify if it meets Texas minimum standards, local occupancy requirements, fire and health requirements, and the child-placing agency's safety policies. Renters should verify that their lease, landlord, insurance coverage, and property rules permit foster children and any required safety modifications.

Bedroom Requirements

The home must provide adequate sleeping space, privacy, ventilation, lighting, storage, and safe exits for every child. Each foster child must have an individual bed and mattress, although two children of the same sex may be permitted to share a double bed when allowed by minimum standards and the supervising agency. A bedroom occupied by one person must generally contain at least 80 square feet of floor space. Sleeping arrangements must also account for each child's age, gender, development, sibling relationships, trauma history, behaviors, medical needs, and personal safety.

Transportation

Foster parents must maintain dependable transportation for school, family visitation, medical and dental care, therapy, court hearings, service-plan meetings, extracurricular activities, childcare, placement transitions, and emergencies. Vehicles must be safely maintained, legally registered, properly insured, and operated by licensed drivers. Children must use seat belts, car seats, booster seats, or specialized restraints appropriate to their age, height, weight, development, and medical needs.

Health Requirements

Applicants and household members must provide sufficient health information for the agency to determine whether they can safely care for children. The process may include physician statements, physical examinations, tuberculosis testing as required by local health authorities, mental-health information, medication disclosures, and additional evaluations when concerns arise. A disability, chronic illness, mental-health diagnosis, or managed medical condition does not automatically disqualify an applicant, but the agency evaluates how the condition affects supervision, stability, judgment, mobility, and caregiving ability.

Pet Policy

Texas permits pets and other household animals when they are safely managed and do not pose an unreasonable risk to children. Foster-parent applicants must vaccinate household pets as required and may need to provide veterinary documentation. The approving agency evaluates animal temperament, bite or aggression history, sanitation, containment, species-related risks, and the family's plan for supervising interactions between children and animals.

Firearm Policy

Firearms and ammunition must remain inaccessible to children. Texas home-study guidance requires firearms and ammunition to be kept separately from one another in locked compartments at all times. Keys, combinations, and access devices must remain under responsible adult control. Agencies may impose additional weapon-storage requirements or child-specific safety plans based on the ages, behaviors, trauma histories, mental-health needs, or supervision requirements of children placed in the home.

Contact Agency

Begin by contacting the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), a Community-Based Care contractor serving your region, or a licensed Texas child-placing agency. A foster-care recruiter or agency representative will explain the verification process, current placement needs, available foster-care programs, required training, background checks, home-study requirements, reimbursement, ongoing support services, and the differences between traditional foster care, foster-to-adopt, kinship care, and specialized foster-care programs.

Attend Orientation

Attend a foster-parent information meeting or orientation offered by DFPS, a Community-Based Care contractor, or a licensed child-placing agency. Orientation explains the purpose of foster care, reunification, permanency planning, trauma-informed caregiving, foster-parent responsibilities, working with birth families, placement expectations, licensing standards, reimbursement, support services, confidentiality, documentation, discipline policies, and the overall verification process.

Choose Agency

Prospective foster parents select a licensed child-placing agency or Community-Based Care provider serving their region. Families should compare agency philosophies, training schedules, after-hours support, placement populations, specialized programs, respite availability, foster-parent mentoring, reimbursement procedures, communication expectations, and additional services before deciding which organization best fits their family's goals.

Documents Needed

• Completed foster-home application
• Government-issued identification
• Social Security numbers or other identifying information requested by the agency
• Information for every household member
• Current and previous residential history
• Criminal-history disclosure forms
• Fingerprint authorization forms
• Child abuse and neglect background-check authorization
• Out-of-state abuse-registry checks when applicable
• Personal references
• Medical statements or physical examination forms
• Tuberculosis screening when required
• Employment verification
• Proof of income
• Household budget and financial information
• Marriage, divorce, or legal relationship documentation when applicable
• Driver's licenses for household drivers
• Vehicle registration
• Proof of automobile insurance
• Homeowners or renters insurance information
• Emergency contact information
• Fire evacuation and disaster plans
• Bedroom and sleeping arrangement information
• Pet vaccination records
• Information regarding firearms and ammunition storage
• CPR certification
• First Aid certification
• National Training and Development Curriculum completion records
• Psychotropic Medication Training documentation
• Medical Consent Training documentation
• Additional agency-specific forms and releases

Required

Yes

Description

Texas requires prospective foster parents to complete an orientation before becoming verified. Orientation introduces applicants to the Texas child welfare system, the role of DFPS and Community-Based Care contractors, child development, trauma, attachment, grief and loss, cultural awareness, foster-parent responsibilities, teamwork with birth families, court involvement, confidentiality, documentation, placement expectations, discipline standards, licensing requirements, reimbursement, and the long-term commitment required to successfully care for children in foster care.

How To Register

Applicants register for orientation by contacting DFPS, their regional Community-Based Care contractor, or a licensed child-placing agency. Most agencies schedule orientation after an initial inquiry and provide applicants with information about required training, application forms, and the overall verification timeline.

Duration

Orientation generally lasts several hours and serves as the introduction to the complete verification process. Applicants then continue with the approximately 19-hour National Training and Development Curriculum, additional required certifications, background checks, interviews, home study, safety inspections, and other agency requirements before foster-home verification.

Application Process

After completing orientation, applicants submit a foster-home application through their supervising child-placing agency. Families then complete required training, CPR and First Aid certification, fingerprinting, criminal-history checks, abuse and neglect registry checks, references, medical documentation, financial review, interviews, home inspections, and a written home study. The agency evaluates the family's strengths, parenting philosophy, support system, emotional stability, finances, household safety, and ability to meet the needs of children placed in foster care.

Required Documents

• Completed foster-home application
• Government-issued identification
• Household member information
• Current and previous address history
• Fingerprint authorization
• Criminal-history disclosure forms
• Abuse and neglect registry authorization
• Out-of-state registry checks when required
• Personal references
• Medical statements
• Physical examination documentation
• Employment verification
• Income verification
• Household budget information
• Marriage or divorce documentation when applicable
• Driver's licenses
• Vehicle registration
• Proof of automobile insurance
• Homeowners or renters insurance information
• Emergency planning documentation
• Bedroom information
• Pet vaccination records
• Firearm storage information
• CPR certification
• First Aid certification
• NTDC completion documentation
• Psychotropic Medication Training completion
• Medical Consent Training completion
• Additional agency-required documentation

References Required

Texas requires personal references from adults who know the applicants well and can discuss their character, maturity, relationships, parenting ability, emotional stability, financial responsibility, judgment, communication skills, and readiness to care for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, trauma, or loss. Agencies determine the number and type of references required according to DFPS minimum standards.

Interview Process

Home-study interviews are conducted with each applicant and appropriate household members. Interviews examine family history, childhood experiences, motivation for fostering, parenting philosophy, discipline practices, marriage or relationship stability, physical and mental health, substance-use history, finances, employment, cultural awareness, support systems, placement preferences, trauma-informed caregiving skills, communication, and the family's ability to collaborate with DFPS, birth families, schools, medical providers, therapists, attorneys, and the courts.

Required

Yes

Curriculum

Texas requires prospective foster parents to successfully complete the National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC) before foster-home verification. NTDC prepares caregivers to understand trauma, child development, attachment, grief and loss, resilience, behavior management, positive discipline, communication, cultural responsiveness, teamwork with birth families, permanency planning, educational advocacy, medical care, normal childhood experiences, documentation, caregiver wellness, and the responsibilities of fostering children who have experienced abuse or neglect.

Required Hours

Texas currently requires approximately 19 hours of NTDC preservice education. Foster parents must also complete additional required instruction, including Psychotropic Medication Training, Medical Consent Training, prevention and recognition of sexual abuse and victimization, suicide awareness and prevention training, infant, child, and adult CPR certification, First Aid certification, and any specialized training required by the supervising child-placing agency or Community-Based Care contractor.

Online Available

Many Texas child-placing agencies offer portions of NTDC through blended instruction using classroom sessions, live virtual meetings, online coursework, and individual coaching. Certain licensing requirements—including home visits, interviews, CPR skills verification, inspections, and portions of the home study—must still be completed in person.

Certification

Applicants must successfully complete all required preservice training before becoming verified foster parents. Additional certifications or continuing education may be required for families caring for medically fragile children, therapeutic foster placements, children with intellectual or developmental disabilities, or youth with specialized behavioral or mental-health needs.

Required

Yes

Interviews

Texas requires every foster family to complete a comprehensive written home study. Licensing specialists interview each applicant and appropriate household members to evaluate parenting philosophy, family relationships, motivation for fostering, emotional stability, communication skills, discipline practices, trauma awareness, physical and mental health, finances, employment, cultural competency, support systems, placement preferences, and the family's ability to safely care for children with complex emotional, behavioral, developmental, or medical needs.

Home Visits

Licensing specialists conduct one or more home visits to inspect the residence and ensure compliance with Texas Minimum Standards. Home inspections evaluate bedroom arrangements, sanitation, utilities, food storage, medication security, firearms, hazardous materials, emergency preparedness, smoke detectors, pets, pools or water hazards, transportation resources, and the overall safety and suitability of the home. Additional visits may occur if corrections are required before verification.

Topics Covered

• Motivation for fostering
• Understanding the temporary nature of foster care
• Commitment to reunification
• Concurrent permanency planning
• Working with birth parents
• Family history
• Childhood experiences
• Marriage and household relationships
• Communication skills
• Conflict resolution
• Parenting philosophy
• Positive discipline
• Trauma-informed parenting
• Attachment
• Grief and loss
• Child development
• Behavior management
• Educational advocacy
• Medical care coordination
• Mental health awareness
• Cultural competency
• Supporting family connections
• Financial stability
• Employment responsibilities
• Transportation planning
• Emergency preparedness
• Support systems
• Physical health
• Mental health
• Substance-use history
• Criminal-history review
• Child abuse and neglect history
• Documentation responsibilities
• Confidentiality
• Reasonable and prudent parenting standards
• Placement preferences
• Household strengths and challenges
• Ability to collaborate with professionals

Timeline

The home-study process generally occurs throughout the verification period and varies depending upon applicant availability, agency scheduling, completion of training, background-check processing, references, household repairs, and additional documentation requested by the licensing agency. Many families complete the home study within the overall three-to-six-month verification process.

Bedroom Rules

Each foster child must have an individual bed with a clean mattress and appropriate bedding. Bedrooms must provide adequate floor space, lighting, heating, ventilation, privacy, and safe emergency exits. Texas generally permits children of the same sex to share bedrooms when appropriate and consistent with Minimum Standards. Sleeping arrangements must consider age, developmental level, trauma history, sibling relationships, supervision needs, and overall child safety.

Smoke Detectors

Working smoke detectors must be installed and maintained according to Texas Minimum Standards and local fire codes. Smoke alarms are inspected during licensing visits and must remain operational throughout the verification period.

Fire Extinguisher

Homes must maintain appropriate fire-safety equipment, including accessible fire extinguishers when required by agency policy or local regulations. Foster families must also maintain written emergency evacuation plans and ensure exits remain unobstructed.

Medications

Prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, controlled substances, sharps, and medical supplies must be stored so they are inaccessible to children. Depending upon the ages and needs of children placed in the home, medications may require locked storage.

Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning chemicals, detergents, pesticides, poisonous substances, fuels, alcohol, sharp tools, and other hazardous materials must be safely stored and inaccessible to children. Products should remain in their original labeled containers whenever possible.

Firearms

Texas Minimum Standards require firearms and ammunition to be stored separately from one another in locked compartments. Keys, combinations, and other access devices must remain inaccessible to children. Additional safety measures may be required depending upon the children placed in the home.

Pools

Swimming pools, hot tubs, spas, ponds, lakes, wells, and other water hazards must be secured to prevent unsupervised child access. Protective fencing, self-latching gates, alarms, rescue equipment, supervision plans, and other safeguards may be required depending upon the property.

Pets

Household pets are permitted when they are healthy, appropriately vaccinated, properly supervised, and do not present an unreasonable danger to children. Licensing specialists may review vaccination records, veterinary care, sanitation, temperament, and supervision practices during the home study.

Vehicle Requirements

Vehicles transporting foster children must be legally registered, properly insured, safely maintained, and operated by licensed drivers. Foster children must always be transported using seat belts, car seats, booster seats, or specialized restraints appropriate for their age, size, development, and medical needs.

Fingerprinting

Texas requires fingerprint-based state and federal criminal-history background checks for foster-parent applicants and adult household members as required by licensing regulations. Fingerprints are submitted through authorized state and federal systems before foster-home verification.

Child Abuse Registry

Applicants and applicable household members must complete child abuse and neglect registry checks. Applicants who have previously lived in other states may also be required to complete child-protection registry searches in those jurisdictions.

Criminal History

The licensing agency reviews criminal-history records, child-protection records, references, interviews, prior licensing history, court records, and additional available information when determining whether applicants can safely provide foster care. Applicants must disclose arrests, convictions, deferred adjudications, probation, parole, and other legal matters.

Disqualifying Offenses

Certain criminal convictions and substantiated findings of child abuse or neglect permanently disqualify applicants under Texas law and applicable federal requirements. Crimes involving child abuse, sexual offenses, homicide, domestic violence, human trafficking, serious drug offenses, violent crimes, and similar offenses generally prevent foster-home verification. Other offenses may be reviewed individually depending upon state law, rehabilitation, and child safety.

Additional Checks

Additional screening may include sex offender registry searches, driving-record reviews, previous foster-home licensing history, employment verification, court-record reviews, household composition reviews, reference verification, and any other evaluations necessary to ensure child safety.

Steps

• Contact DFPS or a licensed child-placing agency.
• Attend foster-parent orientation.
• Select a supervising agency.
• Submit the foster-home application.
• Complete NTDC preservice training.
• Complete Psychotropic Medication Training.
• Complete Medical Consent Training.
• Complete CPR certification.
• Complete First Aid certification.
• Submit references.
• Provide medical and financial documentation.
• Complete fingerprinting and background checks.
• Participate in interviews.
• Complete the written home study.
• Pass home safety inspections.
• Correct any licensing deficiencies.
• Receive foster-home verification.
• Accept foster-child placements.
• Complete ongoing annual training.
• Maintain verification through renewal requirements.

Average Timeline

Many Texas families complete the verification process within approximately three to six months, although timelines vary based upon agency workload, Community-Based Care region, applicant responsiveness, training schedules, references, inspections, and background-check processing.

Renewal Requirements

Texas foster homes must maintain compliance with Minimum Standards and complete renewal requirements established by DFPS and the supervising child-placing agency. Renewal typically includes updated household information, continuing education, home visits, background checks when required, safety inspections, and correction of any deficiencies.

Ongoing Training

Verified Texas foster parents must complete ongoing annual training to maintain verification. Additional specialized education may be required depending upon placement type, agency policy, and the needs of children placed in the home.

How Placements Work

After verification, Texas foster families may receive placement requests from their supervising child-placing agency, DFPS, or the regional Community-Based Care contractor. Placement coordinators attempt to match children with homes that can meet their physical, emotional, developmental, educational, behavioral, cultural, religious, medical, sibling, visitation, and permanency needs. Matching decisions also consider the foster home's verified capacity, training, experience, household composition, geographic location, transportation resources, school arrangements, support system, placement preferences, and ability to support reunification and family connections.

Can Decline Placements

Yes. Texas foster parents may decline a proposed placement when they believe the placement is outside their verified capacity, preferences, experience, available resources, or ability to safely meet the child's needs. Before accepting, families should ask for all available information about the child's age, health, medications, diagnoses, behaviors, trauma history, school, visitation schedule, sibling relationships, supervision needs, transportation requirements, legal status, service level, placement history, and permanency plan.

Emergency Placements

Texas regularly needs foster homes for emergency, same-day, after-hours, weekend, infant, adolescent, sibling-group, medically complex, and placement-disruption situations. Complete records may not always be available when an emergency placement occurs. The placing agency should provide all available medical, educational, behavioral, legal, safety, visitation, medication, consent, and contact information as soon as possible after placement.

Sibling Groups

Texas seeks to place siblings together whenever it is safe, appropriate, and consistent with each child's best interests. When siblings cannot live in the same foster home, caregivers and caseworkers work to preserve those relationships through visits, telephone or video contact, school connections, shared activities, holiday contact, photographs, letters, and other regular communication unless a court or child-specific safety plan restricts contact. Foster homes able to accept sibling groups are especially needed.

Age Preferences

During the home-study and verification process, Texas applicants identify the ages, number of children, genders, sibling groups, placement types, behaviors, medical conditions, developmental needs, and levels of supervision they are prepared to accept. Families may express preferences for infants, toddlers, school-age children, teenagers, sibling groups, respite care, emergency care, foster-to-adopt situations, primary medical needs, or therapeutic foster care. Placements must remain within the home's verified capacity and approved service categories.

Monthly Board Rate

Texas foster-care maintenance payments are based on the child's authorized service level, placement type, and contractual arrangement with the supervising child-placing agency or Community-Based Care provider. Service levels may include basic, moderate, specialized, and intense care. Payments are intended to help cover the child's ordinary living expenses, including food, clothing, shelter, transportation, supervision, recreation, personal-care items, school needs, and other daily costs. Because payment structures and pass-through amounts may differ by provider and region, families should obtain the current written rate schedule from their agency before accepting placement.

Clothing Allowance

Routine clothing costs are generally included in foster-care maintenance payments. Additional clothing assistance may sometimes be authorized when a child enters care without adequate clothing or has unusual seasonal, school, growth, employment, medical, cultural, or placement-related needs. Foster parents should follow their agency's approval, purchasing, documentation, and reimbursement procedures before making significant purchases.

Daycare Assistance

Childcare assistance may be available when approved as necessary for the child's placement and the foster parent's employment, education, training, respite needs, or service plan. Eligibility may depend on the child's age, placement circumstances, available funding, provider qualifications, Community-Based Care region, and agency authorization. Foster parents should receive approval before enrolling a child when they expect DFPS or the supervising agency to pay for care.

Medical Coverage

Children in Texas foster care generally receive medical coverage through STAR Health, the statewide Medicaid managed-care program for children and youth in DFPS conservatorship. Coverage may include physician care, hospital services, prescriptions, dental care, vision services, behavioral-health treatment, counseling, therapies, medical equipment, developmental services, and specialty care. Foster parents are responsible for coordinating appointments, maintaining records, following medical-consent requirements, administering medications as directed, and promptly reporting significant health concerns.

Mileage Reimbursement

Transportation assistance or mileage reimbursement may be available for approved travel related to family visitation, medical care, therapy, court hearings, service-plan meetings, school transportation, placement transitions, training, or other case-related responsibilities. Eligibility, approval requirements, documentation, and reimbursement rates vary by agency, contract, and Community-Based Care region. Families should confirm procedures before submitting mileage or transportation expenses.

Additional Benefits

Depending on the child and placement, Texas foster families may receive respite care, childcare assistance, specialized maintenance payments, behavioral consultation, therapeutic services, medical equipment, educational advocacy, transportation help, crisis intervention, case-management support, foster-parent mentoring, independent-living resources for older youth, and other services authorized through the child's service plan.

Respite Care

Respite care may be available to give foster parents temporary relief and help stabilize placements. Respite providers must satisfy applicable background, training, safety, supervision, and agency-approval requirements. Availability, payment, scheduling, and the number of authorized respite days vary by child-placing agency, Community-Based Care region, placement type, and the child's service plan.

Support Groups

Texas foster, kinship, and adoptive families may participate in agency-sponsored support groups, regional associations, conferences, online communities, educational workshops, faith-based networks, and peer-support programs. Common topics include trauma, attachment, grief, behavior management, co-parenting, cultural identity, special education, medical advocacy, caregiver stress, placement transitions, reunification, adoption, and self-care.

Mentoring

Some Texas regions and child-placing agencies operate foster-parent mentoring or buddy programs that connect newly verified families with experienced foster or adoptive parents. Mentors may help families understand agency procedures, prepare for placements, navigate meetings, communicate with professionals, respond to challenging behaviors, locate community resources, and manage the emotional demands of foster care.

Counseling

Children in foster care may receive counseling, trauma-focused treatment, psychiatric services, behavioral-health care, developmental therapy, substance-use treatment, crisis intervention, family therapy, and other clinically necessary services. Foster parents may also receive caregiver coaching, behavioral consultation, placement-stabilization services, parenting education, and referrals to community-based counseling or support programs.

Crisis Support

In a life-threatening emergency, foster parents should call 911 and provide appropriate First Aid or CPR when safe to do so. They must promptly notify the child's caseworker and supervising child-placing agency. Serious injuries, hospitalizations, missing children, abuse allegations, arrests, suicide threats, medication errors, restraints, law-enforcement involvement, placement disruptions, or other major incidents must be reported according to Texas Minimum Standards and agency policy.

Available

Yes. Texas allows families to become verified or approved for both foster care and adoption. Dual verification can reduce unnecessary placement moves and allow a child to remain with familiar caregivers when reunification is no longer possible and adoption becomes the court-approved permanency goal.

Process

Children generally enter Texas foster care with reunification as the primary goal. DFPS and the child's legal team also explore relatives, kinship placements, permanent managing conservatorship, and other permanency options. When parental rights are terminated or surrendered and adoption becomes the approved plan, the child's foster family may be considered as an adoptive resource. The final selection is based on the child's best interests, attachments, sibling relationships, cultural needs, long-term needs, and the family's ability to provide lifelong care.

Legal Risk

Accepting a foster or foster-to-adopt placement does not guarantee adoption. A child may reunify with parents, move to relatives or kin, enter permanent managing conservatorship, transfer to another placement, or be matched with another adoptive family. Foster parents must support the child's current permanency plan, visitation, family relationships, and reunification efforts until the court and DFPS formally change that plan.

Adoption Subsidy

Eligible children adopted from Texas foster care may qualify for adoption assistance. Benefits may include monthly financial assistance, Medicaid coverage, reimbursement of eligible nonrecurring adoption expenses, and post-adoption services. Eligibility and payment amounts depend on the child's needs, legal status, age, sibling circumstances, and applicable state and federal requirements.

Available

Yes. Texas prioritizes safe placement with relatives and fictive kin whenever possible because familiar caregivers can preserve a child's family relationships, identity, culture, school, community, language, and sense of belonging while reducing the trauma of removal.

Licensing Differences

Kinship caregivers may initially receive a child through an emergency or provisional placement process before completing full foster-home verification. Caregivers who pursue verification must complete applicable training, background checks, home assessment, safety requirements, interviews, documentation, and agency approval. Texas also offers kinship support and licensing information to help relatives and close family friends understand verification options and available benefits.

Financial Support

Texas kinship caregivers may qualify for different forms of financial and practical assistance depending on the child's custody, the caregiver's verification status, household income, legal arrangement, and program eligibility. Assistance may include foster-care maintenance payments for verified homes, kinship reimbursement or integration payments, childcare, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families child-only benefits, legal assistance, case-management support, respite, permanency-care assistance, or adoption assistance.

How old do I have to be to become a foster parent in Texas?

Prospective foster and adoptive parents must be at least 21 years old. Texas does not establish one standard maximum age, but applicants must be physically and emotionally capable of caring for children.

Can a single person become a foster parent?

Yes. Qualified single, married, divorced, and widowed adults may foster or adopt in Texas.

Do I have to own my home?

No. Applicants may rent or own their residence as long as the home meets Texas Minimum Standards, local occupancy requirements, and agency safety policies.

Can I work full-time and foster?

Yes. Many Texas foster parents work full-time. Applicants must have reliable arrangements for childcare, transportation, school, visitation, appointments, court, meetings, emergencies, and the child's supervision needs.

Do I need previous parenting experience?

No. Previous parenting experience is not required. Applicants receive preservice training and are evaluated through the home-study process.

What is NTDC?

NTDC is the National Training and Development Curriculum. Texas uses the approximately 19-hour curriculum to prepare prospective foster and adoptive parents for caring for children involved with the child welfare system.

How long does foster-parent verification take?

Many applicants complete the process within approximately three to six months, but timelines vary by agency, training schedule, background checks, inspections, references, home repairs, and applicant availability.

Are background checks required?

Yes. Applicants and applicable household members must complete criminal-history, fingerprint, abuse and neglect, and other required background checks.

Can I foster if I have a criminal record?

Possibly. Some criminal offenses permanently or temporarily bar foster-home verification, while others may receive an individualized risk evaluation or eligibility review. Applicants must fully disclose their history to the agency.

How many children may live in a Texas foster home?

A standard foster home generally may not have more than six children total, including the foster parents' own children and children for whom the family regularly provides daycare. Additional restrictions may apply based on bedroom space, ages, service levels, supervision needs, and agency policy.

Can foster children share bedrooms?

Yes, when the arrangement complies with Texas Minimum Standards and is appropriate for the children's ages, genders, development, sibling relationships, trauma histories, behaviors, and individual safety needs.

Can I use physical discipline?

No. Texas foster parents must agree to a nonphysical discipline policy. Discipline must be positive, appropriate, trauma-informed, and consistent with Minimum Standards and the child's service plan.

Can I have pets?

Yes. Pets must be appropriately vaccinated, safely managed, sanitary, and suitable around children.

Can I own firearms?

Yes. Firearms and ammunition must be securely locked, stored separately, and inaccessible to children. Agencies may require additional safeguards.

Can I decline a placement?

Yes. Foster parents may decline a placement that falls outside their verification, household capacity, experience, or ability to meet the child's needs.

Are foster parents expected to work with birth parents?

Yes. When safe and appropriate, Texas foster parents support reunification by facilitating visitation, communicating respectfully, sharing information about the child, mentoring parents, and participating in service-planning and permanency meetings.

Do foster parents receive financial assistance?

Yes. Foster-care maintenance payments help cover the child's daily expenses. Payment amounts depend on the child's authorized service level, placement type, provider contract, and supervising agency.

Do foster children receive medical insurance?

Children in DFPS conservatorship generally receive Medicaid healthcare services through the STAR Health program.

Is respite care available?

Respite may be available through the supervising agency or Community-Based Care provider. Availability and authorization vary by region, agency, and the child's service plan.

Can relatives become verified foster parents?

Yes. Relatives and fictive kin may pursue foster-home verification and may qualify for additional services or financial assistance.

Can foster parents adopt?

Yes. When reunification and other permanency options are no longer possible and adoption becomes the child's plan, the foster family may be considered as an adoptive resource.

Does fostering guarantee adoption?

No. Foster care is temporary, and the primary goal for most children is reunification. Placement with a foster family does not guarantee that the child will become legally available for adoption.

Is adoption assistance available?

Yes. Eligible children adopted from Texas foster care may receive monthly assistance, Medicaid, reimbursement of qualifying nonrecurring expenses, and post-adoption services.

How do I report suspected child abuse or neglect?

Reports may be made to the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 or through the state's online reporting system for situations that do not require an immediate response. Call 911 when a child is in immediate danger.

State Agency

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

Phone

1-800-233-3405

Email

[email protected]

Address

4900 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX 78751