Foster parenting is a commitment to be meaningful during a part of a child's life by providing a temporary home for children who must be separated form their families. Foster parents are professional parents who enjoy parenting and are willing to share their home, energy and love with children who have special problems because of abuse or neglect. Some foster parents are interested in eventually adopting a child and may apply to adopt their foster child if the child becomes available for adoption. Therapeutic foster care is specialized foster care for hard to place children who need help in overcoming emotional problems which frequently accompany a childhood filled with abuse. These children are often teenagers who have resided in institutional settings and need to learn to function in a family.
Adoption is a permanent plan for a child who has been legally freed for adoption.
Adoptive parents are not perfect parents. They are willing to show special needs children love, patience and acceptance and to provide a stable adoptive home. Following inquiry with the Texas Department of Human Services, families must be studied and trained to meet the special need of abuse and neglected children. During the study process, families meet with an agency representative to help you determine the children who will best work within you family and the types of problems you feel you can best handle. Prior to any placement, the caseworker will discuss with you necessary information about the background, needs, and problems of the child.