Anyone Foster through CPS in TX?

[iris0110]

I have a very good friend who is trying to become a foster parent. He was originally working with a religious agency to get his license but after making it all the way through training, home study, references and everything they refused him at the last moment. They refused him on the basis of his being a first year teacher. Most likely the truth of the matter is that the director did not want him licensed (and had told him as much) because he is young, single and male without any ties to a church. This agency has never licensed a single man before let alone one as young as my friend. My friend is a great guy. He is a 5th grade math and science teacher and my first choice for guardian for my own kids. He is heartbroken because he desperately wants to add a child to his life (ultimately he would like to adopt). I advised him to simply get his license directly through the state because many of the religious agencies are biased against single men but he was told that using an agency was preferable. Now that he is looking further he is having a hard time even finding information on how to go about getting his license without an agency. So has anyone in TX done it? Do you really need an agency for support?

[pcjs]

For fostering, yes you need an agency but for the reasons you described, are all my reasons why I would go through the state. If you are single, not religious and all that, those agency's are not very welcoming. Nor are they very welcoming to anyone other tan Christians, from my experiences. Remember in TX, things are very very conservative. If he can afford it or I'd wait a few years and save, he may be better off trying for a private or agency newborn adoption. Invite him here and maybe we can talk him through some of the different options if he's willing to come. Tell him not to give up no matter what... it took us years and it was well, a nightmare, but in the end, it was so worth it as we have our son.

[iris0110]

He doesn't want to adopt a newborn, he would prefer a school age child partially because he is single and he would like for the child to be able to enroll in the school he is teaching at. I thought you could foster through the state, I didn't know you needed an agency, that is going to make it harder. He is a very relaxed Christian bordering on agnostic and he doesn't attend church so the religious organizations just aren't a good fit. Plus they are very conservative. I know single men do foster and adopt in our state though and he would make a wonderful father so it is hard. There are many children on our state's "waiting for adoption" list and I suggested that he go that route since he wants to adopt an older child. I think I will suggest that he comes over here and asks some of his questions. I just can't help him as much as I would like.

[pcjs]

Sounds like you are a huge help and support! I don't know how TX works. Some states do require you to go to a private agency, but most allow you to just work directly through your local county or jurisdiction. Here, it depends.. the next state over you can apply directly with them or go to a private agency like you are describing. But, here, only specialized foster parents are generally with private agency's.

He could also consider adopting an older child internationally if he is interested in older children. It will be harder male and single but anything is possible. I've seen some international/older kid adoptions work very well.

[Katiesara]

In TX, he should be able to foster directly through CPS. We planned to work with CPS as foster parents last year, but ended up moving to a different part of the state where it was easier to use a private agency. CPS was able to send all our classes and homestudy to the private agency so that we didn't need to repeat anything. Maybe his agency could just send everything to CPS. If he calls the local CPS number, they should be able to get your friend in contact with the local licensing worker. Hope it works out for him.

[newmommy13]

He shouldnt have trouble adopting a waiting child. Thats horrible! I suggest he contact cps and see about transfering his info from the agency. Are there no agencies without any religious affiliations? Im glad he has you to suppport him! My cousin is in his early 40s and has 50/50 custody of his 10 year old son and he was considering fostering school age boys but the first thing he said was that he would never get approved because they would think he is a pediphile. I told him i thought that was ridiculous but maybe that kind of thinking does exist.

[iris0110]

Unfortunately this kind of thinking does exist. If he had a wife no one would think anything. Even if he were a single woman people would just accept that he wanted to foster or adopt a child but because he is a man he is thought poorly of when he wants to work with kids or make a family. I kind of think of him like my oldest kid so when he told me I was furious and heartbroken for him. When he first approached dh and I about his plan to foster he told us that he had been told that going through an agency was better because they made it easier and offered more support. I encouraged him to really think about it because of his situation and because as far as we can see all of the agencies in the area are religious. He chose this one because it was one of the oldest in the state, has a good reputation and he had been told it was very relaxed about religion. I guess that wasn't so true, or the lead has changed. He has been looking for information on fostering directly through CPS but told me he has been having a hard time actually finding it. A family friend has suggested another agency but that one is also religious so I've told him to be careful. Thank you all for your advice I will tell him to call the local CPS number and see who he can get in touch with. I think he was originally considering fostering for a while before pursuing adoption but I think I will suggest that he takes another look at the "waiting for adoption" lists. I know he was drawn to those lists before and originally he passed his home study with an approval for 2 children.

[sillyutalktome]

The only region he can't go through CPS in Texas is the Central Texas/Capitol area. It's all private here. Our agency is not religiously affiliated and is in the Austin and Dallas area if he's willing to try again with a private agency I'd totally be willing to PM you the name and have him talk to them.

I will disclose that the director of the agency is a Christian and does occasionally talk about God but it's not a religious agency. They have a website and Facebook page he could check into.

Eta - On this map, if he's in the Region 7 area he has to find a private organization. Everywhere else he just needs to attend an information meeting and he'll be assigned to someone to go from there. At least that's how it worked when we started in Houston. At the time in Houston it was a 6 month wait from being assigned/passing the first interview to starting the licensing classes. If he's already done those I'm sure it would go much faster

map - http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Adoption...tion_Meetings/