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Why Not You...Why Not Me?
November is National Adoption Month, and Saturday, November 18, 2023 is National Adoption Day!
Spread the word! Visit our campaign materials page to play "Why Not Me?" TV and radio spots and download posters, bookmarks, brochures, and more.
Children never outgrow the need for parents.
Children are never too old to want and need a family of their own. Even grown children seek the comfort and wisdom of their parents. Becoming a young adult is difficult for most youth, and it’s even harder for youth without a permanent family. Teenagers need parents as role models for becoming productive citizens.
To shorten the wait, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) launched a public awareness campaign called “Why Not Me?” to recruit adoptive parents.
After all, that is what these children ask themselves almost every day.
“Why not me? Why can’t I have a family?”
More than 6,000 of abused and neglected children in Texas are awaiting adoption and about 60 percent of them are age 6 or older. The older the child, the longer they tend to wait for adoption.
We are asking mature, responsible Texans this question: Why not you?
Why not consider adopting an abused or neglected child? Whether they are 7 or 17, children never outgrow the need for parents. Make a difference in a child's life.
View and download our campaign materials and help spread the word!
Meet the Children Waiting for Adoption.
DFPS created the Texas Adoption Resource Exchange (TARE) website to help match adoptive parents with Texas children awaiting adoption. You may search and view children waiting for adoption on the website at any time. To view full profiles, save your preferences, and make inquiries, you will need to create an account.
Once you create an account profile, you can inquire about children or sibling groups available for adoption and get status updates. DFPS staff can view your profile and your adoption preferences, including child characteristics, family skills, and whether you are willing to parent a child with a disability. Using the TARE website could result in a child being successfully placed with and adopted by your family!
Meet the children waiting for adoption.
How Can We Help You on Your Path to Fostering or Adopting?
Foster parenting and adoption are not quick decisions and require a lot of thoughtful consideration and preparation. In addition to helping you find children awaiting adoption, the TARE website provides the following resources to help you along the way:
- Information Meetings in Your Area - Attend a meeting to learn about adoption and foster parenting and get your questions answered.
- Learn About Our Children - Understand the backgrounds our children come from and the impacts of fostering or adopting.
- Steps to Become a Foster or Adoptive Parent - Adoption is a process. Learn what that looks like!
- Texas Adoption Partners and Agencies - Get a list of private adoption agencies and learn about community partner programs.