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Steps to Become a Foster/Adoptive Parent
In This Section
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Information Meeting
You will need to attend an information meeting in your area where you can discuss the scope and requirements of being a foster or adoptive parent.
You will get basic information and questions are welcome. Your local DFPS office will furnish you with this information if there are no informational meetings in your area.You do not need an appointment. Find free foster care and adoption information meetings in your Texas area.
Preparation and Selection
If you can meet the basic requirements, you are invited to meet with DFPS staff to decide if fostering or adopting is right for your family. You will also be assessed by DFPS staff. This process furnishes you with information about DFPS and the children who come into the foster care system.
Training
You will attend training (NTDC) to learn more about the children available through DFPS and to assess your strengths in parenting children. The classes also boost your knowledge and confidence to meet the challenge of taking children into your home and to be sure you are ready to follow through on the commitment.
What is NTDC?
CPS requires potential foster parents to attend National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC) as part of the family’s required pre-service training.
Texas NTDC is a 19-hour training program that provides prospective foster families with base knowledge of information on caring for children in the child welfare system. NTDC covers topics such as child attachment, loss and grief, discipline and behavior intervention, effects of abuse and neglect, working with families who have children in the welfare system, and the effects of trauma on children and families.
NTDC was funded through a five-year agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children Bureau. The cooperative agreement was led by Spaulding for Children in close partnership with other agencies.
Additional Training Requirements
The state minimum standards require that prospective foster families also complete the following trainings or certifications, which are not part of the NTDC curriculum:
- Psychotropic Medication
- Certification in both First Aid and infant/child/adult CPR
- Medical Consent
- Preventing & Recognizing Sexual Abuse & Victimization of Youth in Foster Care
- AS+K? online training (suicide intervention & prevention)
State minimum standards also require that verified foster homes receive annual in-service training. Depending on the number of foster parents and the needs of the children in a foster home, the annual training requirements range from 10 hours per family to 30 hours per foster parent.
Family Home Study
A caseworker will visit you in your home. The purpose is to discuss your personal history, family interests and lifestyle, childcare experiences, the types of children you feel would best fit in your home, and your strengths and skills in meeting the children's needs.