The Foster-to-Adopt Process

• A foster family receives a child into their home for a temporary placement with the plan for the child to be reunified with their birth family.
• If the birth family is not able to successfully complete their birth plan within the 12-18 months granted by the court, and appropriate relatives are not identified to take custody of the child, the parental rights most likely be terminated.
• Once the parental rights have been terminated and a 90 day appeal period has passed, the child is considered to be legally free for adoption.
• A foster family that is also verified for adoption usually receives the first option to adopt a child that becomes legally free for adoption and is placed in their home.
• The Covenant Kids Case Manager will work with the family to complete required documentation and ensure that the child has been in the home for at least six months.
• The adoption is legally finalized!

The Matched Adoption Process

• Covenant Kids submits the final homestudy for a family approved by the agency to be considered for children that are legally free for adoption.  The family can search the Texas Adoption Resource Exchange (TARE) at www.adoptchildren.org and contact Covenant Kids about children they are interested in. Also, Covenant Kids advocates on behalf of the family with CPS to locate children who match the family’s criteria. In both cases, Covenant Kids communicates with CPS regarding the family’s interest in the child and submits the family’s home study and life book to the CPS worker.
• CPS staff and advocates for the child review the homestudies for all families interested in adopting the child to select a panel of families that appear to be the best candidates.
• If your family is considered to be a good match for the child, CPS and Covenant Kids will work togehter to evaluate the unique needs of the particular child and your family’s ability to meet the child’s needs.
• The selected family will then recieve detailed information about the child and will be asked to carefully consider their decision before moving forward.
• If the family chooses to proceed, visits between the family and the child would begin.  This is a time for everyone to become acquainted before the child moves into the home.
• Placement paperwork is signed to mark the child’s move from their foster home into your adoptive home.
• For the next six months, the child is put in adoptive placement in the family’s home. The Covenant Kids Case Manager visits the family and child to help with the adjustment.
• The adoption is legally finalized!

The Private Domestic Adoption Process

• Each Private Domestic Adoption is unique and beautiful in its own way.  To learn more about this process, please CONTACT Covenant Kids via this website or give us a call at 817-516-9100.  We will be happy to answer your questions and help you as you consider this important decision.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are you ready to take the next step?  CLICK HERE to find out more about becoming an Adoptive Family!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________