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Private adoption can be a meaningful way to grow your family, but it’s also a major commitment. If you're thinking about adopting a child, you may have questions about how the process works, who can adopt and how to get started. This page gives a simple overview of private adoption in Texas and helpful state resources.

Understanding Private Adoption 

In a private adoption, a child is placed with an adoptive family through a licensed adoption agency, attorney or other adoption professional. 

Private adoptions often involve newborns, while foster care adoption usually involves children who have been removed from their homes for safety reasons.

The private adoption process usually includes these steps:
  • Learning about adoption and choosing an agency. 
  • Applying to adopt. 
  • Completing background checks and a home study. 
  • Being matched with a child. 
  • Placement. 
  • Post-placement supervision. 
  • Finalizing the adoption in court.

For more information, visit the Considering Adoption.

Preparing to Adopt

It helps to do your homework before choosing an agency or starting an application.

Research Agencies

Look for licensed child-placing agencies and review their records. Texas Child Care Search can help families find information about regulated child-placing agencies. To search for an agency near you, select “24-hr Residential Child Care,” enter your location, then filter by “Child-Placing Agency” on the results page.

Ask About Agency Qualifications

Ask each agency what they need from adoptive parents. Requirements may differ based on the agency and the type of adoption.

Understand the Financials

Make sure you understand the agency’s fees, payment schedule and refund policy before moving forward. Costs can vary, and it’s better to ask early than be surprised later.

Prepare Questions

Write down your questions before meeting with an agency. You may want to ask about wait times, home studies, communication with the birth family, post-placement support and more.

Consider Legal Support

Adoption includes legal paperwork and court steps. Texas Law Help offers general information about adoption and explains that these cases can be complex, so legal help may be useful in some situations. 

 

Who Can Adopt in Texas

In Texas, single adults and married couples may be able to adopt. If you’re married, both spouses usually need to be part of the adoption petition. 

Basic requirements may include: 

  • Being at least 21 years old. 
  • Showing that you are financially stable and able to care for a child. 
  • Filling out an application and sharing information about your background and lifestyle. 
  • Providing personal references, including both relatives and non-relatives. 
  • Completing a home study, which usually includes interviews and visits with everyone in the household. 

Some agencies or types of adoption may have added requirements, such as training, medical information or more paperwork.

Responsibilities of Adoptive Parents 

Adoption is a lifelong commitment. Adoptive parenting can be deeply rewarding, but it also takes patience, flexibility and support. When you adopt a child, you’re taking on the full responsibility of parenting that child into adulthood. 

That includes: 

  • Providing a safe, stable and permanent home. 
  • Meeting a child’s daily needs, such as food, clothing, health care and education. 
  • Planning for long-term needs as the child grows. 
  • Supporting a child’s emotional, mental, physical and social development. 
  • Being ready to help a child process loss, change and questions about identity and family. 

Adoption through the Foster Care System

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) oversees foster care adoption in Texas and provides adoption-related resources. DFPS also works with children of all ages in state conservatorship. To learn more, visit the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services page.

Texas Adoption Resource Exchange 

The Texas Adoption Resource Exchange helps connect children waiting for adoption with prospective adoptive families. You can create an account and a family profile and search for children or sibling groups waiting for their forever family. To learn more and start your search, visit the Texas Adoption Resource Exchange page. 

Minimum Standards for Child-Placing Agencies

Adoption agencies may be held to different regulations depending on the services they provide. In Texas, any agency that conducts home studies must be licensed as a “child-placing agency” by the Residential Child Care Licensing division of the Health and Human Services Commission.  

Texas regulates child-placing agencies under Chapter 42 of the Texas Human Resources Code and Title 26, Chapter 749 of the Texas Administrative Code. These rules cover how agencies operate, approve families, place children, keep records and support families through the adoption process.

Related Resources

DFPS Adoption page
Children’s Bureau
Minimum Standards for Child-Placing Agencies (PDF)