by Megan Avery Zellner
More than 28,000 children are in the Texas foster care system, and about 3,000 are waiting to be adopted into forever families. Each child in foster care is in need of safe temporary or permanent home with parents who have a strong desire to help kids heal from trauma.
Who are the children in need of foster and adoptive homes?
The children needing your home are usually part of a sibling group, they may be school age or older, they come from many different ethnic and cultural background, and they may have some medical or behavioral needs. All children awaiting foster or adoptive parents come from a background of abuse and neglect, and will need a parent who understands trauma-informed parenting.
What is the process to be a foster or adoptive parent?
Parents first complete an application packet, which is followed by 35-40 hours of Pre-Service training classes. These classes include in-person training, online training, and CPR and First Aid. We require a home health inspection from the local health department and fire inspection from the fire department. The Program Team at The Settlement Home for Children completes a home study based on an interview with you and your family about who you are, how you parent, and which children you might be the best match for. The entire process can take as little as three months or as long as a year, depending on how motivated you are.
What are the benefits of fostering and adopting through The Settlement Home for Children?
The Settlement Home for Children has been working in child welfare since 1916, and our programs are staffed with experienced professionals from many backgrounds. Our Foster and Adoption Program offers:
- A small, close knit team of knowledgeable and compassionate individuals who work to meet children and family’s needs individually
- 24/7 on-call crisis support
- Two days of paid babysitting per child, per quarter with another family in our program
- Monthly ongoing training opportunities with topics pertinent to working with children with histories of trauma
- Reimbursement of some of the expenses required of becoming a licensed foster parent
- Assistance with providing birthday and Christmas gifts to children
- Tickets to local events, such as Stars Hockey Games, UT sporting events, and the circus
Please contact https://www.settlementhome.org/ for more information
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