[LollipopsAndGumdrops]

My husband and I have read up and thought and prayed and whatall for several years and we're ready to start the process to adopt. We want to do a straight adoption of 1-3 children without fostering and are open to children of any race/ethnicity in ages of 0-8.

I'm very happy to have found this board and hope you can help with any tips or suggestions. I read the thread about CPS choosing adoptive families from their own ranks. Agency suggestions and CPS experiences would be great, and I understand that most of that needs to be done through the private message systems. We're in DFW. Whatever you can offer that would make our journey easier would be appreciated. I look forward to talking with you!

Suzanna

[tctahoe]

We are straight adopt and have been in the process now for almost 2 years. Many agencies won't let you do straight adopt unless you are doing 8 and above, that's what we have been told. We went the standard way through DFPS and it is a long waiting time as compared to agencies. We are currently in the matching phase and are going to a RAS in January on a sibling group of 3. We have submitted our homestudy on probably 50 different groups, so it is a long process and alot of waiting. Many people do foster to adopt whereby you 'should' receive a placement sooner. We could not do that as my bio kids are special needs and if they were to get attached to foster children they would not know how to let go if those kids were RU. It would be hard for us too! So we went straight adopt so that TPR was already established. However, it is a long road and like I said here in TX most agencies won't let you start the process with the assumption of going the straight adopt for 8 and under. RU is always the first goal.

[LollipopsAndGumdrops]

Thank you so much!

We also received some PMs, so that was helpful!

If we can find an agency who will do under 8 (I don't know if we can, but assuming so) then what would the pros and cons be of doing private versus DFCS?

[txmamals]

CC of D does not want us to adopt older than our youngest 8 years but the state does not have an issue with this.

[LollipopsAndGumdrops]

We talked to several agencies. None had rules about only adopting children over 8 or only siblings, but of the ones we liked, they were honest that we would have an adoptive placement sooner as a CPS family given our criteria. Given that CPS has quite a reputation for taking forever, that's saying a lot.

We know that we'll have to meet the CPS criteria, and adding in the additional criteria of private agencies on top of a longer wait doesn't seem to make private agencies worth it when doing straight adoption. So I guess we've decided to go with CPS.

[txwannabemom]

I am working with CPS and while not always efficent, they have been helpful, direct and clear about whats needed and expected. I started this in October, and have been told about a year, possibly less because I am adopting an older child (7-12 yr old girl). This is just my experience.

[linda3995]

We did straight adopt in 2002 (?) through CPS. Homestudy approved Sept. 2002 we had dd in our home in Jan 2003 (8 mo old). After adopting, we decided to Foster for a short time and then became respite parents. Now 6 1/2 years later we are doing straight adopt (sib.group of 4 - 4 to 12 years old). Hope this helps

[LollipopsAndGumdrops]

Thank you both! We've submitted all papers and are waiting to hear back.

Suzanna