[prayin]

we are praying about adopting a child available through CPS - just starting to research the options and leaning towards a christian based non-profit agency.

are they all the same? they all have access to the same kids? are the home studies and training the same?

seems that an agency would be easier to work with, but i have no idea!

does everyone have to go through PRIDE or do some agencies have their own training? what do you do w/your kids while you and hubby go to training classes?

do most adopted children qualify for the free college?

are minorities (afamerican and hispanic) considered "special needs" or is that just sibling groups?

[dtmckel]

I will try to answer your questions to the best of my own knowledge.
We actually went through CPS to become certified. I have heard that families that are licensed through CPS seem to get the calls more frequently but I can only tell you from our experience. We got our license the first of April and got our first placement (who we will be adopting in a couple of months) a few days later. Our next placement was the half brother of our first placement (he was 1 day old when we got him). We are only licensed for two so we are full right now. We did get another call shortly after we became full for a little girl but we could not take her at that time (we would now though, we are changing our license to 3).
We did go through the PRIDE classes and our bio kids stayed with grandparents while we attended.
As for the college tuition...it is my understanding that all adopted kiddos through the foster system qualify for the benefit...but I could be wrong on that
When we attended PRIDE, they told us that Special needs kids include sibling groups, minorities that are 2 and older and white children that are 5 and older.
Hope I helped a little. May God BLess you during this decision time and show you the right path to take.

[prayin]

thank you so much - gives me more to think about - i talked w/an agency and they said CPS case workers change a lot and that delays the process - looks like you had a fairly smooth time of it!

thanks again for the help - i can see where CPS might want to just place kids themselves before contacting agencies.....maybe.......

congrats and good luck w/yours! - nice to see you have 4 Bio kids too - as do we! i know it sounds crazy to take on more! haha!

many blessings!

[Jeralyn]

I went through Depehchin and then CPS. Got lost in the system. Became a number. Went with a small, Christan agency in Conroe. Loved them. Got licensed an in a week received calls. In three weeks I had my first placement of a 4 day old little boy. All the classes were the same give or take a few and the kids with my agency did come from CPS. Good luck.

[CaddoRose]

We are licensed through a private agency, but I have a good relationship with the CPS CW of my first placement. All of my paperwork goes to my agency, but my CPS CW calls and gets updates and visits us at home too. I got to know her because I did the transportation for visits.

When a child comes into care the information goes to Central Placement. The CPS CW can request that they look at a particular family, but there is no guarantee that the child will be placed with them. Central Placement looks at all the "open beds" listed by each agency including CPS families and at the same time, the agencies are looking at the same data base to find children to place. It's a throw of the dice as to who ends up with a child. My CPS CW called me about taking a child( she is relatively new) and got in big trouble for doing that. They want Central Placement to do all of that work instead.

Regardless of whether it is CPS or an agency, the PRIDE classes are the same. There is a standardized set of information you will get in the classes and a list of other things you have to do like CPR/First Aid and fingerprints, etc. When we went to an info meeting at CPS about fostering/adoption, the workers there told us to pick an agency, not CPS, so we picked an agency.

Our daughter was 10 yrs old when we started classes and she came with us. When we take our yearly classes to keep updated, we leave the younger kids with a sitter who has been background checked by the state. We were able to attend classes on Sat which meant we had fewer classes.

[frontporch]

are they all the same? they all have access to the same kids? are the home studies and training the same?

Adoption Agencies are not all the same. Ask around and check out their compliance history at http://www.txchildcaresearch.org You want to know that they are doing what they should. Also, if you choose to use an agency, you'll want to choose one from this list: Private Adoption Agencies (TARE)

You'll also want to find out what services they offer, if they charge anything, and if you'll be fostering too, what their reimbursement rates are as this varies.

seems that an agency would be easier to work with, but i have no idea!
Personally, I'm going through a private agency and I would go through directly through CPS if I could (conflict of interest prohibits this for me). It may also depend on where you live. For us the closest agency is 45 miles away and the one we're using is actually about 90 miles away. Where as CPS is right here in town.

does everyone have to go through PRIDE or do some agencies have their own training? what do you do w/your kids while you and hubby go to training classes?

You do have to attend some type of Pride type course. These are offered by the different agencies and of course CPS.

do most adopted children qualify for the free college?
If they are subject to an adoption assistance agreement, yes. See DFPS - College Tuition and Fee Exemption for Students who were Adopted and Received Adoption Assistance
Alternatively, they also qualify if they were in foster or other residential care under DFPS conservatorship as of the youth's 14th birthday and eligible for adoption at that time.
For the DFPS policy, see:
6880 Special Issues; 6881 Regional Designation of Responsible Units; 6882 Releasing the Health, Social, Educational, and Genetic History (HSEGH) Report to Other Parties on Request; 6883 College Tuition Waiver for Youth Who Have Been Adopted

are minorities (afamerican and hispanic) considered "special needs" or is that just sibling groups?
Special Needs, per DFPS - DFPS Adoption Assistance is defined as
[QUOTE] <H2>Definition of Special Needs

The child must be younger than 18 years old and meet one of the following criteria when the adoptive placement agreement is signed:

1. The child is at least six years old;
2. the child is at least two years old and a member of a minority group that traditionally has barriers to adoption;
3. the child is being adopted with a sibling or to join a sibling; or
4. the child has a verifiable physical, mental, or emotional handicapping condition, as established by an appropriately qualified professional through a diagnosis that addresses: (a) what the condition is; and (b) that the condition is indeed handicapping.

The state must determine that the child cannot or should not be returned to the home of his parents.
A reasonable effort must be made to find an adoptive placement without providing adoption assistance, unless doing so is against the child's best interests.

[/quote]</H2>

[prayin]

wow - lots of great info.

i am really torn - i get more response from agencies (no fees) - so wondering if that's an indicator of CPS system? i'm still trying to work my way through both and see where God leads. ultimatly I've resolved that God is in control of this and he will work through whomever he needs, whenever he intends - for that child to come into our home.

thank you again - the information was very helpful!

[LollipopsAndGumdrops]

What age range are you hoping for and are you planning to foster or just adopt?

The younger you want and the more you want to just adopt, I'd recommend CPS. It doesn't matter how nice and helpful an agency is if they aren't getting infants and that's all you want.

The older you want and the more you want to just foster, I'd recommend a private agency. The extra help is better for the long-term.

If you're right in the middle of the road, it would come down to what you value most and what your individual circumstances are to break the tie.