Foster care is a protective service to children and their families when families can no longer care for their children. There are many reasons and circumstances that make it difficult for biological families to meet the needs of their children—including poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, homelessness, teen pregnancy, loss of a job, or lack of support from extended family. Unlike birth parents, foster parents receive training before they welcome children into their home, and support from social workers and other professionals throughout the process. Foster parents often also have access to respite care programs, and find support through local organizations, such as churches, and online support groups.
Traditionally, the foster parent’s role was seen as a temporary one—and even today more than half of children who enter foster care are reunified with their birth parents. Foster parents are frequently asked to support these reunification efforts—including facilitating visitations and attending court appearances—and must always be prepared to accept the loss of a child who returns to birth parents or is placed with another relative when that is found to be in the child’s best interest.
In Texas, foster care is administered by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), which provides services to children and families when the biological parents are unable to care for their children for various reasons such as poverty, substance abuse, or mental illness. Foster parents in Texas are required to undergo training and are supported by social workers and other professionals throughout the fostering process. They also have access to resources like respite care programs and support groups. The primary goal of foster care in Texas is to provide a temporary safe environment for children with the intention of reunification with their birth parents whenever possible. Foster parents are expected to support reunification efforts, which may include facilitating visitations and attending court appearances. However, if reunification is not in the best interest of the child, other permanent arrangements, such as adoption or placement with other relatives, may be pursued. Texas law emphasizes the best interest of the child in all foster care decisions.
