You have many adoption options, and with Adoption Choices of Texas is the perfect place to begin exploring them. Each state maintains its own adoption policies, so the process can vary considerably for families in different states. As a Texas resident, you’ll want to work with an adoption agency or adoption attorney who is very familiar with Texas adoption laws and policies. Below, learn all about the legal guidelines for families adopting in Texas.
Texas Adoption Laws & Statutes
Who Can Adopt in Texas? To be eligible to adopt a child in Texas, applicants must be:
- At least 21 years old
- Healthy enough to assume parental responsibility
- Financially able to support the child
- Willing to respect and encourage the child’s religious affiliation
All prospective Adoptive Parents must also complete an approved home study before a child may be placed into their home.
Can LGBT families adopt? Not addressed in state statutes. With Adoption Choices of Texas, YES!
Can adoptive parents advertise for birth parents? No.
Can out-of-state residents finalize an adoption? Yes.
Can adopting parents use an adoption facilitator or another paid intermediary? No, only licensed child-placing agencies can “match” prospective adoptive parents with an expectant mother.
What birth parent expenses may be paid, and in what time period? Private: medical, legal, and counseling. Agency: medical, legal, counseling, living expenses (rent, clothing, food, gas). No reimbursement for expenses paid or incurred prior to contact with agency. 6 weeks postpartum. No reimbursement if adoption fails.
How much does it cost to adopt a child in Texas? The cost to adopt a child in Texas may vary depending on the type of adoption you decide to pursue, but Adoption Choices of Texas are permitted to pay for the following adoption-related expenses:
- Attorney fees
- Agency fees
- Counseling services for the Birth Mother
- Medical bills for the Birth Mother and child
- Other necessary and reasonable living expenses of the Birth Mother
Is there a putative father registry? Yes.
When can consent to adoption be granted? Required termination of parental rights, rather than consent.
When does consent become irrevocable? If consent is revoked, is return to birth parent automatic? Private: Relinquishment revocable for 10 days, or irrevocable for up to 60 days after signing. If properly revoked during appropriate time, return is likely. Agency: after signing.
Are post-adoption contact agreements legally enforceable? No.
Texas Open Records Statutes:
Is there an adoption registry? Yes, the Texas Department of State Health Services maintains a Central Adoption Registry.
Who may access information about an adoption? Adoptees age 18 or older, birth parents, alleged fathers who acknowledge paternity, and birth siblings age 18 or older may register for the exchange of identifying information. Adoptive parents and adoptees age 18 or older may request nonidentifying and medical information.
Who may apply for an adoptee’s original birth certificate (OBC)? Adoptees age 18 or older who can identify the name of each parent listed on the original birth certificate.
Find more detailed Texas adoption laws here!!
DISCLAIMER: The state laws and policies outlined above are offered to readers only for general information and do not constitute legal advice. Furthermore, the state laws were accurate at the time of compilation, but Adoption Choices cannot guarantee that there have been no subsequent changes or revisions to the laws. Please do not rely on the information above without first consulting an adoption attorney licensed in your state.
