We grow families through adoption, working closely with you and your birth parents to ensure the process is completed properly and ethically.
Each year, thousands of Texans build their families through adoption and at Schreier & Housewirth Family Law, we have been honored to help clients realize this dream.
Families seeking to grow through adoption have more alternatives than ever and our family law attorneys can give you the information you need to decide which alternative is best for you.
Matching with an Adoptive Child in Texas
Matching occurs when a child who is available for adoption is “matched” with a family seeking to enrich their family.
For the child to be eligible for adoption, all prior parental rights must have been terminated when a biological parent relinquishes his or her parental rights by voluntarily signing an Affidavit of Relinquishment of Parental Rights.
Schreier & Housewith have experience preparing such documents and in making sure that the relinquishment is executed according to Texas law.
In other cases, parental rights may be involuntarily terminated by CPS due to parental misconduct.
Parents wishing to adopt a child in Texas must undergo a rigorous pre-placement study completed by a licensed social worker and a criminal history background check performed through the Texas Department of Public Safety.
While these components of the process are “outsourced” at Schreier & Housewirth, we simplify the process by putting you in contact with skilled social workers who will work with you to complete your pre-placement study as quickly and as professionally as possible.
Reliable Ways to Match with Children
- Texas Department of Family and Protective Services – TDPFS places hundreds of children for adoption each year and you can learn more about such children at: http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/. TDFPS will require you to complete a stringent background check and meet state mandated licensing requirements. Schreier & Housewirth will share what we know about the advantages and disadvantages of adopting through TDFPS.
- Agencys – There are many licensed child placement agencies operating throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex who work with both expectant mothers and prospective adoptive parents to facilitate an excellent placement match. While such agencies can offer an all-inclusive adoption experience, they typically charge a considerable fee for their services. Let Schreier & Housewirth explain whether an agency adoption may be best for you.
- Private Matches – Using everything from the internet to word of mouth, families seeking to adopt can match themselves with birth mothers who have decided to place their baby with another family. By eliminating an agency intermediary, parents can save thousands of dollars; however, in these situations possibly more than any other, families seeking to add another child need direction from a skilled and ethical adoption attorney to ensure strict compliance with all legal requirements. At Schreier & Housewirth, our attention to detail and sensitivity to both your needs as well as the birthmother’s gives our clients true piece of mind during a time that is highly emotional for all concerned.
- Stepparents – Stepparent adoptions enable a stepparent to take on the legal role of parent when a biological parent is no longer in the picture. This is frequently the case when parents divorce and the non-custodial parent refuses to spend time with or support the child.
- Open Agreements – Many of adoptive parents find it beneficial to their children to have an open agreement to provide a mechanism for continuing contact between the child and his or her birth parents. Such contact can be psychologically rewarding for the child and in the event of health emergencies, a biological parent can be a vital source of family health history. Although such agreements are not recognized under current Texas law, our family law attorneys assist in the preparation of such agreements as an act of faith between biological and adoptive families who are mutually committed to the well-being of the child.
- Families: When Child Protective Services steps in to remove a child from his or her home, there are options beyond foster care provided by a stranger. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other extended family members may with to pursue a claim for custody of the child. If the child has resided with you for more than one year, you have a valid stake in the outcome of the placement of that child.
- Foster Children: When foster children reside with you for a significant amount of time, it is natural to develop a bond. If Child Protective Services determines that a biological parent is an unfit parent and subsequently terminates that parent’s parental rights, the foster parent may be an appropriate option for permanent care to the child.
At Schreier & Housewirth, our attorneys know how to help you realize the joy of adopting a child and will negotiate as well as prepare necessary paperwork to file a petition according to Texas adoption law.
In addition, because we work closely with social workers and other professionals, we offer comprehensive representation for our adoption clients.
We can help with such requirements as the home study, criminal background check, birth parent’s affidavit of relinquishment of parental rights, and other aspects of the process.
Learn More About Adoption
To learn more about Texas Foster Care and Adoption, review the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website.