Fort Worth, Texas Adoption
Fort Worth Adoption, Home Studies and More
Adoption Services for
Birth Parents and Adoptive Families
Please choose where you’d like to begin:
Information about placing
a child for adoption
or
Information about adopting a child
Lifetime Adoption is ready to help you with your adoption journey and is a leader in domestic, open adoption. Our excellent adoption coordinators are always prepared to answer your questions and guide you through the process. We have been matching birth families with adoptive families for over three decades. We provide you with counseling, articles, webinars, podcasts, referrals, along with one-on-one support.
Help for Pregnant Women in Fort Worth
If you are in the Fort Worth area and facing an unplanned pregnancy, we are here to help. One option you may want to consider is adoption. Lifetime Adoption services are available in the Fort Worth area. The adoption coordinators are a great source of information and have the answers to your questions. To receive assistance and guidance in making an adoption plan, just call or text our adoption coordinators 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You can find adoptive parents who are financially and emotionally ready to parent a child in a loving home through Lifetime Adoption. This can be a great gift to yourself and your baby. An adoption coordinator will provide you with profiles of adoptive families so you can choose a family with the lifestyle and values you would like for your baby and you. Then, an adoption plan will be created for you that includes a hospital plan and how much contact you would like after the adoption is final.
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, you may also be facing unexpected pregnancy expenses. In Fort Worth, adoption help with expenses is allowed, according to the state of Texas, when a pregnant woman chooses adoption and up until six weeks after the birth. Expenses can include help with rent, phone, clothes, food, transportation to the doctor, and more. Your Lifetime adoption coordinator will make sure she understands your needs and will get you the resources and support you need!
If you are struggling to raise a toddler or young child, adoption may be the answer to a more stable life for you and your child. Lifetime Adoption is here for you and your child. You can view profiles of Lifetime families that are interested in adopting sibling sets, toddlers, older children, and special needs children.
Making that call to a Fort Worth adoption agency can be hard. If you are considering adoption, call Lifetime, and you will find a caring, non-judgmental adoption coordinator available to answer your call or text. She will listen to your story answer all of your questions. She will talk with you honestly and guide you through the process, including counseling, if you would like.
Adoption Help in Fort Worth
Your Lifetime Adoption coordinator will provide:
- 24-hour help and support
- Assistance with pregnancy-related expenses
- Peer and Professional Counseling Referrals
- Maternity clothes, assorted toiletries, and even a labor bag if you need them.
- Adoptive parent profiles are available online and will be provided by your coordinator. You can be sure all Lifetime families have had a home study, including background checks.
- Additional support and resources after you have given birth
- And much more!
Adoption Counseling in Fort Worth
One of the most popular counseling services offered through Lifetime is peer counseling. It can really help to talk with another woman who has faced a similar situation when facing an unplanned pregnancy or placing a toddler or older child for adoption. Her story may be different, but a peer counselor will still understand how you feel and the emotions you are dealing with. In addition, she will share her adoption experience and advise you on things like how to tell your family, how to talk about adoption with the birth father, and many other topics to help you through the adoption process.
Maternity Hospitals in Forth Worth
- Would you like to hold your baby first after the birth or the adoptive parents?
- At the time of birth, who would you like in the room with you?
- Would you like the adoptive parents present at the hospital when you go into labor?
- Would you like to be in the maternity wing or a different area of the hospital?
- Would you like to leave the hospital before your baby or after you?
The adoptive parents and hospital will be up-to-date on your choices. Your adoption coordinator will make sure your wishes are followed and if you change your mind on any of your decisions, just let her know, and she will make the changes. The goal is for you to be comfortable and have as little stress as possible.
In the Fort Worth area, the hospitals with labor and delivery services are:
- Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance
- Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth
- Baylor Scott & White Saints Medical
- Medical City Alliance
If something unplanned happens, don’t worry! Our adoption coordinators are very experienced and have worked with women who were traveling out of state when they went into labor or who have even given birth at home. So whatever the situation, they are prepared and are just a phone call or text away.
More Helpful Resources for Pregnant Women in Fort Worth
If you are experiencing homelessness or find yourself in a domestic violence situation, finding safe housing is important. Here are some local resources for women’s shelters in Fort Worth and the surrounding area:
Are you struggling with hunger and are pregnant or the mother of young children? Then, you may be eligible for the WIC program. WIC stands for Women, Infants, and Children and provides an EBT card to purchase healthy food, such as fruit, vegetables, milk, eggs, whole grains, and cheese. They also have referrals for local resources. Learn more by visiting their website:
If you are struggling with addiction, a professional treatment program can help. It can be risky to abruptly stop using drugs if you are pregnant. Therefore, it is important to get the proper professional help. There are many options, even if you are addicted to opiates or prescription drugs, a treatment center will provide counseling and medications (like methadone and suboxone). These medications help you slowly wean off the opiates in a safe manner. Here are a few resources in Fort Worth:
Brentwood Texas Treatment Services
Medmark Treatment Center Fort Worth
If you need of additional resources, your Lifetime Adoption coordinator can offer confidential help, no matter what issues you are currently dealing with. We can help with maternity clothes, rent, transportation, prenatal care, pregnancy verification, and more. Call or text today.
How to Start the Adoption Process in Forth Worth
“How do I get this adoption process started?” It’s easy. First, call or text Lifetime Adoption, or go online and fill out the contact form. Once we get your info, an adoption coordinator will reach out to you. She will help you create your adoption plan. Your coordinator will also make sure you have all of the resources and information you need. Your adoption coordinator will always be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
All Lifetime adoptive families have their profiles online. You will find personal letters they have written, watch video messages recorded by the family, and read about their lives. You, as a birth mother, will decide what kind of family you are looking for. You will be the one to choose the adoptive parents that you would like to talk to. If you prefer not to choose, your adoption coordinator can select a family she thinks is the best match for you.
Profiles of adoptive families are available online. Just click here. You may be interested in Catholic adoption in Fort Worth, a family who lives near you in Texas or a different state, or you may prefer a couple of a certain race. Lifetime Adoption will find the right family for you. Then, after you choose a family, your adoption coordinator will connect you with them. You can then get to know them better. Your coordinator will help everyone involved with this process.
You may find yourself in need of some resources in Fort Worth. Your adoption coordinator will connect you with those resources. For example, you may need prenatal care and a ride to get to the doctor. Your coordinator can arrange that.
Other Paths to Adoption in Fort Worth
Another option is relative or kinship adoption. When a family member is, most often, blood-related to the child, they can apply to adopt your baby. Having a family member adopt your child can have some unique challenges. Your family member may not really understand that they are not just helping out short-term. This is a permanent situation, and they are responsible for raising this child. There may also be some boundary issues that will need to be talked about and worked through. Make sure everyone is on the same page.
These are all options to consider. Really think about which type of adoption is right for you and your child. It is a great idea to talk with a professional counselor or peer counselor. Your adoption coordinator will make sure you have all the information you need and provide counseling if you choose.
Adopting in Fort Worth
What an exciting and life-changing decision adoption is. There are so many questions you need answered and a lot of information you need to gain for your adoption journey. If you are considering adoption services in the Fort Worth area, the coordinators at Lifetime Adoption are available to guide you during this adoption process. The adoption process will be gone over in detail, and you will learn what to expect during the open domestic adoption process.
Making sure birth mothers and their child are matched with adoptive families that are a great fit for everyone is a priority at Lifetime Adoption. If you are in the Fort Worth area and are considering adopting a newborn or child up to the age of six, give us a call at 817-882-9971. On the Lifetime Adoption website, you can also fill out a free online adoption application. You can also learn more about open adoption, and you will find a treasure trove of adoption resources and an abundance of adoption information.
Lifetime Adoption will provide you with all the resources, support, education, referrals you need to fulfill your dreams of adoption.
Begin the Adoption Process
The adoption process is not a process you need to navigate on your own. To get started, fill out our online application. Applying is free and does not obligate you in any way.
Once your application is reviewed, and you are pre-approved, a Lifetime adoption coordinator will contact you. She will introduce you to the program and will be ready to answer all of your questions. In addition, she will ask what your adoption hopes and expectations are. Your adoption coordinator will collect all of your information and will work alongside you toward your goal of adopting.
Adoption Attorneys in Fort Worth
Home Study Services in Fort Worth
Texas law requires the following to complete an adoption.
- Complete an application to adopt.
- You must be at least 21 years old in Texas.
- Collect references from family, friends, and coworkers.
- Show financial stability.
- Show that you are mature and responsible.
- Complete background and lifestyle information.
- Show proof of marriage and/or divorce (if applicable)
- Have a complete home study.
How will the home study process work in the Fort Worth area? First, you will gather the following documents and submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.
A home study will consist of background checks, financial and employment verification, employment information, education hours, and a home visit. A Lifetime coordinator will explain the home study process and refer you to a provider.
- Financial and Employment Statements such as paystubs, profit and loss statements, and tax returns.
- Verification of marital status whether married, single or divorced.
- Medical Statement from your doctor verifying your physical and mental well-being and ability to parent a child.
- Three written references verifying that the couple are suitable to be adoptive parents from friends, family, or coworkers.
A home study social worker will interview everyone in the home and create a report for the courts. This home visit is meant to confirm you have a safe, adequate, and loving home to bring a child home to. Your home study provider will also ask for your views regarding parenting, marriage, and family.
Finalization of Adoption at Court
Once you have completed your home study, been matched with a birth mother, and your baby has been delivered, you are nearing your adoption finalization.
In Texas, the law requires a woman to wait 48 hours after the birth of her baby before she can consent to the adoption. Once that has happened, the adoptive parents must have custody of the child for at least six months prior to the adoption being final. There will be five post-placement visits by your social worker during this time. Once that process is complete, there will be a hearing at the courthouse to finalize the adoption.
Your adoption attorney will file all the necessary paperwork. In Fort Worth, you will go to the District Court in your area. Your home study and all adoption papers will be reviewed by a judge, who will then issue the final adoption decree. Now time to celebrate. Enjoy this special day!
Other Paths to Adoption
Fort Worth International Adoption Agencies
There are a few different paths to adoption. Choosing the path that is right for you is a very personal decision. Families may consider international adoption because they hope to help a child from another country who is orphaned.
Which country to adopt from is one of the choices when choosing international adoption. The political climate, the needs of the children, and several other factors may influence your family’s decision as to which country they choose to adopt from. It is important to be aware that every country has its own bureaucracy, laws, and requirements.
It is vital to work with an adoption agency that specializes in international adoption and has proven success working with the country you are interested in adopting from. Some of the most popular countries are in the nations of China, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Here are some agencies that specialize in international adoption:
Foster Care Adoption
To qualify as a foster parent, you will need to:
- Complete a foster parent application.
- Be financially stable, responsible, and be at least 21 years of age.
- Provide information about your lifestyle and background.
- Provide references from relatives and non-relatives.
- You can be single, married, widowed, or divorced and will need to show documentation of your marital status.
- A home study must be completed, which includes visits with household members and inspection of all parts of the home, grounds, and outbuildings must be completed.
- A completed criminal history background check and an abuse/neglect check on all adults in the household must be submitted. (Adults are people age 14 and older who live at or who visit your household regularly.)
- You must attend free educational training to learn about issues of abused and neglected children.
AdoptUSKids is a great resource to view children hoping to be adopted in the Fort Worth foster care system and in other states.
Mardie Caldwell
Funding Your Adoption
Called To Adoption
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Lifetime Adoption, Inc. is a Licensed Child Placing Agency in both Florida and Arkansas. (License FL #100096562 & AR #00050809)
We are a Safe Haven Approved Agency.
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