Post Adoption Services

Adopted children who have been abused or neglected often need help coping with the effects of abuse and the loss of their birth family.

All families of children adopted through DFPS can get post adoption services. This service is available to families along with Title IV-E and state-paid adoption subsidies from DFPS. After a child has been adopted, services are provided to help the child and family:

  • Adjust to the adoption.
  • Cope with any history of abuse of the child.
  • Avoid permanent or long-term removal of children from the adoptive family setting.

Some of the services available are:

  • Information and referral.
  • Casework services and service planning.
  • Parent groups.
  • Parenting programs.
  • Counseling services.
  • Respite care.
  • Residential placement services in critical need situations.
  • Crisis intervention.

Availability of services is dependent on funding and the individual child and family situation.


Post Adoption Services Providers

Regions 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 including the Beaumont, Lufkin, Lubbock, Abilene, Tyler, Austin, San Antonio, Midland/Odessa, and El Paso areas

Centers for Children and Families
3701 Andrews Highway
Midland, TX 79703
(432) 570-1084 – Main Line
(432) 570-0027 – Post-Adopt Line

Region 3 including the Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Arlington areas

CK Family Services
320 Westway Place, Suite 530
Arlington, TX 76018-1000
(817) 516-9100

Region 6 including the Houston area

Arms Wide Adoption Services
6925 Portwest Drive, Suite 110
Houston, TX 77024
(713) 681-6991, 1-800-460-6298

Region 11 including the Corpus Christi and Edinburg areas

Arms Wide Adoption Services
500 N. Water Street Suite 604, South Tower
Corpus Christi, TX 78410
(361) 850-8200, 1-800-460-6298


Post Adoption Liaisons

Region Name Phone
1 Micah Smith (806) 507-4935
2 Brandi Sharer (254) 631-8388
3E & 3W Melody Rockwell (972) 820-1901
3B Lusheka Christmas-White (817) 502-1412
4 Mary Piburn (903) 841-8986
5 Chaitra Dangerfield (409) 963-4763
6A Dalen DiLieto (713) 394-4290
6A Charline Toney (backup) (713) 394-4224
6B Latasha Hickman (936) 525-2180
7 (Coryell and south counties) Bonnie Rushing (512) 878-7646
7 (McLennan and north counties ) Carolyn Kaparich (254) 717-3861
8A (Bexar County) Ana Garcia (210) 337-3513
8B Julie Rosario (830) 252-4871
9 Tanya Berry (915) 667-1470
10 Tanya Berry (915) 667-1470
11 Keisha Cox (361) 816-4281

Adoption Assistance

Adoption assistance is available to many families who adopt certain children with special needs to offset some of the costs of supporting and legally adopting and supporting these children. Assistance is available to help with the child's medical and financial needs. [learn more]

Eligibility

The child and placement must meet certain eligibility requirements to receive adoption assistance.

  • 6 years of age or older,
  • 2 years of age or older and a member of a minority group,
  • have a diagnosed handicapping condition, or
  • member of a sibling group or joining a sibling in adoption.

The adoption assistance agreement must be entered into and signed before the adoption is legally complete. You will want to discuss all the eligibility and application requirements with your adoption agency.

Who can get assistance?

Assistance is available to both children in the care of the state and certain children in the care of private, nonprofit licensed adoption agencies.

Reimbursement Program

The non-recurring adoption expenses program provides a one-time payment to reimburse adoptive families for some of the costs of legally adopting children with special needs. A family's expenses may be covered as much as $1,200 for each child with special needs. Receipts are necessary to determine reimbursement. Reimbursement is only made after the adoption is completed by the court. There are other eligibility requirements, so you will want to discuss the criteria with your adoption agency.


Map of Texas showing DFPS regions Region 1 Offices Region 2 Offices Region 3 Offices Region 4 Offices Region 5 Offices Region 6 Offices Region 7 Offices Region 8 Offices Region 9 Offices Region 10 Offices Region 11 Offices

Adoption Assistance Regional Contacts

Which region is my county in?

Lubbock Area / Region 1

Joann Moreno
(806) 742-9482

Potter, Deaf Smith, Moore, Childress, Gray, Hutchinson, Dallam, Sherman, Hansford, Ochiltree, Lipscomb, Harley, Robert, Hemphill, Oldham, Carson, Wheeler, Randall, Armstrong, Donley, Collingsworth, Parmer, Hall

Deanna Tagle
(806) 742-9491

Castro, Swisher, Briscoe, Bailey, Lamb, Hale, Floyd, Motley, Cochran, Hockley, Lubbock, Crosby, Dickens, King, Yoakum, Terry, Lynn, Garza

Abilene Area / Region 2

Cheryl Hutchinson
(940) 864-1126

Dallas Area / Region 3E

If the adoptive parent last name begins A-C, G-L, S-U and Y

Robin Jones
(214) 689-7240 office
(512) 902-2555 cell

Collin, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro, Rockwall

If the adoptive parent last name begins with D-F, M-R, V-X and Z

Kelly Mounger
(214) 689-7314 office
(512) 460-8395 cell

Collin, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro, Rockwall

Dallas Area / Region 3W

If the adoptive parent last name begins A-K

LaCarol Gilton
(817) 255-8748 office

Cooke, Denton, Erath, Hood, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant, Wise

If the adoptive parent last name begins with L-Z

Gloria Arredondo
(817) 255-8739 office

Cooke, Denton, Erath, Hood, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant, Wise

Tyler Area / Region 4

Paula Gipson
(936) 569-5326

Jessica Proctor
(936) 569-5429

College Tuition and Fee Waiver, Name Changes,
Attorney Set-up, attorney Reimbursement, Missing Payment,
Payee Name changes, Cancel/Reissues Forms, SS Questions,
Verification letters, Address Changes, Questions

Beaumont Area / Region 5

Jana McNeil
(936) 569-5336

Jessica Proctor
(936) 569-5429

College Tuition and Fee Waiver, Name Changes,
Attorney Set-up, attorney Reimbursement, Missing Payment,
Payee Name changes, Cancel/Reissues Forms, SS Questions,
Verification letters, Address Changes, Questions

Houston Area / Region 6

If the adoptive parent last name begins with A-C or G-L or W-Z

Tracy Johnson
(713) 394-4121

If the adoptive parent last name begins with D-F or M-R or S-V

Timiko Simonton
(713) 394-4112

If the adoptive parent last name begins with B or S-Z

Vacant
(713) 394-4119

Austin Area / Region 7

If the adoptive parent last name begins with A-L

Rebecca Castillo
(512) 834-3806

If the adoptive parent last name begins with M-Z

Raevn Works
(512) 289-7078

San Antonio Area / Region 8

If the adoptive parent last name begins with A-Dav

Bianca Elizondo
(210) 337-3375

If the adoptive parent last name begins with Daw- Herm

Lisa Pendleton
(210) 337-3278

If the adoptive parent last name begins with Hern- Moe

Bonnie Gonzales
(210) 304-3926

If the adoptive parent last name begins with Mof-Rui

Dona Westerman
(210) 337-3067

If the adoptive parent last name begins with Ruj-Z

Maria Longoria
(210) 337-3172

Midland/Odessa Area / Region 9

Jenifer Guebara
(325) 657-8961

El Paso Area / Region 10

Teresa Castrejon
(915) 521-3873

Edinburg Area / Region 11

Maria Torres
(956) 316-8128


Tuition and Fee Waiver

The Texas state tuition and fee waiver provides exemptions at state supported institutions of higher education to certain youth who were formerly in foster care, adopted youth, and youth in permanent managing conservatorship. Learn more.

Federal Income Tax Credit

Some adoptive families may be eligible for federal income tax credits that help offset the cost of adoption. Check with IRS or your tax advisor to see if your adoption qualifies.

Options available if you are unable to care for your adopted child

If you find that you are unable to continue parenting your child:

  1. Your first step is to contact your local post-adopt provider, listed above, or other community resources (YES Waiver Inquiry Line by County) to see whether professional intervention can help maintain your family structure. In limited circumstances, your post-adopt provider can help you in seeking the assistance of DFPS to provide out-of-home placement for your child when therapeutic or behavioral needs cannot be met in the family setting, or behaviors are too dangerous to others in the home for the child to live in the home.
    Note: You must reside in Texas and have adopted directly from DFPS in order for your post-adopt provider to explore this option with DFPS.
  2. Other legal options could include transferring legal custody to a relative or seeking a private adoption. According to Texas Family Code, §162.026 it is illegal to informally transfer the custody of an adopted child to a person, unless the person is a relative or stepparent of the child or an adult who has a significant long-standing relationship with the child, or the transfer of custody is a formal transfer of custody of the child through a court.