System Literacy
Blog
How the Texas child welfare system actually works.
How to Become a Foster Parent in Texas: Steps and Rules
Three different minimum ages, four stages DFPS lists, and the screening, training and inspections that have to be finished before a home is verified.
The Court's Role in a Texas CPS Case, Hearing by Hearing
The initial hearing, the 14-day adversary hearing, the status hearing, the permanency hearings and the one-year deadline. What the judge decides at each, and where a caregiver can speak.
TARE: How Texas Lists Children Waiting for Adoption
TARE is where waiting children and sibling groups are listed. When a child appears there, who is not listed and why, and how an inquiry actually works.
How to Start Fostering in Temple, Texas, Step by Step
The information meeting, the training, the home study and the caseworker who stays with you, for a family in Temple and Bell County.
Foster Care in Round Rock: How It Works in Williamson County
Williamson County is in DFPS Region 7. What that means for a Round Rock family, what the numbers are, and what the agency does once a child arrives.
Are There Orphanages in Texas? What Happens Instead
Texas has no orphanage licence and no orphanage buildings. This is the system that replaced them, in the state's own numbers.
Chapter 749 Minimum Standards for Texas Foster Homes
The chapter was renumbered in August 2026 and most copies online are out of date. What the current standards ask of your house, your household and your parenting.
Fostering Teens and Sibling Groups in Texas: What to Know
Where the need is largest and the homes are fewest. What DFPS records, what a teenager is entitled to, and what keeping siblings together requires.
Foster Care in San Antonio: How It Works in Bexar County
Bexar County runs on Community-Based Care. What that means, what the numbers are, and what a San Antonio family needs to start.
Foster to Adopt in Texas When Reunification Comes First
Reunification is the first goal in every Texas case, by statute. What that means for a family hoping to adopt, hearing by hearing.
Straight Adopt in Texas: Relative Adoption After Termination
When the termination has already happened, a relative does not have to take the long way to permanency. What the law provides and what the court still requires.
Kinship Care Licensing in Texas: What Verification Gives You
Verification is not a commitment to adopt and does not stop a child going home. What it does do is put real support behind the relative who said yes.
How a Child Enters Foster Care in Texas
“CPS just takes kids.” Here's the actual legal sequence — report, investigation, judge, and court oversight at every step.