How to Apply for Kinship Care in Texas
How to Apply for Kinship Care in Texas - Kids First, Inc.
Most people are familiar with the terms foster care and adoption. When a child is taken into care, he or she is placed with a foster family, a family who is willing to care for the child either temporarily or permanently. When a child is placed in a foster home, the foster family and the child usually meet for the first time and gradually learn more about one other. When a child is placed with a relative or family friend, it is known as kinship care. Early in the placement procedure, family members who are able and willing to take in their relative’s child or children are identified. Caseworkers begin asking for the names and phone numbers of family members and acquaintances who might be considered as a placement possibility as soon as the child is removed. For children who have been taken into care by child protective services, kinship placement is usually the best option.
How Does Kinship Care Work?
Kinship families, like foster parents, must go through a home evaluation to determine that the proposed home is safe and appropriate for the child’s age and requirements. There are numerous advantages to placing a child with a family member or friend. Imagine being a youngster forced to leave your home because of abuse or neglect, and having to enter the home of a stranger. Consider what that experience might be like if the youngster could spend some time with a grandparent or an aunt, both of whom provide a loving, safe, and familiar surroundings. In many cultures, relatives are expected to care for a family member’s child when the parents are unable or unwilling to do so. The benefit of working with a reputable foster/adoption agency is that kinship carers can access a variety of services, including financial support, to assist them on this journey. Kinship care is intended to give the child a sense of ongoing stability, while also building family relationships and reducing trauma. Children who are placed with a relative are also less likely to run away and have fewer behavioral issues, according to research. Who else would know their favorite meals, celebrate the same cultural holidays, and keep the child in contact with extended family, allowing the child to remain connected to relatives and friends?
Applying for Kinship Care in Texas
Who Qualifies as a Kinship Caregiver?
Texas gives priority to relatives and to people who already have a close relationship with the child: grandparents, aunts and uncles, adult siblings, and family friends the courts call “fictive kin.” You don’t have to be a licensed foster parent to be considered. Every adult in the household does need to clear a few checks before a child can be placed with you, though:
A home study confirming the space is safe and age-appropriate for the child
A criminal history background check for every adult living in the home
A review of any prior CPS history, including “reason to believe” findings
An open CPS investigation involving your household will delay or disqualify a placement. If a past finding is the issue, you can request a review. Speak with our team about your situation.
How to Apply for Kinship Care: Step by Step
Get identified as a placement resource. This usually happens through the caseworker or a Family Group Decision-Making conference, where the family and CPS talk through who can step in.
Complete the kinship caregiver application and paperwork. Kids First’s application team can walk you through the forms so nothing holds up placement.
Pass the home study. A caseworker visits to check safety, space, and readiness for the child’s needs.
Sign a Kinship Caregiver Agreement and complete initial kinship training.
Decide on licensing. You can stay an unlicensed, verified kinship caregiver, or pursue foster care licensing, which unlocks higher monthly support and case management.
How Long Does Kinship Care Approval Take?
There’s no fixed statewide timeline. It depends on how quickly background checks clear and how fast the home study can be scheduled. Having your paperwork ready before the caseworker asks helps, and so does working with an agency that keeps the file moving. Our Fort Worth, Dallas, and Denton teams handle that coordination so families aren’t stuck waiting on a callback.
Financial Support for Kinship Caregivers in Texas
Kinship caregivers aren’t expected to cover a child’s needs on their own. Texas offers short-term daily reimbursement while a placement is being finalized, plus ongoing monthly support once you’re verified (the amount depends on whether you’re licensed). Longer term, Permanency Care Assistance can provide ongoing monthly payments and healthcare coverage for children who reach permanency with a relative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I foster my grandchild in Texas?
Yes. Grandparents are one of the most common kinship placements in Texas, and the state prioritizes keeping children with relatives when it’s safe to do so.
Can you foster a family member’s child without being a licensed foster parent?
Yes. This is the core of kinship care. You can be verified as an unlicensed kinship caregiver, though licensing is available if you want the additional monthly support and services that come with it.
What’s the difference between kinship care and regular foster care?
Both involve a home study and background checks, but kinship placements go to someone the child already knows. Licensed kinship caregivers get access to the same monthly payments and case management as traditional foster parents. Unlicensed kinship caregivers get a shorter-term, lower reimbursement while they decide whether to pursue licensing.
Do kinship caregivers get paid in Texas?
Yes. Short-term daily and monthly reimbursement is available while a placement is being finalized, and long-term support is available through Permanency Care Assistance for relatives who become a child’s permanent caregiver. Amounts differ by licensing status. Contact us for current figures and help applying.
Are you interested in becoming a kinship caregiver? For more information about kinship care, please contact us at Kids First.