AUSTIN, Texas — Every Thursday on KVUE Daybreak, Hannah Rucker interviews a child in the Texas foster care system in the hopes of helping them get adopted by a forever family.
Many times, KVUE viewers have questions about how to get started with the adoption process.
Bonnie Rushing is a regional adoption director who oversees the San Marcos to Waco area. Here's a couple of the questions she said she often gets.
How long does the adoption process usually take?
"The actual licensing process usually takes three to six months. But if they're getting licensed for a specific child, it'll go much quicker. If you want to be matched with a child, that can take up to a year," Rushing said.
How much does it cost to adopt?
"There's no out-of-pocket cost to adopt. There might be things like fire extinguishers or things to get your home study passed, [but] there's not an actual deposit," Rushing said.
What's something that can prevent someone from getting approved to adopt?
"One of the major things are criminal history. Some criminal history can be worked with and some is an actual bar. A Child Protective Services history as well," Rushing said.
What's a common misconception when it comes to adopting?
"I've seen some, 'I can't adopt because I'm single, I can't adopt because I'm too old, my house is too small.' When, really, these kids just want a family," Rushing said.
See some of the children currently up for adoption in Partnerships for Children's Heart Gallery of Central Texas.
KVUE launched the Forever Families segment with Partnerships for Children (PFC) in June 2020 to highlight children in the Heart Gallery of Central Texas who need secure and permanent families. Every day, there are nearly 1,000 children waiting to get adopted in Central Texas, according to PFC.