Latest Statistics

The Texas Department of Family & Protective Services (TDFPS) just released their 2007 annual report. To most people, this is just another report ~ full of numbers, percentages, facts, diagrams, and words ~ that you wouldn't even know about, let alone read.....except for people like us ~ parents waiting for their children who are in the custody of the TDFPS system.

Here are just some of the facts sited in the report:

Number of Child Abuse/Neglect investigations reported in 2007 in Texas: 278,303
Number of Child Abuse/Neglect investigations reported in 2007 in Harris County: 50,411

33 in 1000 children were allegedly abused in Houston in 2007.

Number of children awaiting adoption in Texas as of 12/31/07: 6,232
Average waiting time for adoption: 11.6 months

Where are children in TX DFPS care?
....of the 28,904 children in DFPS substitute care on 8/31/07
12,257 children were placed in Child Placing Agency Foster Homes
8,801 children were placed in Kinship (other-family) Care
2,699 children were placed in DFPS Foster Homes
1,438 children were placed in Residential Treatment Centers
861 children were placed in basic child care
855 children were in pending adoption homes
712 children were placed in emergency shelters
495 children were placed in other types of foster care (such as camps, maternity homes, juvenile detentions, state hospitals, etc)
419 youth over the age of 18 "aged-out" of the system.

Number of children in Foster Care in Harris County: 6,329

Number of Foster Homes in Harris County: 69
Number of Foster/Adoptive Homes in Harris County: 145
Number of Adoptive Homes in Harris County: 79
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All of these numbers are distressing, on so many levels. What does it say about our society today that in just one year there were over a quarter of a million abuse/neglect cases reported in Texas alone?

What about the sheer shock in the high number of children in foster care in Harris County and the lack of foster or foster/adoptive homes?

Before Michael & I started on our journey to adopt through the foster care system, we were oblivious to the statistics I just posted above. Sure, we knew that there were lots of kids in foster care, but had no idea of just how many kids and how few people who are able or willing to help.

It is so hard to understand then, after reading this report, why it has taken us almost 16 months to get to where we are now and yet, we still do not have children in our home. Where are our children? What type of care are they receiving? Oh how we are praying for them now. Those last set of numbers are frightening to try and wrap our minds around. There are 6,300 children in foster care in our county right now and only 69 foster homes and 145 foster-to-adopt homes. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that the odds are not in the favor of the children.

There is something seriously wrong with our foster care system...and both Michael & I feel called to make a difference. We want to see things changed. We want to see parents and families reunited and healed, and when that isn't possible, we long to see children placed in the safe arms, open hearts and secure homes of other families to love, protect and nurture them.

Through the process of building our family, we have met wonderful people who feel just as passionate about changing the system as we do. Won't you pray for us and with us, as we seek out ways to make a difference in the lives of these children....and maybe, just maybe, you might find it in your heart to help out too!