By Your Side, Every Step of the Way

When families begin the process of fostering or adopting, they may be nervous, but most are eager to welcome children into their homes. Before they can do this, they need to complete the verification steps, which include all the background checks, application, documentation, training and assessment. It can feel daunting, but every step is important and has a purpose.

To make it easier, PCHAS has Home Development staff dedicated to walking with families through every step of the verification process. Winell Fry is the Home Development Supervisor for PCHAS in Wichita Falls. We asked her to share about what she does and how she helps families as they prepare to foster or adopt. Here is what she had to say:

How did you decide to become a Home Developer?

Before this, I was a case manager. I enjoyed getting to work with families in the beginning stages, so home development was a natural transition for me. I like that I get to meet new people, hear their stories and walk with them as they become foster parents. Then, after they become licensed and work with our case managers, I get to see how they have grown from when I first met them.

What does a Home Developer do?

I work with families who are just starting the process and help them get verified.* I learn about their goals (Do they want to foster? Adopt? What kinds of children? How many? How soon?) and help them understand the foster care and adoption process. I teach pre-service training classes, help families with paperwork and home inspections, and make sure their files are complete, so they are ready to start caring for kids.

Please share the success story of a family you have worked with.

One family sticks out in my mind because they wanted to become foster parents but had never parented before. They attended our training, and it opened their eyes to what parenting a child with a history of abuse or neglect could look like. They decided they wanted to gain more experience before starting, so they worked with exchange students for a time and became respite caregivers to help PCHAS foster families. After gaining that experience, they came back to PCHAS to become foster parents. They were ready, completed the process and did a great job caring for kids as a foster family for several years.

What can people do to prepare for becoming foster parents?

Learn about foster care and adoption in your community. Texas is a big state, so really pay attention to the needs of the area where you live. This will help when you get started with PCHAS. It’s also great to gain experience by getting involved in the community. You can become a respite provider, babysitter or support foster and adoptive families in other ways.

Winell and all our home development staff work hard to help families complete the many, many steps in the verification process. If you are interested in fostering or adopting, they are team you can rely on. To get started, connect with a Foster Care & Adoption Guide or Join an Online Info Session.

*Texas licenses PCHAS and similar organizations as child-placing agencies to provide foster care and adoption services. Under our license, we verify families for foster care and approve families for adoption. Many families choose to complete both at the same time. People commonly refer to foster care verification and adoption approval as getting verified, licensed or certified.