DFPS Approved 203 Foster Homes Itself in FY 2025. Here Is Why That Number Misleads.
Most Texas foster homes are verified by private child-placing agencies, and no public statewide total exists. That gap is itself a finding.
The number
203
foster, foster/adoptive and adoptive homes approved by DFPS itself, FY 2025
Source: DFPS Data Book · CPS 4.2 DFPS Foster, Foster/Adoptive, and Adoptive (FAD) Homes · FY 2016–2025. Rows updated Feb 11, 2026.
If you search the DFPS Data Book for foster homes, you will find a series that has fallen off a cliff: from 1,706 homes in FY 2016 to 203 in FY 2025. Of those 203, 115 are listed as out of state.
It would be easy to write "Texas has only 203 foster homes." It would also be wrong.
Homes approved by DFPS itself (not all Texas foster homes), FY 2016–2025
Source: CPS 4.2 Adoption - DFPS Foster, Foster/Adoptive, and Adoptive (FAD) Homes FY2016 - 2025
Who verifies foster homes in Texas
That dataset counts only homes DFPS approves directly. Most Texas foster families are verified by private child-placing agencies, and, as Community-Based Care rolls out region by region, by the lead organizations that now manage foster care in those areas. Those homes are not in this count.
The fall from 1,706 to 203 mostly reflects that shift in who does the verifying. It does not show that Texas lost nine of every ten foster homes.
The gap we could not fill
We looked for an official, public, statewide count of all verified foster homes in Texas, across DFPS and private agencies, in the Data Book, Monthly Data and the Regional Statistics workbook. We did not find one. So we are not publishing a number.
That absence matters. Louisiana publishes a weekly parish-by-parish count of certified foster homes against children in care. Texans deserve the same clear picture of local capacity.
What we can say
On August 31, 2025, 16,866 Texas children were living in substitute care. Each needed a bed, and many needed one close to home. If you are considering fostering, DFPS's Get Started page connects you with DFPS or a private agency near you.
Official sources
- DFPS Data Book · CPS 4.2 DFPS Foster, Foster/Adoptive, and Adoptive (FAD) HomesFY 2016–2025. Rows updated Feb 11, 2026.
- DFPS Community-Based Care Reports
Published September 5, 2026. Drafted with AI assistance from the official reports above; every figure links to its source. Spot an error? Tell us.
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203: foster, foster/adoptive and adoptive homes approved by DFPS itself, FY 2025. Most Texas foster homes are verified by private child-placing agencies, and no public statewide total exists. That gap is itself a finding. Link in bio · Source: DFPS Data Book · CPS 4.2 DFPS Foster, Foster/Adoptive, and Adoptive (FAD) Homes #FosterCare #FosterHomesNeeded #Capacity
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