SAN ANTONIO – Even with three children under the age of 5 and a dog named Dolores, the Rodriguez family knows there is room in their home and hearts for more.
“I think recently, we were looking at our family, and we're like, 'There's so many reasons why we why shouldn't, so many excuses that we can make. But, like, now's the time. There's really no reason to wait. We only have this one life,'" said Stephanie Rodriguez.
Growing up with an adopted brother, Rodriguez always knew she wanted to adopt a child. It’s a conversation she and her husband, Jacob, have had before.
Last December, after seeing a KSAT 12 Hope for a Home story featuring a child in need of adoption, the couple said they decided it was time to adopt. They began the process around Christmastime, knowing little more than what they found through a Google search.
“This process, you can really move through (it) pretty quickly,” Jacob Rodriguez said. “And there are so many kids that have a need now.”
The Rodriguez family is working with Divinity Family Services, a child placement and foster-to-adopt agency, to facilitate their adoption.
“We got the application in. We did the background check, the fingerprinting — all of that — and then the different things I’ve turned into them, plus a training within a month,” Stephanie Rodriguez said.
The couple was told they could have a fourth child in their home possibly by July.
On average, Child Protective Services officials said an adoption can take a year to complete. You must be at least 21 years old to adopt. There is no maximum age.
Future parents don’t have to make a certain amount of money, but they must prove they have income and can meet the financial obligations of raising a child. CPS will review financial records during the adoption process.
You must also have 40 square feet of space per child in your home. CPS allows you to have a total of six kids in a home. The agency will also inspect your home for safety.
“They expect medications to be double-locked or certain things, and we don’t have that kind of setup yet, so we'll work on that,” Stephanie Rodriguez said.
Watch a full Q&A video below answering even more questions about adoption, including cost and what information you will be given about a child.
The Rodriguez family has their own personal requirements: faith, an open mind and honesty.
“I have a lot of fears. I’m not going to lie,” Stephanie Rodriguez said. “In the world we live in, all we are presented with are negative things — things that just turn you away from something good. And I think the good that could be happening, whatever that may be, should outweigh the fear.”
“We’re just kind of letting God take the reins and do what's meant to happen,” Jacob Rodriguez said.
For information on fostering or adopting a child, call 210-337-3117 or visit www.adoptchildren.org.