For Shari Pulliam of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), Christmas likely comes early. Since November is National Adoption Awareness Month, Pulliam finds joy in seeing children find homes so that they may enjoy the Christmas season with caring families. Across the state of Texas, mass adoptions and awareness events were held across the state to highlight the plight of foster children waiting for permanent homes and a chance at normal lives. These events culminated with National Adoption Day on November 20^th.

In speaking with The Record Newspapers, Pulliam says “Thousands of older foster children are asking themselves, ‘Why not me? Why can’t I have a family?'” Adoptive parent Shelly Manning understands the apprehension many prospective adoptive parents have about foster children; that they are somehow damaged. Manning, however, believes that adoptive children are no more damaged than any other child.

Texas’ DFPS launched its “Why Not Me?” campaign in 2007 to raise awareness about foster children. Since then, adoptions have increased dramatically. In 2009, 4,772 abused or neglected children and teens were adopted from state care. Unfortunately, more than 5,800 children are still waiting for new homes. Among them, older children (ages 10-17) comprise the largest group at 41 percent. Over a third of waiting foster children are African-American.

Adoption in Texas

The adoption process in Texas has several steps. Prospective parents begin with informational meetings to learn about the adoptive process. They then proceed through an assessment by DFPS to gather information about the parents’ home, mental and physical stability and readiness for adoption. They attend a 35-hour training called PRIDE (Parent Resource Information Development Education) to understand the transitions that will take place, how children bond with parents, and how to deal with problems that may arise.

Every adoption has a home visit, where a DFPS advocate inspects the parents’ home and produces a report detailing potential safety hazards, assessing parenting abilities, and identifying key qualities for matching. The report certifies the parents’ ability to adopt, and the actual matching process follows. Prospective parents will review children’s profiles and have meetings to find an ideal match.

The process concludes with a court determining that the prospective parents meet the legal requirements for adoption, that the child is eligible to be adopted, and that the parents agree to adopt the child. The court will memorialize its findings in an Order, and the adoption will be permanent.

For additional questions about the process and the legal requirements for adoption, contact an experienced family law attorney.

When couples divorce, they are generally concerned about how to divide assets and deal with the custody of their children. There is, however, another issue often overlooked during a divorce: health insurance.

It should not be, because according to research conducted by the University of Michigan, approximately 115,000 women lose their health insurance following divorces each year. In fact, after studying data from 1996 to 2007, sociologists found that 65,000 women found themselves without health insurance within months of ending their marriage.

The study published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, also found that women who have insurance through their own employers are less likely to lose their coverage compared to their counterparts who did not. However, they do not get out of the marriage completely unscathed insurance-wise. Oftentimes, the change in household finances makes it difficult for women to pay their contributions to the employee health insurance they do have.

Ways to Get Health Insurance After a Divorce

Medicaid/Medicare. If you make a low income and have children, you may be eligible for Medicaid to cover your insurance needs. If you do not have children, you may also be able to get these benefits, though it can be extremely difficult. Depending on your age, Medicare may be an option as well.

COBRA. Those who received health care from their spouse’s employer often can receive benefits through the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) for 36 months. However, the monthly payments for this type of insurance can be expensive.

In addition, if you are considering this option, you must take into account how this coverage may affect your health insurance options after your COBRA coverage runs out. If you become ill while on COBRA, you run the risk that another insurance company may look at the illness as a pre-existing condition.

Private coverage. If you are unemployed or unable to qualify for health insurance through your employer, you may consider getting private insurance. Private insurance is even sometimes more affordable than getting COBRA coverage through your ex-spouse’s employer. In some cases, alimony or spousal maintenance requests may be crafted to cover the costs of insurance coverage especially when long-term marriages end.

Coverage from employer. Divorce is considered a qualifying event, so if you lose your health insurance through your ex’s employer, be sure to contact your human resources department in order to apply for a new policy with its insurance company. There is no need to try to time finalizing a divorce with open enrollment.

If you lose your insurance during your divorce, it can have devastating consequences. Contact a qualified family law attorney who can represent your interests and assist you through the divorce process.