What if the birth mother is in another state?
You will have to comply with the laws of both states. This means that you will need an attorney in both states. The attorneys will have to confer with each other to determine where it will be best for you to complete the legal process.
An interstate adoption also requires compliance with the Interstate Compact which is a uniform set of regulations between states. The compact basically states that you can not bring a child from one state to another, for the purposes of adoption, without obtaining permission from the Compact Administrator.
The compact requires documentation showing that the parental rights have been or can be terminated, a copy of the genetic history for a child and the home study. It typically takes 7-10 days to get the approval from the Interstate Compact. During this time you will not be able to return to Texas with the child.
Can I help the birth mother?
Texas law restricts the expenses you can pay on behalf of biological parents. These restrictions apply even if the birth mother lives in a state that is more permissive in terms of payments of expenses.
You can legally pay for medical and legal expenses relating to the adoption. You can also pay a social worker or mental health professional to provide adoption counseling.
It is also legal for you to pay a fee to a licensed child-placing agency.
You can not directly pay for any living expenses on behalf of the mother. If you are working with a birth mother who needs assistance with expenses, then you might want to consider working with an agency on a designated adoption. In a designated adoption you will pay a fee to an agency and they in turn will provide services to the birth mother. An agency can legally pay certain living expenses on behalf of the birth parents.