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About Parent Collaboration Group (PCG) Advisory Committees
Statewide Parent Collaboration Group (PCG) Advisory Committees allow input from biological parents in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the CPS program. This initiative encourages collaboration with parents who have been affected by the CPS service delivery system and provides a unique perspective on how to improve services to families and children.
Overview
PCG Advisory Committees are a partnership between the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and parents who are or have been recipients of services from CPS. The PCG is a venue for gathering and incorporating parental feedback to enhance CPS policy and practice. The PCG provides information to staff regarding what parents experience as recipients of CPS services and recommendations for improvement.
The vision of the PCG:
- Parents collaborating with CPS to make our children's world a better place by strengthening the family unit.
The mission of the PCG is to provide:
- Provide parent input to the Agency regarding policy development.
- Provide recommendations to the Agency regarding how services may be improved for children and families.
- Provide training opportunities to workers regarding the parent perspective.
- Provide support to parents and link parents and the Agency in partnership.
The objectives of the PCG include the following:
- Elevate the value of parents’ voices and parental engagement to staff.
- Increase father involvement.
- Increase parent participation in regional parent support groups.
- Focus on investigations, family-based safety services, Conservatorship, and foster care.
- Improve services for children and families by implementing policy changes recommended by the PCG.
- Support disproportionality efforts at the regional and state level.
The goals of the Parent Collaboration Group include:
- Identify gaps in services to families and children.
- Identify what services are working and should continue.
- Identify areas of policy that need improvement.
- Identify ways parents can be instrumental in improving a caseworker’s skills in relating to parents.
Approach
The statewide Parent Collaboration Group (PCG) Advisory Committee model is one in which regional DFPS staff partner with regional Parent Liaisons to enhance services and communication between the Agency and families who are being provided CPS services in local communities. The PCG model provides for co-leadership at the state level by a staff person from DFPS state office and a parent who is a former recipient of CPS services. Local leadership for the group includes DFPS Regional Liaisons and Regional Parent Liaisons. DFPS Regional Liaisons are selected by regional management staff and include CPS/SSCC direct service staff.
Regional DFPS staff, caseworkers, supervisors, or current Parent Liaisons nominate future Parent Liaisons.
Parent Volunteers must comply with all the policy requirements for a Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) volunteer.
Participants will engage in discussions of practices relevant to the state's child protective services system. Focus will be placed on the investigative process, conservatorship, family-based safety services, and foster care. During each session, a specific area of Agency practice will be discussed allowing service recipients to identify those practices that work effectively and those that are problematic and to develop recommendations for enhancement of the current service delivery system.
The core activities of the PCG provide an avenue to obtain stakeholder input and feedback, and to develop support and liaison roles between the Agency and parents.
Expected Outcomes
Cooperation and collaboration statewide will be improved between parents and the Agency. CPS workers' ability to work with families effectively will be enhanced because they will have a better understanding of the parents' needs. It is hoped that policy changes recommended by the PCG Advisory Committees will result in more efficient and improved services. These improved services will better meet the needs of the parents, resulting in decreased repeat involvement, fewer removals, and safe children.
Regional Parent Collaboration Groups
Each region now has at least one Parent Support Group. The purpose of these support groups are to:
- Information about the CPS system.
- Hope and support.
- Empowerment and encouragement.
- Parent facilitator sharing their personal story.
- Short question and answer session.
- Provision of information about various community services.