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Child Protective Services Handbook

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  • Section 3000: Ensuring Child Safety

    3000 Ensuring Child Safety

    3100 When a Child Who is With His or Her Family Cannot be Located

    3110 Conducting a Diligent Search and Placing the Family on the Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL)

    3111 The Caseworker's Responsibilities

    3111.1 Time Frames for the Diligent Search

    3111.2 Required Diligent Search Actions

    3111.3 Actions at the End of the Caseworker's Diligent Search

    3111.4 Required Casework If Family Is Not Located

    3111.5 Immediate Face-to-Face Contact When a Family is Located

    3111.51 A Special Investigator (SI) Locates the Family

    3111.52 Law Enforcement Locates the Family

    3111.6 Family is Not Located—Closing the Case

    3112 The Special Investigator's Responsibilities

    3112.1 Diligent Search

    3112.2 Actions At the End of the Diligent Search in a Priority 2 INV, AR, or FPR Stage

    3112.3 After the Child and Family Are Placed on the CSCAL

    3112.4 Special Investigator Locates a Child on CSCAL

    3112.5 Family is Not Located—Closing the Case

    3113 The Special Investigator Program Director's (SIPD) Responsibilities

    3113.1 Assigning the Special Investigator (SI) to Conduct a Diligent Search

    3113.2 Arranging for the Child and Family to be Placed on the CSCAL

    3113.3 Arranging for Child and Family to be Taken Off the CSCAL

    3114 Exceptions to the Requirement to Place the Family on the CSCAL

    3114.1 Uncooperative Family Whose Location is Known

    3114.2 Family Cannot be Located When Case Closure is Begun

    3114.3 Other Exceptions

    3114.4 Length of Time the Case on the CSCAL if the Child is Not Located

    3115 Child in DFPS Conservatorship Goes Missing

    3200 DFPS Actions When Danger to a Child is Present

    3210 Parental Child Safety Placement (PCSP)

    3211 Evaluating the Child's Safety Before Placement

    3211.1 Assessing and Documenting Placement in a PCSP

    3211.11 Out-of-State PCSP

    3211.2 Criminal History Checks

    3211.21 DPS Criminal History Check

    3211.22 FBI Exigent and Fingerprint Checks

    3211.23 PCSP Household Member with Criminal History

    3211.3 Abuse and Neglect History Checks

    3211.31 Household Members Who Previously Lived Outside of Texas

    3211.32 PCSP Household Member with Abuse or Neglect History

    3211.4 Collateral Contacts

    3211.5 Staffing with Regional Attorney

    3211.51 The Court Places a Child Without DFPS Agreement

    3211.6 New Child Placed into an Existing PCSP

    3212 Notifying Parent or Guardian of PCSP Approval or Denial

    3213 Program Director Documentation in Approving PCSPs

    3214 Required Contacts

    3214.1 Required Contact with Child and PCSP Caregiver

    3214.2 Required Parent Contact

    3215 Reevaluating the PCSP

    3216 Extending a PCSP Past 60 Days

    3217 Ending a PCSP

    3218 Closing a Case or Stage When the Child Remains in a PCSP with a Caregiver Who Does Not Have Legal Custody

    3220 Taking Legal Custody of a Child

    3221 Notification and Assignment of Conservatorship Caseworker

    3222 Diligent Search for Possible Relative or Fictive Kin Placement

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