Child Protective Services Handbook Revision September 2010

This revision of the Child Protective Services Handbook was published on September 1, 2010. Summaries of new or revised items are provided below.

Intensive Psychiatric Transition Program

Verification of Kinship Caregivers and Permanency Care Assistance

Permanency Care Assistance

Youth in DFPS Conservatorship Who Are Parents

Notifying Parents About Medical Issues

CFSR Requirement

Extended Court Jurisdiction for CPS Youth Who Have Turned 18

Foster Child Day Care

Deletion of Duplicate Item

Intensive Psychiatric Transition Program (PATS 2782)

The items below are added to incorporate policy on the Intensive Psychiatric Transition Program (IPTP).

This policy was initiated with the issuance of PSA 08-038 on November 20, 2007. A revision of DFPS rule §700.2383, effective September 1, 2009, now requires only one psychiatric hospitalization in the preceding 12 months for a child to qualify for the program. When the policy was initiated, three psychiatric hospitalizations were required in the preceding 12 months.

See:

6323.6 The IPTP Program -- Short-Term Therapeutic Placement

6323.61 IPTP Definitions

6323.62 Determining Eligibility for IPTP Placement

6323.63 Referring a Child for IPTP Placement

6323.64 Planning for Discharge From IPTP Placement

6323.65 How to Request the Extension of an IPTP Placement

Verification of Kinship Caregivers and Permanency Care Assistance (PATS 3572)

The items below are revised to include policy on verifying kinship caregivers to:

  •   serve as foster parents; and

  •   obtain permanency care assistance.

Included is an explanation of the eligibility criteria for federal assistance, the requirements for documentation, and other guidance for the caseworker. See:

1580 Permanency Care Assistance

1581 Definitions Related to Permanency Care Assistance

1582 Overview of Permanency Care Assistance

1583 Eligibility Requirements for Permanency Care Assistance

1583.1 Eligibility Requirements of the Prospective Permanent Managing Conservator for Permanency Care Assistance

1583.2 Eligibility Requirements of Children for Permanency Care Assistance

1583.3 Eligibility Requirements of Siblings for Permanency Care Assistance

1583.4 When a Child Is Not Eligible for Permanency Care Assistance (State-Paid or Title IV-E Funded)

1584 Requesting an Extension of Permanency Care Assistance

1585 Informing Families About Permanency Care Assistance

1586 Applying for Permanency Care Assistance

1587 The Regional Role in Determining Eligibility for Permanency Care Assistance

1587.1 The Eligibility Assistance Units in the Regions

1587.2 The Steps for Determining Eligibility for Permanency Care Assistance

1587.21 Step 1: Logging Receipt of a PCA Packet and Evaluating it for Completeness

1587.22 Step 2: Making a Preliminary Determination About PCA Eligibility

1587.23 Step 3: Negotiating a PCA Agreement With a Prospective Managing Conservator

1587.24 Step 4: Activating PCA Benefits Upon a Transfer of Managing Conservatorship

1587.4 Ongoing Responsibilities of Eligibility Units in Permanency Care Assistance

1587.5 Reimbursing Nonrecurring Expenses Covered by Permanency Care Assistance

1587.6 Determining Which Region Maintains a Case Involving Permanency Care Assistance

1588 Negotiating Permanency Care and Deferred Agreements

1588.1 The Role of the Negotiator in Determining Permanency Care Assistance

1588.2 Determining the Payment Ceiling When Negotiating for Permanency Care Assistance

1588.3 Other Considerations When Negotiating for Permanency Care Assistance

1588.4 Explain Education Requirements When Negotiating for Permanency Care Assistance

1588.5 Negotiating Deferred Agreements for Permanency Care Assistance

1589 Providing Medical Assistance to Recipients of Permanency Care Assistance

1589.1 Providing Medical Care to a Child Who Lives in Texas and Receives Permanency Care Assistance

1589.2 Providing Medical Care to a Child Who Lives Out-of-State and Receives Permanency Care Assistance

1590 A Change in the Circumstances of a Recipient of Permanency Care Assistance

1591 Benefits: Recertification and Termination for Permanency Care Assistance

1591.1 Recertification of Eligibility for Permanency Care Assistance

1591.2 Terminating Permanency Care Assistance

1592 Fair Hearings Regarding Decisions About Permanency Care Assistance

1592.1 Duties of the Adoption Assistance Eligibility Specialist

1592.2 Appealing Decisions Made Regarding Permanency Care Assistance

Appendix 1580: Discussion Guide – Negotiating Permanency Care Assistance

Permanency Care Assistance (PATS 3492)

The items below are revised to:

  •   describe the benefits provided by federally funded permanency care assistance, which pays relatives for the costs incurred in taking permanent custody of a child in state care; and

  •   explain the eligibility criteria for extending permanency care assistance to youth who are 18-21 years old (for consideration, the agreement to extend must be signed when the youth is between the ages of 16 and 18).

Permanency care assistance is one of a number of programs that address the requirements of the federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008. The act increases the likelihood that a child will leave foster care to live permanently with relatives or adoptive families by providing and extending services to relatives, children in foster care, and adoptive families.

CPS staff were informed of these policies with the release of PSA 10-104 on May 24, 2010.

See:

6322.11 Definition of Kinship Care

6322.12 Definition of a Kinship Caregiver (Verified and Unverified)

6322.13 Definition of a Fictive Kin or Other Designated Caregiver

6322.14 Definition of the DFPS Relative and Other Designated Caregiver Program

6322.15 Definition of a Kinship Development Worker

6322.16 Definition of Kinship Foster Care

6322.17 Definition of a Relative

6322.18 Definition of Permanency Care Assistance

6322.19 Definition of a Prospective Permanent Managing Conservator

6322.2 Placing a Child With an Unverified Kinship Caregiver

6322.21 Initial Steps for Placing a Child With an Unverified Kinship Caregiver

6322.22 Identifying Potential Relative or Fictive Kin Caregivers

6322.23 Assessing the Unverified Kinship Caregiver’s Home and Conducting History Checks

6322.24 Identifying Additional Relatives and Kin

6322.3 When Placing a Child With an Unverified Kinship Caregiver Following a Removal

6322.4 Services for Unverified Kinship Caregivers

6322.41 Providing the Kinship Manual and Agreement at Placement

6322.42 Referring the Case to the Regional Kinship Development Worker

6322.43 The Duties of a Kinship Development Worker

6322.44 Explaining the Federal Financial Assistance Available to an Unverified Kinship Caregiver

6322.45 Explaining the DFPS Financial Assistance Available to an Unverified Kinship Caregiver

6322.46 Advising the Unverified Kinship Caregiver About Support Services

6322.47 When Services Are Not Available to the Unverified Kinship Caregiver

6322.5 Verified Kinship Caregivers

6322.51 Kinship Caregivers Interested in Becoming Verified as Foster Parents

6322.52 Assisting a Kinship Caregiver Seeking Verification as a Foster Parent

6322.53 When a Kinship Caregiver Is Verified as a Foster Parent

6322.54 Foster Care Reimbursement Payments and Kinship Financial Assistance

6322.6 Services for Verified Kinship Caregivers (Foster Parents)

6322.7 Obtaining Permanency Care Assistance

6322.71 Adding Permanency Care Assistance to the Child’s Plan of Service

6322.72 Ruling Out Family Reunification and Adoption Before Pursuing Permanency Care Assistance

6322.73 Discussing the Intent to Pursue Permanency Care Assistance

6322.74 Applying for Permanency Care Assistance

6322.75 Granting Permanent Managing Conservatorship to the Kinship Caregiver

6322.76 Granting Assistance to the Sibling of a Child Who Receives Permanency Care Assistance

Cross-references were updated in the following items:

1922.1 Determining Eligibility for Substance Abuse Testing Conducted by a Contracted Laboratory

2672 Information Provided to the Child After a Removal

6321.3 Assessment of the Noncustodial Parent

6437.31 Family Group Conferences

6437.4 Permanency Planning Meetings for Youth 16 and Over

9312 Requesting Placement With a Parent or Relative Outside of Texas

Appendix 6322-B.2: Assess the Level of Safety in a Kinship Home

Appendix 6437.31: Roles and Responsibilities of Family Group Decision-Making (FGDM)

Appendix 6322-A.1: Add a Kinship Home to IMPACT

Youth in DFPS Conservatorship Who Are Parents (PATS 2448)

The items below are updated to include policy and procedures for working with youth who are in DFPS conservatorship. These approaches vary, depending on the level of risk regarding abuse and/or neglect by the youth parent, whether any safety issues may be involved, court orders, and financial concerns. There is a corresponding procedure in IMPACT to follow for each approach that addresses issues of stage, service plans, creation of second cases, merging of cases, where to record conservatorship removal, etc.

CPS staff were informed of this policy with the release of:

PSA 05-089 on 6/1/2005

PSA 09-103 on 7/6/2009

PSA 09-104 on 7/6/2009

PSI 10-016 on 4/5/2010

PSI 10-021 on 4/19/2010

PSA 10-095 on 5/10/2010

See:

1411 Types of Cases

2371 Casework-Related Special Requests

6562 Minors Who Are Pregnant

6562.4 Youth Parents in DFPS Conservatorship

Notifying Parents About Medical Issues (PATS 3908)

The item below is revised to clarify the requirement that each child’s caseworker must keep the court, the child’s attorney ad litem, the child’s CASA, and the child’s parents informed about the occurrence, treatment, progress, and resolution of every serious medical problem that the child experiences. See:

6521.18 Notifying Parents About Significant Medical Conditions

CFSR Requirement (PATS 3877)

The item below is revised to document the requirement to create an action plan when workers are unable to make contact within 72 hours of a Priority II. This policy revision provides clarity regarding frequency and time period of continued attempts to locate when contact is unsuccessful. See:

2232.7 Follow-Up When Contact Is Not Made Within Priority Time Frames

Extended Court Jurisdiction for CPS Youth Who Have Turned 18 (PATS 2927)

The item below is added to reflect House Bill 704, 81st Legislative Session, which extends the ability of CPS courts to continue jurisdiction (not conservatorship) after a CPS youth turns 18 under certain circumstances. House Bill 704 is now a part of Family Code 263.600-263.609. See:

5363 Requesting Continuation of Court Jurisdiction Past Turning 18

Foster Child Day Care (PATS 3867)

The items below are revised to provide links to current foster child day care policy in Section 8000. See:

6531 Day Care for Children in CPS Foster Homes

6322.46 Advising the Unverified Kinship Caregiver About Support Services

Deletion of Duplicate Item

The item below is deleted because it is duplicated in Section 4000 Education for Children.

6532 Educational Services