Child Protective Services
Handbook Revision, March 2013
This revision of the Child Protective Services Handbook was published on March 1, 2013. Summaries of new or revised items are provided below.
Temporary Absence From Placement
CPS Overhaul: Roles of Secondary Workers
Enhanced Family Centered Safety Decision Making
CPS Overhaul: Clarification of Special Request Types
CPS Overhaul: Parental Child Safety Placements
Temporary Absence From Placement (PATS 5092)
The item below is added to bring DFPS into compliance with Texas Administrative Code §700.323, effective February 12, 2012. The rule states that under certain circumstances, DFPS continues to make foster care payments to a provider on behalf of a child who is no longer in that provider's care. A temporary absence from placement is when a child in DFPS conservatorship who is in a licensed placement is absent because of certain circumstances, foreseen or unforeseen. See:
4216 Temporary Absence From Placement
4216.1 Length of Absence
4216.2 Criteria for Paying for Foster Care During a Child’s Absence
4216.3 Time Frames for Payments
4216.4 The Plan or Intent for the Child to Return
4216.5 When the Caregiver or Provider Does Not Agree for the Child to Return
4216.6 When a Child Is Absent 14 Days
CPS Overhaul: Roles of Secondary Workers (PATS 5782)
When a worker needs assistance from a worker in another Texas county to complete an investigation activity or a service for a child or family, the worker to whom the case is assigned may request assistance of a worker in another county. The item below is revised to provide clarification as to when a secondary worker would be assigned. See:
2214 Roles of Secondary Workers
Enhanced Family Centered Safety Decision Making (PATS 5579)
The following are added to 2116 Other Definitions:
• The definition of Enhanced Family-Centered Safety Decision-Making (EFCSDM)
• Citations from the Texas Administrative Code (with definitions revised to match the language in the TAC)
• Links to relevant references
The item 2818 Designating a Case as Sensitive in IMPACT is added to provide guidance on sensitive cases.
See:
2116 Other Definitions
2818 Designating a Case as Sensitive in IMPACT (new)
CPS Overhaul: Clarification of Special Request types (PATS 5557)
The items below are revised to:
• provide clarification on definition of Case-related Special Requests (CRSR), Administrative Special Request, and I&Rs;
• remind staff of actions required when a special request is made directly to the worker; and
• remind staff of procedure required to reclassify a special request as an intake.
Some items have been renumbered. The 2000 section was recently reorganized, on January 28, 2013. In the list below, the number in parentheses is the number assigned to these items on January 28, 2013.
See:
2791 (new introductory heading) Special Requests and Information & Referrals
2791.1 (new item) Overview
2791.11 (new item) Required Actions for Special Requests and I&Rs
2791.12 (2791.1) Reclassifying a Case-Related Special Request or I&R as an Intake
2791.2 (2791) Casework-Related Special Requests
2791.21 (2791) Overview of CRSRs
2791.22 (subheading in item 2791) Types of CRSRs Not Accepted by CPS
2791.23 (subheading in item 2791) Requests that Involve Illegal Child Care Operations
2791.24 (new item) Special Requests Made Directly To The Worker
2791.3 (2792) Administrative Special Requests
2791.4 (new item) Information and Referrals
Cross-references to renumbered items above have been made in the following items:
1124 Definition of Stages of Service
1124 Definition of Stages of Service
1411 Types of Cases
1474.1 Retaining Records When the Intake Report Is Closed and the Case Is Not Assigned for Investigation
1474.4 Retaining Records for Casework-Related Special Requests
2122 Reports Not Within CPS Authority to Investigate
2241 CPS Roles During Criminal and Civil Investigations
2793 Out-of-State Incident and Perpetrators
CPS Overhaul: Parental Child Safety Placements (PATS 4707)
Senate Bill 993 requires changes to current parental child safety placement (PCSP) policy. PCSP placements will be given priority as a placement should DFPS gain custody of the child in the placement; a written agreement must be made with the parent and caregiver should a case be closed with a child in a PCSP placement; and the placement form has been updated.
New numbering has been applied to reflect the reorganization of the 2000 section. No cross-references were affected by this revision.
CPS staff were informed of this policy with the issuance of PSA 12-017 on September 19, 2011.
Previous item numbers are shown in parentheses. Also see the Conversion Lookup Table for easier reference.
See:
2430 Criteria for Parental Child Safety Placements
2431 (NEW) Overview of Parental Child Safety Placements (PCSPs)
2431.1 (NEW) Out-of-State Parental Child Safety Placements
2431.2 (NEW) When a Parent Has Made an Out-of-State Placement Before CPS Involvement
2431.3 (NEW) When a Parent Has Made an In-State Placement Before CPS Involvement
2431.4 (NEW) When a PCSP Is Appropriate to Use
2431.5 (NEW) No Limitation on CPS Authority to Perform Necessary Removals
2432 (2431) When a Removal Is More Appropriate Than a Parental Child Safety Placement
2432.1 (NEW) When a PCSP Should Not Be Made or Sustained
2433 (2432) Making the Parental Child Safety Placement
2433.1 (NEW) Parental Responsibility During Transition to the Proposed Placement
2433.2 (NEW) Caseworker Responsibilities
2433.21 (NEW) Caseworker Responsibilities Before Placement Is Pursued or Implemented
2433.22 (NEW) Caseworker Responsibilities at the Time of Placement or Immediately Before Placement
2433.23 (NEW) Caseworker Responsibilities Within 24 Hours of Implementing the PCSP
2433.3 (NEW) Documenting the PCSP and Caregiver Evaluation
2433.4 (NEW) Informing the Parent and Proposed Caregiver Whether the PCSP Can Be Made
2433.41 (NEW) Providing Information When PCSP Will Not Be Made
2433.42 (NEW) Providing Information When PCSP Will Be Made But Caregiver or Household Member Has Criminal, Abuse, or Neglect History
2434 (2435) Conducting Criminal Background Checks for Parental Child Safety Placements
2434.1 (NEW) Verifying Caregivers’ and Household Members’ Identities
2434.2 (NEW) DPS Records Check
2434.3 (NEW) FBI Records Check
2434.31 (NEW) Procedures for FBI Records Checks on In-State Caregivers
2434.32 (NEW) Procedures for FBI Records Checks on Out-of-State Caregivers
2434.4 (NEW) Assessing Criminal History and Considering the Totality of the Circumstances
2434.41 (NEW) Category A: Offenses That Permanently Preclude a PCSP
2434.42 (NEW) Category B: Offenses That Temporarily Preclude a PCSP
2434.43 (NEW) Category C: Offenses That Preclude a PCSP Without Additional Evaluation
2434.5 (NEW) History Other Than Convictions
2434.6 (NEW) Informing Parents and Caregivers About Criminal History
2435 (2434) Conducting Abuse and Neglect Background Checks for Parental Child Safety Placements
2435.1 (NEW) Consequences of an Abuse or Neglect History
2435.2 (NEW) Informing Parents and Caregivers About Abuse or Neglect History
2435.3 (NEW) Safety Plan
2435.4 (NEW) Parent and Caregiver Agreement for Parental Child Safety Placement
2435.5 (NEW) Re-Evaluation of the Parent and Caregiver Agreement for Parental Child Safety Placement
2435.6 (NEW) Making and Supporting the PCSP
2435.61 (NEW) Implementing the PCSP
2435.62 (NEW) Contact Requirements for Parental Child Safety Placements
2435.7 (NEW) Out-of-Region or Out-of-County PCSPs
2435.8 (NEW) Use of the Authorization Agreement for Nonparent Relatives
2435 (DELETED) Developing Plans for a Parental Child Safety Placement
2436 Ongoing Assessment of the Parental Child Safety Placement (PSCP)
2436.1 (NEW) Extending a PCSP Past 90 Days
2436.2 (NEW) Change in PCSP Caregiver Requested by the Parent
2437 Closing a Case Involving a Parental Child Safety Placement
2437.1 (NEW) Returning a Child From a PCSP to the Parent’s Home
2437.2 (NEW) Returning the Child to a Different Parent or Legal Guardian
2437.3 (NEW) Case Closure With an Open PCSP
2437.31 (NEW) Child Can Safely Return to Parent
2437.32 (NEW) Child Cannot Safely Return to Parent