Handbook Revision, February 1, 2021

This revision of the Child Protective Services Handbook was published on February 1, 2021.

On September 1, 2017, the investigations branch of CPS became a separate division named Child Protective Investigations (CPI). Until CPI develops its own policy handbook, investigation policies and procedures will remain in the CPS handbook.

See:

Child Protective Services Revisions

Child Protective Investigations Revisions

Child Protective Services Revisions

Managing Children’s Funds (PATS 12532)

This revision streamlines and updates the section of policy about managing children’s funds.

See:

1560 Managing Children’s Funds

1561 Accounting Procedures for Children’s Funds

1561.1 Organization of the Accounting Unit

1561.2 Separation of Duties

1561.3 Documentation

1561.4 Accounts Receivable (Income)

1561.5 Accounts Payable (Disbursements Expenditures)

1562 Managing Management of Children’s Income Accounts (CIAs)

1562.1 General Information

1562.11 Electronic Access to Children’s Funds

1562.12 Receipt and Deposits and Withdrawals of Children’s Income Funds

1562.13 When Funds Are Received Receipt of Funds

1562.14 Cash Basis Accounting

1562.15 IMPACT Financial Account Pages

1562.16 Excess Funds

1562.2 Account Resource Limits for SSI Children Who Receive SSI

1562.3 Adoptive Placement and Children’s Income

1562.4 Handling Deceased Children’s Income

1563 Establishing, Transferring, and Closing Management of Children’s Savings Accounts

1563.1 Transactions

1563.2 Establishing Establishment of a Child’s Savings Account

1563.3 Closing Closure of Accounts in a Timely Manner

1563.31 Children with a Legal Status of Resp Terminated

1563.32 Children Receiving SSA Benefits Funds and No Longer in Conservatorship or the Extended Foster Care Program

1563.33 SSI Coordinator

1564 Duties of Accounts Receivable (AR) Staff

1564.1 Manual Receipt of Funds by Accounts Receivable (AR) Staff

1564.11 Checks Payable to Person Versus DFPS

1564.2 Receivables Monthly Procedures for Accounts Receivable (AR) Staff

1565 Duties of Accounts Payable (AP) Staff

1565.1 New Benefit Award from SSA

1565.2 Stop Payments

1565.3 Handling Income When Child Is in Paid Substitute Care

1565.4 Handling Income When Child Is Not in Paid Substitute Care

1565.5 Accounts Payable (AP) Staff Duties Regarding Lump Sum Distribution

1566 1565.6 Reconciliation Requirements for Accounts Reconciliation (Recon) Payable (AP) Staff

1567 1566 Duties of Accounting Team Lead

1567.1 1566.1 Procedures for Reviewing Information and Reports

1567.2 1566.2 Monthly Reconciliation Responsibilities of Accounting Team Lead

1567.3 1566.3 Annual Reconciliation for Each Client Child

1567.4 1566.4 Reconciling Reconciliation of Child’s Income at Discharge

1567.5 1566.5 Reconciling Reconciliation of Discrepancies

1568 1567 Records Retention Requirements for Transactions Involving Children’s Funds

1569 1568 Child Support Payments

1569.1 1568.1 Request and for Court Order for Child Support

1569.2 1568.2 Enforcement of Child Support Court Orders

1569.3 1568.3 Distribution of Child Support Funds When the Child Is in DFPS Conservatorship

1569.4 1568.4 Excess Child Support Funds for in Title IV-E Cases

1569.5 1568.5 Distribution of Child Support Funds after the Child Leaves DFPS Conservatorship

1569.6 1568.6 Miscellaneous Child Support Funds in Placements That Are Unapproved or Not Yet Fully Approved

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Case Closure in FBSS (PATS 13112)

FBSS Case Closure Policy has been updated to include direction for staff on which closure code to use when closing a case in IMPACT and the case closure tasks required for each code.

See:                

12700 Closing an FBSS Case Case Closure in Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS)

12710 Case Closure Tasks

12711 12710 Case Closure Conference (Staffing)

12712 12720 Final Risk Reassessment Before Closure

12713 12730 Final Safety Assessment Before Closure

12720 12740 Closing Summary

12721 12750 Final Face-to-Face Contact with Parents/Caregivers

12722 12750 Final Child Face-to-Face Contact, Pictures, and Home Visit

12730 12760 Case Closure Approval

12731 12770 Whom to Notify of the Case Closure Decision

12740 12780 Submitting an FBBS Case for Closure

12750 12781 Case Closure Letter

12760 Determining Closure Code Closure

12761 Risk is Reduced in the Family

12762 Court Ordered Services Closed

12763 Child Outside of Home/No CVS

12764 Child Removed from Home/CVS

12765 Only Child Died

12766 Family Moved

12767 Unable to Locate the Family

12770 Family Refused/Legal Impossible

12780 Services Inappropriate

12782 Using Closure Code Services Inappropriate When Closing at Transfer Staffing (Meeting) or Before Initial Family Plan

12790 Administratively Closed

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Caregiver Notifications (PATS 13237)

This handbook revision adds policy about notifying caregivers about a child’s sexual history in settings such as psychiatric hospitals and Texas Juvenile Justice Department facilities, and during reunification. It also updates policy to describe a DFPS psychiatric hospital worker’s responsibilities when a child is hospitalized at a mental health facility.

See:

4121.2 Prepare the Current and New Caregivers for the Move

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4123.1 Complete the Placement Authorization Form

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4133 Provide and Discuss the Placement Summary (Form 2279)

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4152.2 Meeting the Needs of a Child or Youth Until a Placement Is Secured

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4231.1 Notifying a Facility Regulated by Another State Agency of a Child’s Sexual Victimization and Sexual Aggression History

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4280 Temporary Absence from Paid Placement

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4300 Unauthorized Living Arrangements

4310 Unauthorized Arrangements By Youth in DFPS Conservatorship

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6520 Starting the Reunification Process

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6610 Identifying a Potential Relative Placement Before the Adversary Hearing

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6634 Critical Forms and Discussion Required at the Time of Placement

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6642 Services and Initial Contact with the Kinship Caregiver

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11611.11 Caseworker Actions During Psychiatric Hospitalizations

Child Protective Investigations Revisions

Reviews of Client Complaints (PATS 12442)

Streamlines CPS and CPI regional complaint and appeal processes.

See:

1244 Administrative Reviews of Client Complaints