6600 Kinship Care
CPS September 2026
DFPS and SSCCs provide services related to placement of children with kinship caregivers, such as relatives and fictive kin.
6610 Identifying a Potential Relative Placement before the Adversary Hearing
CPS September 2026
Before the adversary hearing, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must complete the following tasks to determine whether it is in the child’s best interest to be placed with a potential caregiver identified on the Child Caregiver Resource Form 2625:
- Contact potential caregivers listed on Form 2625 and determine their level of interest in providing placement or other support to the child.
- Inform the potential caregiver of the requirement for DFPS and criminal history checks on household members and regular visitors before beginning the home assessment process.
- Request demographic information on all household members and regular visitors, including the following:
- Date of birth.
- Social Security or legal permanent resident number.
- Current address.
- Addresses for any residences outside Texas in the previous two years.
- Self-reported DFPS and criminal history.
- Provide a Kinship Release of Information and Acknowledgement Form 0399 for all kinship caregivers and adults living in the home who would have unsupervised access to the child. The caseworker must collect the signed form for the case file and upload it to OneCase/NeuDocs.
- Conduct a home visit to ensure that DFPS or the SSCC has identified and addressed any physical safety threats.
6620 Assessing a Potential Kinship Caregiver
CPS September 2026
Before the DFPS or SSCC caseworker can place a child with a kinship caregiver, DFPS history checks, Department of Public Safety (DPS) criminal history checks, and a preliminary or full home assessment must be completed and approved. A full home assessment must be completed as soon as possible after placement if only a preliminary assessment was conducted prior to placement.
The child’s DFPS or SSCC caseworker or a contracted provider must assess the caregiver’s suitability by completing both of the following:
- A written assessment of the kinship caregiver’s home using the Kinship Caregiver Home Assessment Form 6588.
- A risk assessment, using the Risk Assessment Form 2049.
The written home assessment must address any of the following factors that are present:
- Relevant background information.
- Mitigating factors (that is, factors that make the concerns less concerning).
- Rehabilitation (that is, improvement in the areas of concern).
- Any other issues relevant to why the caseworker or home assessment contractor recommends approving the kinship placement despite the concerns.
6621 Background Checks As Part of the Kinshipip Assessment Process
CPS September 2026
For each potential kinship caregiver being considered for placement, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must do both of the following:
- Conduct a search in IMPACT for any DFPS history on each person in the household who meets all of the following criteria:
- Is age 14 or older.
- Is a regular visitor to the home.
- Cares for the child (for example, a babysitter).
- Check child abuse and neglect registry records in other states where each potential kinship caregiver has lived in the past two years, as applicable.
6621.1 If No DFPS or Criminal History Is Found
CPS September 2026
If the DFPS or SSCC caseworker does not find any DFPS history of abuse or neglect or criminal history for the potential kinship caregiver, or for all household members age 14 or older, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must proceed with the home assessment.
Texas Government Code §411.114
6621.2 Conducting a Criminal History Check
CPS September 2026
For each potential kinship caregiver who has not been ruled out based on DFPS history, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must initiate criminal background checks and evaluate any history on both of the following:
- Each household member who is age 14 or older.
- Regular visitors to the home.
To complete a thorough criminal history check, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must do all the following:
- Verify the identities of the caregivers, household members, and regular visitors.
- Obtain all names that household members and regular visitors have ever used, including aliases and maiden names, and verify the spelling of all names.
- Obtain dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and driver license numbers. If the person does not have a Social Security or driver license number, see Alternate Forms of Identification, below.
- Ensure that the criminal background check request through IMPACT has been initiated within two business days after the kinship family agrees to the request for placement.
Alternate Forms of Identification
If the person does not have a Social Security or driver license number, the person may provide one or more of the following:
- Another form of state or federal identification.
- A driver license or other form of identification from another country.
- A form of identification that includes a photo, such as a credit card, library card, employee badge, or school identification. The identification must be consistent with other identification documentation.
If a person does not have an acceptable form of identification, the placement cannot be made.
Caregivers Living in Texas for Fewer than Two Years
If the kinship caregiver, household member age 14 or older, or anyone who cares for the child has not lived in Texas for the past two consecutive years, DFPS or the SSCC must perform both of the following:
- A Texas criminal history check.
- An FBI fingerprint check.
6621.3 If DFPS or Criminal History Is Found
CPS September 2026
If the DFPS or SSCC caseworker finds DFPS or criminal history on anyone living in the home of the potential kinship caregiver, or on any regular visitors to the potential kinship caregiver’s home, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must document the information in IMPACT. However, the specific details of a person’s criminal history should not be documented in case narratives. The DFPS or SSCC caseworker only documents whether or not the caregiver, household member, or frequent visitor has criminal history and refers the reader to review the criminal history results for more detailed information. When criminal history is found that is a potential bar, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker documents this in the case narrative.
6621.4 Determining the Consequences of a Criminal History
CPS September 2026
If any member of the potential kinship caregiver’s household has a criminal history, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must determine the type of criminal history and its effect on kinship placement, using the tables on the Criminal History Requirements Charts, Texas HHS webpage.
Convictions
Convictions may have the following impact on the approval of a potential kinship caregiver’s home, depending on the offense:
- Absolute bars, unless the regional director or SSCC equivalent grants an exception following a Kinship Safety Evaluation.
- Five-year bars, unless the regional director or SSCC equivalent grants an exception following a Kinship Safety Evaluation.
- Other offenses that may preclude placement, unless the regional director or SSCC equivalent grants approval following a Kinship Safety Evaluation.
It is important to distinguish the consequences of criminal history in a kinship placement from the consequences in a potential foster or adoptive home. Even if a kinship home is approved following a Kinship Safety Evaluation, if the home applies to become verified to foster or approved to adopt, Residential Child Care Regulation may reach a different conclusion about the safety of the home.
History Other Than Convictions
A deferred adjudication of an indictment or a complaint for an offense may prohibit placement, depending on the offense and whether a conviction for it would be an absolute bar, a five-year bar, or other, as described above. When such history exists, a director, regional director, or SSCC equivalent may need to provide approval.
Staff generally does not approve placement if a potential kinship caregiver or household member age 14 or older has any of the following situations:
- Has an offense for which the person received a deferral of adjudication, and the person has not successfully completed probation.
- Is indicted for an offense.
- Is the subject of a criminal complaint that has been accepted by a district or county attorney for prosecution.
As part of the overall home assessment process, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must consider and address situations in which a potential caregiver or household member has either of the following situations:
- Has an arrest history related to child safety.
- Is currently under investigation for an offense.
If the DFPS or SSCC caseworker cannot make a determination, he or she must consult with the supervisor.
If the supervisor cannot make a determination, he or she must consult with a higher level of leadership.
6621.5 Considering the Totality of the Circumstances
CPS September 2026
When evaluating history that is not an absolute bar to placement, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must consider the totality of the circumstances and other factors that may affect the overall decision about placement.
The DFPS or SSCC caseworker must consider all convictions and any other pertinent criminal history information, the presence or absence of a criminal history is only one of many factors staff must weigh in determining whether a potential kinship caregiver can provide a safe and stable home for a child in conservatorship.
The DFPS or SSCC caseworker must do the following:
- Not assume that a potential kinship caregiver can provide a safe and stable home because there is no criminal history.
- Not automatically rule out a potential kinship caregiver solely based on criminal history.
- Consider the impact, if any, that the criminal history has on the potential placement.
- Consider how a particular conviction or history may affect a child’s safety, if the offense is not included in the table on the Criminal History Requirements Charts, Texas HHS webpage.
- Consider that the weight given to an individual’s history varies based on factors such as the following:
- The type of conviction.
- The length of time since the conviction.
- The individual’s rehabilitation.
- Information provided by references.
Factors that may support approval of a potential kinship caregiver’s home, despite otherwise barred criminal history, include the following:
- The conviction occurred many years ago.
- The conviction was an isolated occurrence.
- The individual whose history is being evaluated demonstrates rehabilitation.
- The bar is temporary and will expire in the near future.
- There is a pre-existing relationship between the child or child’s family and the potential caregiver.
- The child has already been living safely in the home for several months or longer.
- Support systems were identified to assist the caregiver.
- The kinship caregiver demonstrates sufficient protective capacity.
- There are other mitigating factors.
- Any combination of the criteria listed above.
Factors that may support denial of a potential kinship caregiver’s home on the basis of criminal history include the following:
- The conviction is for a sexual offense.
- There is minimal or no relationship between the potential caregiver and the child or the child’s family.
- The individual whose history is being evaluated demonstrates no rehabilitation.
- The conviction is recent.
- There is significant criminal history, particularly convictions, in addition to the potentially barred conviction.
6621.6 Determining Whether to Proceed with Kinship Caregiver Home Assessment
CPS September 2026
Once staff makes a determination about the impact of a criminal history, using the table on the Criminal History Requirements Charts, Texas HHS webpage, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must consult with the supervisor to determine whether to proceed with the kinship home assessment. The DFPS or SSCC caseworker must document this consultation in IMPACT on the Contact Detail or Monthly Evaluation page.
6621.7 Informing Potential Kinship Caregivers of Potential Consequences of Criminal History
CPS September 2026
If the DFPS or SSCC caseworker decides to move forward with the kinship home assessment, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must warn the potential caregiver who has a criminal history or a household member with criminal history that, even if approved for a kinship placement, he or she is not guaranteed kinship assistance or approval to foster or adopt. The DFPS or SSCC caseworker must also inform the potential caregiver that he or she may even be barred from being a foster or adoptive parent, which may also make him or her ineligible for adoption assistance and permanency care assistance.
See:
- HHS Rules, 26 TAC §745.629
- HHS Rules, 26 TAC §745.671
- Criminal History Requirements Charts, Texas HHS
6621.8 Authority to Disclose Criminal History information
CPS September 2026
DFPS or the SSCC may disclose criminal history information from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) or other state criminal justice agencies to specific types of people, as indicated in Texas Government Code §411.114.
DFPS or the SSCC cannot disclose or release criminal history information from the FBI to any person or entity.
If a criminal offense requiring a Kinship Safety Evaluation (KSE) is found in the caregiver’s FBI criminal history but is not also in the caregiver’s DPS criminal history results, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker cannot disclose that offense. The DFPS or SSCC caseworker also cannot state that an FBI history check revealed criminal history. The DFPS or SSCC caseworker cannot disclose criminal history record information from the FBI under any circumstances. The DFPS or SSCC caseworker may only state in the home assessment or KSE that the caregiver has criminal history that requires a KSE.
6622 The Risk Assessment
CPS September 2026
When seeking to place a child with a kinship caregiver, either temporarily or permanently, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must pay attention to the risk and safety issues that may be present.
If the risk assessment identifies concerns, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker or contractor must ensure that the written home assessment addresses the concerns by doing all of the following:
- Incorporating the risk results into the written home assessment.
- Attaching the risk results to the written home assessment.
- Submitting the written home assessment for approval, using Kinship Caregiver Home Assessment Form 6588.
6623 The Written Home Assessment
CPS September 2026
Designated regional and single source continuum contractor (SSCC) staff members must track the progression of home assessments from the time the SSCC caseworker submits the request until the home assessment is reviewed for approval or denial by supervisory staff. The status of each home assessment should be updated in the electronic tracking system as soon as possible, and the status must be updated weekly or more often.
Obtaining Approval of the Home Assessment and Placement of a Child in a Kinship Home
CPS September 2026
The DFPS or SSCC caseworker’s supervisor or director must review the home assessment and determine the appropriate approval process based on the table below. Once the home assessment is approved, DFPS or the SSCC must make a determination about placing the child in the caregiver’s home. The DFPS or SSCC caseworker must receive supervisor approval before placing a child in a kinship caregiver’s home.
| If… |
Then… |
|---|---|
There are no concerns about DFPS history, criminal history, or child safety… |
The home assessment only requires the primary caseworker’s supervisor approval. The DFPS or SSCC caseworker refers the case to the Kinship program no later than two days after placement. |
The home assessment requires a Kinship Developmental Plan due to identified concerns… |
The supervisor documents requirements for addressing the identified concerns in the home assessment before approval. If the identified concerns require protective actions, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker coordinates with the caregiver to implement the required actions. The supervisor approves with conditions. Upon placing the child in the home, the kinship development worker develops a Kinship Developmental Plan with the caregiver. |
The potential kinship caregiver’s home assessment establishes the child would be safe in the home, and the potential caregiver or someone age 14 or older who lives in the potential caregiver’s home has any of the following history:
|
|
The potential kinship caregiver’s home assessment establishes the child would be safe in the home, and the potential caregiver or someone age 14 or older who lives in the potential caregiver’s home has any of the following history:
|
Follow steps 1–3 above. The DFPS or SSCC caseworker documents the extraordinary circumstances and compelling justification to support approval of the placement despite history in the KSE. The DFPS or SSCC caseworker obtains third-line supervisor and director approval of the KSE and approval to place the child in the caregiver’s home. |
Appeal Process for Denied Home Assessment
A potential kinship caregiver has the right to request an appeal to challenge the denial of a home assessment when the denial was based on a conviction of a low-risk criminal offense. See Criminal History Requirements Charts, Texas HHS.
If a denial is overturned (that is, the home assessment becomes approved) as a result of the appeal process, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker and DFPS or SSCC supervisor must meet to determine whether placing the child with the kinship caregiver is in the child’s best interest. If placement with the kinship caregiver is not in the child’s best interest, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker and DFPS or SSCC supervisor must explore whether there are other ways that the relative or fictive kin can support and maintain a connection with the child.
All dates related to the appeal process must be documented in the electronic tracking system.
If a Court-Ordered Placement Occurs Before a Negative Assessment
Immediately Inform the Supervisor and Attorney
If the court places a child before a home assessment has been completed, and the home assessment recommends against placement, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must immediately do all of the following:
- Inform the supervisor.
- Inform the attorney representing DFPS or the SSCC.
- Provide the supervisor and attorney with a copy of the home assessment.
- Consult with the DFPS or SSCC supervisor and attorney about next steps, which include informing the court and possibly setting a hearing.
Inform Other Parties
After informing the DFPS or SSCC supervisor and DFPS or SSCC attorney, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must inform the other parties to the suit, including the following:
- Attorney ad litem for the child.
- Attorney for the parents.
- Parents, unless their whereabouts are unknown.
- Court appointed special advocate (CASA).
- Guardian ad litem for the child, if the guardian ad litem is not one of the other parties listed here.
If the child is to remain in the placement, the kinship development caseworker must create a developmental plan to address any safety threats.
If a Court-Ordered Placement Occurs After a Negative Assessment
Immediately Inform the Supervisor and Attorney
DFPS or the SSCC may not place a child in a home with a denied home assessment. However, if the court orders the placement despite knowing that the home assessment is denied, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must immediately do the following:
- Inform his or her supervisor.
- Inform the attorney representing DFPS or the SSCC.
- Provide the DFPS or SSCC supervisor and attorney with a copy of the home assessment.
- Consult with the DFPS or SSCC supervisor, director, third-line supervisor, and attorney within 10 business days about next steps, including:
- Identifying additional potential caregivers.
- Discussing how the negative assessment may affect eligibility for kinship monthly reimbursement payments and the child’s permanency goal.
- Create a developmental plan to address any identified safety or risk issues and to ensure the child’s safety. The plan must be shared with the kinship development worker and the local permanency specialist, if applicable.
- Refer the kinship caregiver to the Kinship program.
If a court orders a child to a placement where DFPS or the SSCC believes the child is unsafe, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker, supervisor, director, and third-line supervisor must staff (discuss) the case on the day of the order or the day the safety concerns are identified to determine the next steps to ensure child safety.
Inform Other Parties
After informing the DFPS or SSCC supervisor and DFPS or SSCC attorney about the court-ordered placement, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must inform the other parties to the suit, including the following:
- Attorney ad litem for the child.
- Attorney for the parents.
- Parents, unless their whereabouts are unknown.
- Court appointed special advocate (CASA).
- Guardian ad litem for the child, if the guardian ad litem is not one of the other parties listed here.
6630 Placing a Child with a Kinship Caregiver
CPS September 2026
Conducting a Pre-Placement Visit and Placing a Child with a Kinship Caregiver
Once all requirements have been met, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must conduct a pre-placement visit with the child and caregiver.
With DFPS or SSCC supervisory approval, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker may make a placement without conducting a pre-placement visit if the proposed caregiver is a relative or fictive kin who meets both of the following criteria:
- Has a long-standing or significant relationship with the child.
- Has provided care for the child at any time during the 12 months preceding the date of the proposed placement.
After completing the pre-placement visit, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker places the child with the kinship caregiver.
Critical Forms and Discussion Required at the Time of Placement with Kinship Caregiver
At the time of placement, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker provides the kinship caregiver with copies of the following:
- Placement Summary Form 2279 and the child’s sexual history report, Attachment A. All adults living in the home who have unsupervised access to the child must sign the form. The caseworker uploads Form 2279 into the Child’s Placement Records tab in OneCase/NeuDocs and uploads Attachment A into the Sexual History Report Attachment A tab in OneCase/NeuDocs.
- Kinship/TANF Program Letter Form 0696.
- DFPS Kinship Caregiver Manual.
- The caseworker must review and discuss the Kinship Caregiver Agreement Form 0695 with the kinship caregiver.
The DFPS or SSCC caseworker uploads all copies of these documents and forms into OneCase/NeuDocs.
6640 The Kinship Caseworker or SSCC Equivalent
6641 Duties
CPS September 2026
The kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent is a position designed specifically to provide support and resources for kinship caregivers.
The kinship worker or SSCC equivalent is responsible for finding local resources to meet the needs of the child or youth and the caregiver.
The kinship worker or SSCC equivalent does all of the following:
- Provides training, individually or in groups, to help the kinship caregiver meet the child’s or youth’s needs.
- Provides resources or referrals to resources to ensure the placement is stable. For example, the kinship worker or SSCC equivalent may refer the family to programs providing financial assistance, child care, counseling, remedial educational, or academic enrichment.
- Assesses kinship families continually to determine safety in the home as well as strengths and needs.
- Helps with permanency planning for the child or youth, along with the child’s or youth’s DFPS or SSCC caseworker.
- Provides support for the kinship caregiver’s family in reaching the child’s or youth’s goals.
- Conducts internal meetings and works with the DFPS or SSCC caseworker and other staff to ensure that safety concerns and risk factors are addressed and the child’s needs are being met.
Providing Other Services to the Kinship Caregiver
The kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent also provides these services to the caregiver:
- Ensures that the child’s or youth’s service plan addresses any issues or concerns identified in the written home assessment.
- Ensures that the caregiver has the latest version of the child’s or youth’s service plan and copies of all other documents or information normally provided to substitute caregivers.
- Invites the caregiver to participate in:
- The initial preparation and subsequent reviews of the child’s or youth’s service plan.
- Family Group Decision Making (FGDM). The kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent works with FGDM staff to ensure the kinship caregiver’s voice is represented in the permanency planning meetings.
- All court reviews of the child’s or youth’s case, as long as the child or youth remains in the caregiver’s care.
- Explains medical and dental requirements for children in DFPS custody..
- Reviews Form 3801 Notification about PCA Program and Foster Home Verification with the kinship caregiver and provides updates to the primary caseworker.
Conducting the Initial Face-to-Face Contact
During the initial face-to-face contact, the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent must do the following:
- Provide a copy of the DFPS Kinship Manual.
- Complete Form 0695 Kinship Caregiver Agreement, if not already completed by the placing caseworker at the time of placement, and upload the signed copy to OneCase/neuDocs under the Kinship tab.
- Ensure the child or youth’s sexual history report, Attachment A, was provided to the caregiver, signed by all adults living in the home who have unsupervised access to the child or youth, and uploaded into One Case/neuDocs. If the Attachment A was not provided to the kinship caregiver, the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent reviews it with the caregiver, obtains signatures from all adults living in the home who have unsupervised access to the child or youth, and uploads the signed copy into OneCase/neuDocs.
- Explain that all kinship caregivers in the home must complete the Preventing and Recognizing Youth Sexual Abuse training within two weeks of the initial kinship caseworker’s or SSCC equivalent’s home visit, (this includes the initial telephone contact for out of state caregivers). The kinship caseworker does the following:
- Confirms that the kinship caregivers are listed in the Provider Portal, and that their information is correct.
- Assists the kinship caregivers with signing up on the Caregiver Training Hub, and shows them how to find and complete the required training.
- If the kinship caregivers do not have access to reliable technology to complete the required training, the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent provides them with a PDF of the training, assuring that the caregivers answer the test questions for the knowledge check, then the caseworker transposes the caregiver’s responses in the Caregiver Training Hub to ensure they get credit for completing the training. The kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent must enter these answers exactly as the caregiver answered, even if they are incorrect.
- Discuss STAR Health benefits and the 3 in 30 review assessments to ensure all of the following were scheduled or are up to date:
- 3-day medical exam (if the child or youth was removed from one or both parents within the last 30 calendar days and meets criteria).
- Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment.
- Texas Health Steps medical checkup.
- Texas Health Steps dental checkup.
- Discuss the benefits, time frames, and eligibility for the following:
- The monthly reimbursement and other financial assistance the caregiver may qualify for.
- The process for becoming a verified kinship foster home.
- The Permanency Care Assistance program as outlined in 6680 Permanency Care Assistance (PCA).
- Review Form 3801 Notification about PCA Program and Foster Home Verification with the kinship caregiver, explain that it must be signed before the court enters a final order, and upload the signed copy into OneCase/neuDocs under the Permanency Care Assistance tab.
- Tour the home, taking special care to assess the child or youth’s bedroom to determine unmet needs or safety hazards.
- Discuss and create a developmental plan if any concerns were identified by the home assessment (whether approved or denied) or caseworker, or during the current visit, and upload the signed copy into OneCase/neuDocs under the Kinship tab.
- Discuss the need for and availability of kinship caregiver training, which is required to receive the kinship monthly reimbursement.
6642 Services and Initial Contact with the Kinship Caregiver
CPS September 2026
Preparation for the Initial Face-to-Face Contact
The DFPS or SSCC caseworker must refer the case to the Kinship Program within two business days of the kinship placement.
The kinship supervisor assigns the case to the kinship case worker or SSCC equivalent within two business days of receipt of the referral.
The kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent must open the kinship stage in IMPACT within two business days of assignment.
The kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent must make telephone contact with the Kinship caregiver within two calendar days of being assigned the kinship case.
The kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent must make the initial face-to-face contact with the kinship caregiver within three to five calendar days of being assigned the case.
Before the initial visit, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker and kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent must meet to discuss all of the following:
- Child’s or youth’s needs
- Visitation plan and any supervision needs for the child
- Permanency goal
- Details of the case
- Caregiver supports and needs
Before the initial visit, the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent must also read the home assessment and understand the visitation plan.
Conducting the Initial Face-to-Face Contact
During the initial face-to-face contact, the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent must do the following:
- Provide a copy of the DFPS Kinship Manual.
- Complete Form 0695 Kinship Caregiver Agreement if not already completed by the placing caseworker at the time of placement.
- Upload the signed copy of Form 0695 to OneCase/neuDocs.
- Ensure the child’s or youth’s sexual history report, Attachment A, was:
- Provided to the caregiver.
- Signed by all adults living in the home who have unsupervised access to the child or youth.
- Uploaded into OneCase/neuDocs.
- Review Attachment A with the caregiver, if Attachment A was not provided to the kinship caregiver, and:
- Obtain signatures from all adults living in the home who have unsupervised access to the child or youth.
- Upload the signed Attachment A copy into OneCase/neuDocs.
- Discuss STAR Health benefits and the required medical assessments that must be scheduled as follows:
- 3-Day Medical Exam—The removing worker identifies if the child qualifies for this exam and notifies the caregiver.
- Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment—required within 30 days of removal and annually thereafter. Refer to 6431 Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) Assessment.
- Texas Health Steps medical checkup—required within 30 days of removal and annually thereafter.
- Texas Health Steps dental checkup—required within 30 days of removal and every six months thereafter. Discuss the benefits, time frames, and eligibility for the following:
- The monthly reimbursement and other financial assistance the caregiver may qualify for.
- The process for becoming a verified kinship foster home.
- The Permanency Care Assistance program as outlined in 6680 Permanency Care Assistance (PCA).
- Review Form 3801 Notification about PCA Program and Foster Home Verification with the kinship caregiver and then:
- Explain to the kinship caregiver that he or she must sign the form before the court enters a final order.
- Upload the signed copy of Form 3801 into OneCase/neuDocs.
- Tour the home, taking special care to assess the child’s or youth’s bedroom to determine unmet needs or safety hazards.
- Discuss and create a developmental plan if any concerns were identified by the home assessment (whether approved or denied), by the DFPS or SSCC caseworker, or during the current visit. The kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent uploads the signed development plan copy into OneCase.
- Discuss the need for and availability of kinship caregiver training, which is required to receive the kinship monthly reimbursement.
6643 Expectations for Face-to-Face Contact with the Kinship Caregiver
6643.1 Frequency
CPS September 2026
The kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent must make face-to-face contact with the kinship caregiver at least once every month for the first six months of the placement.
If the kinship caregiver lives in another state, the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent may conduct these contacts by phone or virtual means depending on the technology access of the caregiver.
After the six-month period, the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent must staff with the kinship supervisor, the DFPS or SSCC conservatorship (CVS) caseworker, and the DFPS or SSCC CVS supervisor to determine if monthly visits by the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent may be reduced. This decision is based on:
- Improvements made on the kinship developmental plan (if there is one).
- Any new resources needed or identified.
- Any change in the household composition.
If staff determines that the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent may reduce contact based on the family’s progress, the kinship supervisor may set another contact schedule. The new contact schedule for the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent may not be less than quarterly face-to-face with the kinship caregiver. The DFPS or SSCC CVS caseworker’s visits must continue to be at least once a month.
This staffing and the decisions must be documented in Contact in the Kinship stage.
6643.2 Where Visits Must Occur
CPS September 2026
The initial visit must be in the home of the kinship caregiver, unless the caregiver lives in another state.
The majority of the monthly visits must occur in the home (for example, out of seven months of monthly visits, four must be in the home).
If the kinship caseworker’s or SSCC equivalent’s visits have been reduced to quarterly, all quarterly visits must be in the home.
6644 Preparing for the Subsequent Visits
CPS September 2026
To prepare for all subsequent visits, the kinship worker (KDW) or SSCC equivalent must do all of the following:
- Review the kinship developmental plan, if there is one.
- Confer with the DFPS or SSCC conservatorship (CVS) caseworker for an update on the case (to address safety concerns or changes in the permanency goal or the visitation plan).
- Call the Foster and Adoptive Home Development (FAD) worker or child-placing agency (CPA) case manager to check on the current progress for families interested in or currently working toward verification.
6645 Conducting the Kinship Caregiver Visit
CPS September 2026
During each visit with the kinship caregiver, the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent must do all of the following:
- Review the kinship developmental plan, if there is one.
- Discuss any barriers to completing tasks on the developmental plan and work with the kinship caregiver to identify any strategies to address the barriers.
- Ask the kinship caregiver if he or she has any issues or concerns.
- Discuss the kinship caregiver’s understanding of the verification process and progress toward verification, and provide assistance with issues to expedite the process.
- Discuss the kinship caregiver’s understanding of the Permanency Care Assistance program, including the time remaining for eligibility and possible benefits.
- Discuss the kinship caregiver’s understanding of the child’s or youth’s permanency goal and visitation with the parents.
- Fully assess the home for safety concerns, new home members, frequent visitors, or outstanding supportive needs for the child or youth and the caregiver.
Depending on the results of the assessment, the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent must do the following:
- Staff with the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent’s supervisor and the child’s DFPS or SSCC caseworker during the visit, or as soon as the visit ends, for concerns that potentially affect the child’s immediate safety.
- Staff with the supervisor and the DFPS or SSCC caseworker within 24 hours for all other concerns and related information.
- Discuss how the child or youth functions in general from a social, medical, and educational perspective.
- Make ongoing efforts to identify additional family or fictive kin supports for the child and the kinship caregiver.
6646 Actions after each Kinship Caregiver Visit
CPS September 2026
After each visit, the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent must do all the following:
- Document the Contact Detail for any face-to-face contact with the caregiver in IMPACT within 24 hours of the visit.
- Document the Contact Narrative within seven days.
- Document a Contact Detail for any face-to-face contact with the child the same day the contact occurs.
- Document the Contact Narrative within seven days.
- Document all other contacts (telephone, emails, letters, and others) within seven calendar days.
- Follow up on any needs identified, such as:
- Creating a new kinship developmental plan.
- Referring the kinship caregiver for services.
- Assisting with appointments and visits, if needed.
- Communicate with the primary caseworker about any concerns identified.
- Follow up with any barriers to monthly payments or the verification process.
6647 Ending Visits
CPS September 2026
Visits must continue with the kinship caregiver until one of the following happens:
- The child is moved from the home.
- The kinship caregiver becomes licensed as a foster parent and for a foster and adoption home development (FAD) or child-placing agency (CPA) case manager is assigned.
- The legal case is closed.
6648 Closing the Kinship Case in IMPACT
CPS September 2026
- The kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent closes the Kinship stage in IMPACT within 7 calendar days after kinship services have ended.
- Upon closure, the kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent deactivates all kinship caregivers in the Provider Portal.
6650 Financial Assistance Available to a Kinship Caregiver
6651 Explaining the Federal Financial Assistance Available to a Kinship Caregiver
CPS September 2026
When a child is placed with a kinship caregiver, the child’s kinship case worker or SSCC equivalent must explain the financial resources that may be available. These resources are also explained in the Kinship Manual.
6652 Explaining the DFPS Financial Assistance Available to a Kinship Caregiver
6652.1 Day Care
CPS September 2026
DFPS may provide day care for children in DFPS conservatorship who live with eligible kinship families. DFPS provides day care, in accordance with the policies explained in 8235.5 Kinship Child Day Care, and only as funds are available.
To be eligible for kinship day care services, a kinship caregiver must have formal approval by DFPS, have signed and continue to abide by the Kinship Caregiver Agreement (Form 0695), and be a resident of Texas. In addition, the caregiver must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Be age 65 or older.
- Have a documented disability.
- Work outside the home for 20 or more hours per week.
To apply for day care services, the DFPS kinship caseworker or the child’s DFPS or SSCC caseworker must submit a request to the regional day care liaison.
See 8235.5 Kinship Child Day Care.
6652.2 DFPS Relative and Other Designated Caregiver Program
CPS September 2026
The Relative and Other Designated Caregiver Program (also referred to as the Kinship Program) provides limited financial assistance to help kinship caregivers care for children. The program provides continuity and stability for children in DFPS conservatorship. All assistance is based on caregiver eligibility and availability of funds.
When a child is placed with a kinship caregiver, the kinship DFPS or SSCC caseworker must explain the financial resources that may be available through the program.
6652.3 Kinship Reimbursement Payment
CPS September 2026
The Kinship Reimbursement Payment is a monthly payment per child of up to half of the daily basic foster care reimbursement rate paid to a foster family home. The monthly payments are time-limited for the child and may be paid for up to twelve months. However, if DFPS or the SSCC determines there is good cause for an exception, payments may be made for up to an additional six months. Good cause exceptions include:
- Identification, release, or location of the child’s previously absent parent.
- Waiting for the timeline to expire for an appeal of an order in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship.
- Provision of additional time for the caregiver to complete the approval process for verification or adoption of the child.
- Waiting for the approval of a child’s placement from another state.
- A delayed determination of the child’s Indian Child status, or waiting for the approval of the Indian Child’s Tribe.
- Any other circumstance surrounding the child or the caregiver for which DFPS or the SSCC decides an extension is necessary.
The DFPS or SSCC caseworker’s third-line manager must approve all good cause extensions.
6652.31 Eligibility Criteria
CPS September 2026
To qualify for the Kinship Reimbursement Payment, the child and kinship caregiver must meet each of the following criteria during the period of eligibility:
- The child being placed is in DFPS conservatorship.
- The child is formally placed with a kinship caregiver who has been approved by DFPS through the home assessment process.
- The home in which the child is placed is not a verified foster or group home receiving foster care maintenance payments.
- The caregiver has signed and is abiding by Form 0695 Kinship Caregiver Agreement.
- The caregiver has begun the kinship caregiver training.
- The caregiver’s family net income does not exceed 300 percent of the current federal poverty limit. Total family income must include all household members including the parents and anyone who moved into the home on or after initial placement. See the Federal Poverty Income Limit Chart in IMPACT in the Quick Reference Guide under the Help button.
If the kinship caregiver does not meet the eligibility criteria for the Kinship Monthly Reimbursement Payment and a judge enters an order directing DFPS to make the payments, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must follow the notification requirements in 5311 Notice Requirements for Elevating Certain Court Orders.
6652.4 Post-Permanent Managing Conservatorship Annual Reimbursement Payment
CPS September 2026
If the kinship caregiver obtains permanent managing conservatorship (PMC) of the child and all other eligibility requirements are met, the kinship caregiver may request an annual reimbursement of up to $500 per child for child-related costs. The expenses must meet eligibility requirements. An eligible kinship caregiver may request the reimbursement for the three years immediately following the award of PMC of the child or until the child reaches age 18, whichever comes first.
The caregiver can apply to be reimbursed for eligible child-related expenses on the anniversary of the date he or she was awarded PMC of the child. To request reimbursement, the kinship caregiver completes Form 0697 Kinship Reimbursement Payment and returns it to the kinship caseworker. The kinship caseworker uploads the signed copy into OneCase/NeuDocs under the Kinship tab.
6652.41 Eligibility Criteria
CPS September 2026
The eligibility criteria for an annual reimbursement benefit are as follows:
- DFPS or the SSCC formally approved the placement through the home assessment process.
- The kinship caregiver is making the request for reimbursement on behalf of a child who was in the kinship caregiver’s care at the time the expenses were incurred.
- The child was in DFPS conservatorship immediately before the child’s kinship caregiver was awarded permanent managing conservatorship.
- The caregiver has signed and continues to abide by Form 0695 Kinship Caregiver Agreement.
- The kinship caregiver is not receiving permanency care payments or adoption subsidy payments.
- The family income does not exceed 300 percent of the current federal poverty limit. Family income includes all household members, including parents and anyone who moved into the home on or after initial placement.
If the kinship caregiver does not meet the eligibility criteria for the annual reimbursement payment and a judge enters an order directing DFPS or the SSCC to make the payment, the caseworker must follow the notification requirements in 5311 Notice Requirements for Elevating Certain Court Orders.
6660 Kinship Caregivers Interested in Becoming Verified as Foster Parents
CPS September 2026
Interested relatives and fictive kin may choose to become verified as foster parents.
See the Services to Kinship Caregivers Resource Guide.
To become a verified foster parent, a kinship caregiver must meet the kinship-specific minimum standards adopted by the Residential Child Care Regulation (RCCR) division of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), including, but not limited to:
- Passing background checks, including fingerprint-based checks.
- Completing pre-service training.
- Passing a foster home screening.
- Meeting home environment standards.
The DFPS or SSCC caseworker must inform all of the known adult relatives of the child about the option to pursue verification as a foster parent.
The kinship and DFPS or SSCC caseworker must make the following clear to the kinship caregiver:
- Any caregiver who is a relative or fictive kin may pursue verification as a foster parent, regardless of the child’s permanency goal.
- The goal for DFPS and SSCCs is the timely, permanent placement of the child, not long-term foster care, so DFPS and SSCCs act in accordance with the child’s permanency goal.
There are reduced requirements for kinship caregivers who choose to become verified as foster parents.
On a case-by-case basis, a DFPS or SSCC caseworker may also ask the family’s foster and adoptive home development caseworker or the case manager for the private child-placing agency whether it is appropriate to request from RCCR a waiver or variance from minimum standards that are not related to safety.
For further information about the process for homes being verified by DFPS, see 7515 Foster Home Verification.
For further information about verification requirements in general, see Subchapter M of the Child Care Licensing’s Minimum Standards for Child-Placing Agencies.
6661 Assisting a Kinship Caregiver Seeking Verification as a Foster Parent
CPS September 2026
If a relative or fictive kin expresses interest in becoming a verified foster parent for the child, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must, as soon as possible, do all of the following:
- Refer the relative or fictive kin to the regional foster and adoption home development (FAD) caseworker, if available in the caregiver’s area, who can help pursue verification.
- Inform the relative or fictive kin about the option to pursue verification through a private, child placing agency.
- Provide a list of private child placing agencies in the caregiver’s area that are qualified to verify foster parents for DFPS and SSCC placements.
6670 Closing a Kinship Stage
CPS September 2026
DFPS or the SSCC may close a kinship stage only after one of the following occurs:
- Positive permanency is achieved (adoption, family reunification, or the child is placed in the permanent managing conservatorship of another person).
- The child moves from the home.
- The child ages out of care.
- The family becomes a verified foster family.
6680 Permanency Care Assistance (PCA)
6681 Overview of Permanency Care Assistance
CPS September 2026
Upon initial placement of the child, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must do the following:
- Inform kinship caregivers about the Permanency Care Assistance (PCA) program.
- Explain PCA’s possible benefits and the caregiver’s potential eligibility before the caregiver signs the PCA Agreement.
The DFPS or SSCC caseworker must notify the DFPS kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent when the final merits hearing is scheduled so that the DFPS kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent can do the following:
- Complete a final review of Form 3801 Notification about PCA Program and Foster Home Verification with the kinship caregiver.
- Provide any updates to the child’s DFPS or SSCC caseworker.
- Upload the signed Form 3801 into OneCase/NeuDocs under the Permanency Care Assistance tab.
If no DFPS kinship caseworker or SSCC equivalent is assigned, the child’s DFPS or SSCC caseworker reviews Form 3801 with the caregiver. Before the final hearing, the child’s DFPS or SSCC caseworker must inform the child placing agency working with the caregiver about the caregiver’s decision to accept or decline participation in the PCA program.
Eligible relatives and fictive kin who have served as verified foster parents to a child for six consecutive months may receive financial and health care benefits on behalf of the child through the PCA program.
See the definition of kinship foster caregiver in the Services to Kinship Caregivers Resource Guide, under Definitions.
6681.1 Caregiver Requirements
CPS September 2026
To receive Permanency Care Assistance for an eligible child, a verified kinship caregiver must do the following, in the order shown below:
- Serve as the child’s verified foster parent for six consecutive months.
- Receive preliminary approval of eligibility for Permanency Care Assistance by the regional DFPS eligibility specialist.
- Negotiate and sign an agreement with DFPS or the SSCC to receive Permanency Care Assistance on behalf of the child. (This step must be taken before becoming the child’s permanent managing conservator.)
- Become the permanent managing conservator of the eligible child and submit, in a timely manner, the court order transferring permanent managing conservatorship to DFPS.
6681.2 Caregiver Ineligibility for Permanency Care Assistance
CPS September 2026
A verified kinship caregiver is ineligible for Permanency Care Assistance under the following circumstances:
- A prospective permanent managing conservator cannot meet the requirement for becoming the child’s managing conservator if he or she becomes a joint managing conservator of the child with a parent at the close of the case.
- A person does not meet the definition of a prospective permanent managing conservator who may qualify for benefits if the person is the child’s parent or another person from whom the child was legally removed.
6681.3 Child Eligibility for Permanency Care Assistance
CPS September 2026
A child is eligible to receive Permanency Care Assistance if all of the following eligibility criteria apply:
- The child is in DFPS temporary or permanent managing conservatorship.
- The child’s prospective permanent managing conservator meets one of the following criteria:
- Is related to the child by consanguinity or affinity.
- Had a longstanding and significant relationship to the child before DFPS or the SSCC placed the child in the prospective conservator’s home, during the same legal episode.
- The child’s prospective permanent managing conservator has served as a verified foster parent to the child for at least six consecutive months before the effective date of the agreement for Permanency Care Assistance.
- The child has demonstrated a strong attachment to the prospective permanent managing conservator, and that person has a strong commitment to caring permanently for the child.
- DFPS or the SSCC has determined, at the time the agreement for Permanency Care Assistance is signed, that adoption and returning the child to the home from which the child was removed are not appropriate permanency options. (See 6234.24 Ruling Out Family Reunification and Adoption Before Pursuing Permanency Care Assistance for further explanation.)r
- DFPS or the SSCC has consulted with the youth about the prospective permanent managing conservator’s interest in becoming conservator, if the youth is at least 14 years old when the permanency care agreement is signed.
6681.4 Meeting the Conditions to Verify Eligibility for Permanency Care Assistance
CPS September 2026
All of the following conditions must be met in order for kinship caregivers to meet the consecutive six months requirement for Permanency Care Assistance:
- DFPS placed the child with the verified kinship foster parent. The placement date for the verified foster home begins the mandatory six-month period.
- The caregiver is verified as a kinship foster parent and remains verified as a kinship foster parent to care for the child for at least six consecutive months.
- The caregiver has entered into and signed Form 2085FC Placement Authorization Foster Care/Residential Care, and the agreement remains in effect.
- The child remains in the conservatorship of DFPS throughout the six-month period, until the day before the verified kinship caregiver becomes the child’s permanent managing conservator.
- The child’s placement in the home for six consecutive months is continuous. That is, the child lives in the home the entire time, except for short absences of no more than 14 days. If a temporary absence exceeds 14 days, the count of the child’s total time in the placement must start over.
If a child and caregiver are not eligible for Permanency Care Assistance, a court may not order that the assistance be provided.
6682 Adding Permanency Care Assistance to the Child’s Plan of Service
CPS September 2026
When a child’s permanency plan calls for a change to permanent managing conservatorship by a relative or fictive kin, with intent to pursue Permanency Care Assistance, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must document both of the following in the child’s plan of service:
- The change to the child’s permanency plan.
- Any information related to the federal requirements for the case plan.
- The federal requirements include documentation of all of the following:
- A description of the steps DFPS or the SSCC has taken to determine that it is not appropriate for the child to be returned home or adopted.
- The ways in which the child meets the eligibility requirements for Permanency Care Assistance, specifically DFPS or the SSCC’s determinations that:
- The child was removed from his or her home as a result of a judicial determination that continuation in the home would be contrary to the welfare of the child.
- The child was eligible for foster care maintenance payments for at least six consecutive months in the home of a verified kinship caregiver who is the prospective permanent managing conservator.
- Being returned home is not an appropriate permanency option for the child.
- The child demonstrates a strong attachment to the prospective permanent managing conservator, and the prospective permanent managing conservator has a strong commitment to caring permanently for the child.
- The youth has been consulted about the prospective managing conservator’s interest in becoming conservator and about the agreement to receive Permanency Care Assistance, if the youth is at least 14 years old.
- The efforts DFPS or the SSCC made with the child’s prospective managing conservator to discuss adoption as a more permanent alternative to permanent managing conservatorship and, if applicable, the reasons why the prospective conservator chose not to pursue adoption.
- The reasons that placing the child permanently with a prospective permanent managing conservator and providing Permanency Care Assistance are in the child’s best interests.
- The reasons for placing siblings separately, when applicable.
- The efforts DFPS or the SSCC made to discuss Permanency Care Assistance with the child’s birth parents or the reasons why such efforts were not made.
6683 Ruling Out Family Reunification and Adoption Before Pursuing Permanency Care Assistance
CPS September 2026
To seek permanent managing conservatorship and Permanency Care Assistance for a child’s relative or fictive kin caregiver, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must establish both of the following (with approval from his or her supervisor and program director):
- Family reunification and adoption are not appropriate permanency options.
- Transferring permanent managing conservatorship to a relative with the support of Permanency Care Assistance is in the child’s best interest.
The DFPS or SSCC caseworker must document this determination in the child’s plan of service.
If DFPS or SSCC staff believes that termination of parental rights is achievable but DFPS or SSCC legal representatives disagree, staff must bring the disagreement to the attention of DFPS or SSCC management and the DFPS Legal Division until a resolution is reached.
6684 Applying for Permanency Care Assistance
CPS September 2026
Completion of the following forms is required to seek Permanency Care Assistance.
- Form 2115 Permanency Care Assistance Request
- Form 2116 Permanency Care Assistance Worksheet
- Form 2118 Kinship Family Resources
- Form 2189 Referral to FAD or SSCC For Non-DFPS Home, as needed
6684.1 Time Frame for Applying
CPS September 2026
The DFPS or SSCC caseworker must ensure that the documentation is complete and the required attachments are provided to the Adoption Assistance Eligibility Unit at least 30 to 45 days before the kinship caregiver receives permanent managing conservatorship by a court.
If there is a compelling issue impacting the 30-day time frame, such as a court order or directive, then the following actions must occur:
- The DFPS or SSCC caseworker expedites the application.
- The DFPS or SSCC caseworker and DFPS or SSCC supervisor immediately notify the DFPS eligibility supervisor and eligibility specialist for the region, as well as the regional attorney, if necessary.
6684.2 Negotiating the Monthly Payment
CPS September 2026
If the adoption assistance eligibility specialist preliminarily approves the application, a DFPS assistance negotiator and the kinship caregiver negotiate to determine the amount of assistance the caregiver will receive each month.
6684.21 Submitting the Permanent Managing Conservatorship Order
CPS September 2026
The court docket sheet can be used to initiate payment. However, to ensure that payments continue, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must submit a file-stamped copy of the permanent managing conservatorship order.
Within seven days of receiving the file-stamped order, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must send it to the DFPS eligibility specialist.
6684.22 Receiving the First Payment
CPS September 2026
One month after receiving permanent managing conservatorship, the caregiver receives the first monthly payment.
The DFPS or SSCC caseworker must convey to the caregiver that there may be days in the month for which the caregiver does not receive either a foster care payment or a Permanency Care Assistance payment. Foster placement payments are made retroactively and are paid by the day. Permanency Care Assistance payments are made early in the month and are paid by the month.
6684.3 Signing the PCA Agreement Before Conservatorship is Granted: Court Time Frames and Processes
CPS September 2026
The DFPS or SSCC caseworker must keep all legal parties informed throughout the Permanency Care Assistance process to ensure that permanent managing conservatorship is not granted to the caregiver before the caregiver negotiates and signs the agreement for Permanency Care Assistance.
In addition, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker and supervisor must be prepared to explain the following to court staff, including judges:
- The process for determining a kinship caregiver’s eligibility for Permanency Care Assistance.
- The requirement that the kinship caregiver is eligible for Permanency Care Assistance only if the caregiver signs the assistance agreement before the court grants the caregiver permanent managing conservatorship.
6685 Granting Assistance to the Sibling of a Child Who Receives PCA
CPS September 2026
When siblings are placed together and at the same time, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must first apply for Permanency Care Assistance on behalf of the child who is eligible for Title IV-E funding, to make the joining siblings eligible for Title IV-E assistance.
To determine which child in a sibling group is the primary child eligible for Title IV-E funding, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker must contact the adoption assistance eligibility specialist.
If there is no child eligible for Title IV-E funding in the sibling group, the children receive state-paid funding.
6686 Enhanced Permanency Care Assistance
CPS September 2026
Enhanced Permanency Care Assistance is intended to reduce financial barriers for kinship and fictive kinship caregivers.
This is not another tier of Permanency Care Assistance for all children who have high levels of care. Many children with high levels of care have found or will find permanency without enhanced Permanency Care Assistance.
If the prospective conservator insists on delaying the child’s placement for the purpose of qualifying for enhanced Permanency Care Assistance, DFPS or the SSCC may seek a different prospective conservator for the child.
6686.1 Definition of Enhanced Permanency Care Assistance
CPS September 2026
Enhanced Permanency Care Assistance is a monthly payment that is greater than the ceiling amount for the Permanency Care Assistance.
The maximum monthly payment that can be paid under a Permanency Care Assistance agreement, on behalf of a child who qualifies for enhanced Permanency Care Assistance, is based on the DFPS foster care rate in effect on the date the Permanency Care Assistance agreement is signed. The following requirements apply to this maximum monthly payment:
- It is the minimum amount required to be paid to a foster parent for a child with the same service level as the child who is the subject of the Permanency Care Assistance agreement. (This can be an authorized current service level or one in effect before the permanent managing conservatorship placement.) This amount is sometimes referred to as the pass-through amount (the amount that passes through to the foster parent).
- Under the Texas Child-Centered Care (T3C) System, it is the minimum amount required to be paid to a foster parent for a child with the same service package as the child who is the subject of the Permanency Care Assistance agreement. (This can be an authorized current service package or a service package that previously was in effect before the permanent managing conservatorship placement.)
- It does not include any amount that a child placing agency is entitled to keep under the foster care rates.
6686.2 Eligibility Requirements for Enhanced Permanency Care Assistance
CPS September 2026
For a child to be eligible for enhanced Permanency Care Assistance, the child must meet the requirements for standard Permanency Care Assistance. In addition, the child and permanent managing conservator must also meet each of the eligibility criteria as described below.
Criteria the Permanent Managing Conservator Must Meet
Enhanced Permanency Care Assistance may be available to a conservator who enters into a Permanency Care Assistance agreement for a child with special needs on or after September 1, 2023.
Criteria the Child Must Meet
To be eligible for enhanced Permanency Care Assistance, the child must meet each of the following criteria before the signing of the Permanency Care Assistance agreement.
- The child must be in the managing conservatorship of DFPS.
- The child must have an authorized service level of Specialized or Intense to include Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) equivalent. (The child also meets this requirement if the child had such an authorized service level immediately before being placed in a facility or home operated or regulated by another state agency.) If the child is placed under the Texas Child-Centered Care (T3C) System, the child must be placed in any service package other than the T3C Basic Foster Family Home Service Package. The child must be living in one of the following:
- A foster care home that is regulated by Residential Child Care Regulation division and is approved under licensing minimum standards to provide treatment services.
- A home operated or regulated by another state agency in Texas or in another state that provides comparable treatment services.
Under T3C, the child is placed in a Recommended Service Package other than the T3C Basic Foster Family Home Support Service Package, as defined in the Texas Administrative Code.
A child may qualify for standard or enhanced Permanency Care Assistance if the child exhibits severe challenges in one or more areas of functioning that present an imminent and critical danger of harm to self or others. The children qualifying for standard or enhanced Permanency Care Assistance may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- A child whose characteristics include one or more of the following:
- Unpredictable non-violent, anti-social acts.
- Extreme frequent or unpredictable physical aggression that causes harm.
- Being markedly withdrawn and isolated.
- Major or recurring self-injurious actions, including serious suicide attempts.
- Difficulties that present a significant risk of harm to self or others.
- Severely impaired reality testing, communication skills, cognitive, affect, or personal hygiene.
- A child who abuses alcohol, drugs, or other conscious-altering substances and whose characteristics include one or more of the following:
- Severe impairment because of the substance abuse.
- A primary diagnosis of substance abuse or dependency.
- A primary diagnosis of substance dependency in addition to being extremely aggressive or self-destructive to the point of causing harm.
- A child with intellectual or developmental disabilities whose characteristics include one or more of the following:
- Severely impaired conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills, including daily living and self-care.
- Require constant one-to-one supervision for the safety of self or others.
- Severe impairment in communication, cognition, or expressions of affect.
- Lack of motivation or the inability to complete self-care activities or participate in social activities.
- Inability to respond appropriately to an emergency.
- Multiple physical disabilities, including sensory impairments.
- A consistent inability to cooperate in self-care while requiring constant one-to-one supervision for the safety of self or others.
- A child with primary medical needs or one who requires services to help the child keep, learn, or improve skills and functioning for daily living, and whose characteristics include one or more of the following:
- Regular exacerbations or interventions in relation to the diagnosed medical condition.
- Frequent acute exacerbations and chronic, intensive interventions in relation to the diagnosed medical condition.
- Severely limited or unable to perform daily living and self-care skills.
- Non-ambulatory or confined to a bed.
- Constant access to on-site, medically skilled caregivers with demonstrated competencies in the interventions needed by children in their care.
- Medical supervision, 24-hour on-site, to sustain life support.
Form 2309 Documentation for Enhanced Permanency Care Assistance provides fields for the information needed to document the child’s eligibility. This form and related documents must be included in the enhanced Permanency Care Assistance request to verify the child’s eligibility. Related documents may include, for example, copies of the following:
- Child’s authorized service level or T3C service package
- Child’s Recommended Service Package, if under the T3C System
- Child’s psychological evaluation
- Treatment plan or child’s service plan
6686.3 Proceeding with Permanent Managing Conservatorship with Permanency Care Assistance Placements in a Timely Manner
CPS September 2026
The DFPS or SSCC caseworker must not delay permanent managing conservatorship with Permanency Care Assistance for the purpose of qualifying a child for enhanced Permanency Care Assistance. The DFPS or SSCC caseworker must make every effort to achieve permanency in a timely manner.
If it is believed the prospective conservator is trying to delay the process until the child is eligible for enhanced Permanency Care Assistance, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker discusses this issue with their supervisor and director. These staff members work together to make a plan to move forward with permanency. The plan includes discussing the issue with the prospective conservator and trying to proceed with Permanency Care Assistance.
If the prospective conservator continues to delay and does not make efforts to move forward with Permanency Care Assistance, DFPS and SSCC staff may pursue a different placement through extensive kinship recruitment efforts.
6686.4 Approval Process for Enhanced Permanency Care Assistance
CPS September 2026
DFPS and Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) staff members use the same approval process for enhanced Permanency Care Assistance as they do for standard Permanency Care Assistance.
Exception
When a DFPS or SSCC caseworker believes that a child meets the eligibility criteria for enhanced Permanency Care Assistance, they must get approval from DFPS State Office before any negotiations with the family. Without first getting this approval, the DFPS or SSCC caseworker may not do any of the following:
- Suggest to or assure the family that a child will receive enhanced Permanency Care Assistance.
- Begin negotiations for enhanced Permanency Care Assistance.
6686.5 Deferred Agreements for Enhanced Permanency Care Assistance
CPS September 2026
DFPS and Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) staff confer with the DFPS Federal and State Division in State Office before completing any deferred agreements for enhanced Permanency Care Assistance.
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