This chart counts the number of children in DFPS custody on August 31 of the fiscal year who meet all of the following criteria:
(1) a court has terminated all parental rights;
(2) the child has a plan of adoption; and
(3) the child is not in an adoptive placement.

The count includes both children who are in an intended to be permanent home and children who are not in an intended to be permanent home. Use the filter to isolate these counts.

Children in DFPS custody are those for whom a court has appointed DFPS legal responsibility through temporary or permanent managing conservatorship or other court ordered legal basis. An adoptive placement occurs when the child's caseworker, the family's case manager, and the adoptive family sign paperwork officially placing the child in the home for adoption. Before the paperwork can be signed, a child must be free for adoption (meaning a court has terminated parental rights), have a permanency goal of adoption and the family must have been approved for adoption through a licensed child placing agency.

This chart counts the number of unique children in DFPS custody who lived in an adoptive placement at some point during the fiscal year and the total number of adoptive placements during the year. Children can have more than one adoptive placement. This chart includes children in DFPS custody for whom a court has appointed DFPS legal responsibility through Permanent Managing Conservatorship.

An adoptive placement occurs when the child's caseworker, the family's case manager, and the adoptive family sign paperwork officially placing the child in the home for adoption. Before the paperwork can be signed, a child must be free for adoption (meaning a court has terminated parental rights), have a permanency goal of adoption and the family must have been approved for adoption through a licensed child placing agency.

Visit dfps.state.tx.us for information on adoption and all DFPS programs.

This chart counts the number of children in DFPS custody on August 31 of the fiscal year who meet all of the following criteria:
(1) a court has terminated all parental rights;
(2) the child has a plan of adoption; and
(3) the child is not in an adoptive placement.

The count includes both children who are in an intended to be permanent home and children who are not in an intended to be permanent home. Use the filter to isolate these counts.

Children in DFPS custody are those for whom a court has appointed DFPS legal responsibility through temporary or permanent managing conservatorship or other court ordered legal basis. An adoptive placement occurs when the child's caseworker, the family's case manager, and the adoptive family sign paperwork officially placing the child in the home for adoption. Before the paperwork can be signed, a child must be free for adoption (meaning a court has terminated parental rights), have a permanency goal of adoption and the family must have been approved for adoption through a licensed child placing agency.

Reflects children who receive an adoption subsidy that is paid through either federal or state funds.

Subsidy includes financial payments only, not medical and non-recurring subsidies.

ABOUT THIS CHART
Child Protective Investigations (CPI) conducts either a traditional investigation or Alternative Response (AR). Traditional investigations and Alternative Response require caseworkers to assess safety and take needed actions to protect a child while assessing any risk of abuse or neglect in the foreseeable future. AR cases present a less adversarial more collaborative approach to working with families by allowing for family engagement along with other community supports to ensure child safety. AR differs from traditional investigations in that AR cases are Priority 2 cases involving victims who are age 6 or older, there is no substantiation of allegations, no entry of perpetrators into the Central Registry (a repository for reports of child abuse and neglect), and there is a heightened focus on guiding the family to plan for safety in a way that works for them and therefore sustains safety.

Alterative Response has been fully implemented in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6B, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. AR in Region 6A is in the implementation stage. Full state implementation is anticipated in March 2021. Region 6A is Harris County and Region 6B is Region 6 excluding Harris County.

The persons in these counts are limited to principals in Alternative Response stages. Clients in stages that were administratively closed or closed to merge were excluded from the counts.

This dashboard addresses Texas Family Code Section 264.017 (b) (3).

Child Protective Investigations (CPI) conducts either a traditional investigation or Alternative Response (AR). Traditional investigations and Alternative Response require caseworkers to assess safety and take needed actions to protect a child while assessing any risk of abuse or neglect in the foreseeable future. AR cases present a less adversarial more collaborative approach to working with families by allowing for family engagement along with other community supports to ensure child safety. AR differs from traditional investigations in that AR cases are Priority 2 cases involving victims who are age 6 or older, there is no substantiation of allegations, no entry of perpetrators into the Central Registry (a repository for reports of child abuse and neglect), and there is a heightened focus on guiding the family to plan for safety in a way that works for them and therefore sustains safety.

Alterative Response has been fully implemented in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6B, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. AR in Region 6A is in the implementation stage. Full state implementation is anticipated in March 2021. Region 6A is Harris County and Region 6B is Region 6 excluding Harris County.

Stages that were administratively closed or closed to merge were excluded from this report.

This dashboard addresses Texas Family Code Section 264.017 (b) (3).

ABOUT THIS CHART

Child Protective Investigations (CPI) conducts either a traditional investigation or Alternative Response (AR). Traditional investigations and Alternative Response require caseworkers to assess safety and take needed actions to protect a child while assessing any risk of abuse or neglect in the foreseeable future. AR cases present a less adversarial more collaborative approach to working with families by allowing for family engagement along with other community supports to ensure child safety. AR differs from traditional investigations in that AR cases are Priority 2 cases involving victims who are age 6 or older, there is no substantiation of allegations, no entry of perpetrators into the Central Registry (a repository for reports of child abuse and neglect), and there is a heightened focus on guiding the family to plan for safety in a way that works for them and therefore sustains safety.

Alternative response is timely if the first face-to-face meeting with the family and children in the household occurs within five days of an AR stage being opened and will involve working with the family to conduct safety and family assessments. AR cases can remain open for up to 60 days with a one-time 20-day extension, if appropriate. Should CPI staff identify services to improve general family functioning and overall protective actions within the standard AR case time frame, the caseworker will provide support in linking the family to existing resources within the community.

A description of Alternative Response and how it differs from a traditional investigation and priority response times are in the glossary.

Alterative Response has been fully implemented in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6B, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. AR in Region 6A is in the implementation stage. Full state implementation is anticipated in March 2021. Region 6A is Harris County and Region 6B is Region 6 excluding Harris County.

This dashboard addresses the Texas Family Code Section 264.017 (b) (6).