Child Protective Investigations (CPI) is authorized to investigate abuse and neglect allegedly committed by a person responsible for a child's care, custody or welfare and to protect abused and neglected children from further harm. This authorization is derived from the U.S. Social Securities Act, Texas Family Code, Human Resources Code, Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, Indian Child Welfare Act and the Adam Walsh Act.

CPI conducts either a traditional investigation or Alternative Response (AR). Both require CPI to assess safety and take needed actions to protect a child and assess the risk of future abuse or neglect in the foreseeable future. AR, however, allows for a more flexible, family engaging approach on lower priority cases involving alleged victims who are age 6 or older. AR differs from traditional investigations in that 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 a heightened focus on guiding the family to plan for safety in a way that works for them and therefore sustains the safety.

Completed investigations only include those cases conducted as a traditional investigation that were not administratively closed or merged into another stage. An investigation can only be administratively closed if all allegations have a disposition of administrative closure. A completed investigation can include more than one alleged victim. Completed investigations do not include any Alternative Response cases. A description of Alternative Response and how it differs from a traditional investigation is in the glossary.

FOOTNOTES
An investigation represents a report of abuse or neglect and can involve multiple children.

The data on completed investigations does not include investigative stages that were administratively closed or merged into another investigation.

All completed investigations have a case disposition and a risk finding.

Visit dfps.state.tx.us for information on Abuse/Neglect Investigations and all DFPS programs.

CPI Intakes: Priority, Screening and Assignment

To establish timeframes for investigations, each report of child abuse and neglect is assigned a priority:

Priority I - Intake reports that concern children who appear to face an immediate risk of abuse or neglect that could result in death or serious harm. CPI must initiate the investigation within 24 hours of receiving a Priority I report.

Priority II - All reports of abuse or neglect that are not assigned as Priority I are assigned as Priority II. These are reports that contain allegations of abuse or neglect in which there does not appear to be an immediate threat of serious harm or death. A subset of these reports are sent down the Alternative Response (AR)* pathway. Those reports not sent to AR continue as a traditional investigation. CPI must initiate these investigations within 72 hours of receiving a Priority II report.

*In November 2014, CPI implemented Alternative Response (AR) which is a different way to respond to reports of abuse/neglect. AR allows for a more flexible, family engaging approach while still focusing on the safety of the children. AR cases differ from traditional investigations cases in that there will be no substantiation of allegations, no entry of perpetrators into the Central Registry (a repository for reports of child abuse and neglect), and there will be a heightened focus on guiding the family to plan for safety in a way that works for them and therefore sustains the safety.

This dashboard addresses Texas Family Code Section 264.017(b)(1).

Tenure with DFPS represents tenure with the agency and not in a specific position.

Child Care Investigations (CCI), which is a part of CPI and include Day Care Investigations (DCI) and Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) are only available from 2018 onward. This is due to the split of those job functions from Child Care Licensing, which was a part of DFPS until 2017, when it was transferred to the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).

This chart counts victims in completed investigations. Completed investigations only include those cases conducted as a traditional investigation that were not administratively closed or merged into another stage. An investigation can only be administratively closed if all allegations have a disposition of administrative closure. A completed investigation can include more than one alleged victim. Completed investigations do not include any Alternative Response stages.

A confirmed victim on a completed investigation is a child who is a victim on at least one allegation with a disposition of reason to believe.

An unconfirmed victim on a completed investigation is a child who was an alleged victim on at least one allegation with a disposition of unable to complete, unable to determine or ruled out.

A description of Alternative Response and how it differs from a traditional investigation and the definitions of the different dispositions in a traditional investigation are in the glossary.

Visit dfps.texas.gov for information on CPS Abuse/Neglect Investigations and all DFPS programs.

Child Protective Investigations (CPI) conducts either a traditional investigation or Alternative Response (AR). Both require CPI to assess safety and take needed actions to protect a child and assess the risk of future abuse or neglect in the foreseeable future. AR, however, allows for a more flexible, family engaging approach on lower priority cases involving alleged victims who are age 6 or older. AR differs from traditional investigations in that 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 a heightened focus on guiding the family to plan for safety in a way that works for them and therefore sustains the safety.

Completed investigations only include those cases conducted as a traditional investigation that were not administratively closed or merged into another stage. An investigation can only be administratively closed if all allegations have a disposition of administrative closure. A completed investigation can include more than one alleged victim. Completed investigations do not include any Alternative Response cases. A description of Alternative Response and how it differs from a traditional investigation is in the CPS glossary.

At the end of a completed investigation, CPI assesses child safety, the risk of abuse or neglect in the foreseeable future, the ability of the family to reduce the risk without CPI intervention, the ability of CPI to provide needed services and other circumstances in the case to decide whether to provide ongoing services.

The Case Action Substitute Care includes investigations that resulted in at least one child (not necessarily all children in the home) being removed. Does not equal number of children removed.

Visit dfps.texas.gov for information on CPS Abuse/Neglect Investigations and all DFPS programs.

Priority 1 investigations must have initial contact within 24 hours and Priority 2 within 72 hours.

Completed investigations only include those cases conducted as a traditional investigation that were not administratively closed or merged into another stage. An investigation can only be administratively closed if all allegations have a disposition of administrative closure. A completed investigation can include more than one alleged victim. Completed investigations do not include any Alternative Response cases.

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

Visit dfps.texas.gov for information on all DFPS programs

Number of Child Protective Investigations referred to Family Preservation Services organized by final risk assigned to each family through safety and risk assessments.

Data begins in 2018 due to changing Risk Assessments over time in the IMPACT application.

This dashboard addresses the Texas Human Resources Code Sec. 40.0516 (a)(2).

A Family Team Meeting (FTM) is a family-centered rapid response meeting CPI uses to try and prevent a removal by engaging caregivers, parents and extended family and friends to address child safety concerns. An FTM is not limited to an investigation and can occur at any point or stage in which CPI or CPS is involved with a family.

More information at www.dfps.texas.gov

The county and region of the workers are determined by the office to which they are assigned.

Adult Protective Services (APS):
APS Investigations employees protect people age 65 and older and adults with disabilities from abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation by investigating and providing or arranging for services necessary to alleviate or prevent further maltreatment.

Child Protective Investigations (CPI/CCI):
Counts the number of active CPI and CPS staff on the last day of the fiscal year by staff type and demographics.
Child Care Investigations (CCI), which is a part of CPI and include Day Care Investigations (DCI) and Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) are only available from 2018 onward. This is due to the split of those job functions from Child Care Licensing, which was a part of DFPS until 2017, when it was transferred to the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).

Statewide Intake (SWI):
Statewide Intake (SWI) serves as the “front door to the front line” for all DFPS programs. As the central point of contact for reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable Texans. SWI staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. Prior to FY2018, all SWI staff were located in the Austin area.

Visit dfps.texas.gov for information on all DFPS programs

The average monthly salary for active Child Protective staff as of the last day of the fiscal year by staff type.

The county and region of the employees are determined by the office to which they are assigned.

More information at www.dfps.texas.gov
NOTE: Child Protective Investigations (CPI), Child Care Investigations (CCI), and Child Protective Services (CPS) Staff are all included.

Child Care Investigations (CCI), which is a part of CPI and include Day Care Investigations (DCI) and Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) are only available from 2018 onward. This is due to the split of those job functions from Child Care Licensing, which was a part of DFPS until 2017, when it was transferred to the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).

This addresses Texas Human Resource Code Section 40.0516(11).