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. These children may be residing in substitute care or may be living with a parent, referred to as a return and monitor. DFPS legal responsibility terminates when a court orders DFPS custody ended or a youth turns 18, whichever comes first.

Substitute care - all children who are living in a DFPS out of home placement. It does not include children in DFPS custody who are living with a parent on a return and monitor. Unless otherwise noted, it does include youth over 18 who are in extended foster care but are not in DFPS custody.

Kinship care- a subset of substitute care that includes all children in DFPS custody who are living with a legal or blood relative or other individual who has a significant relationship with the child or the child's family known as "fictive kin."

Foster care - a subset of substitute care that includes all children living in a placement that has been verified to provide 24-hour residential care for a child, in accordance with Chapter 42 of the Human Resources Code and related regulations. These placements include foster homes, including kinship care where the caregiver has been verified, general residential operations (GRO), emergency shelters, residential treatment centers (RTC), and juvenile facilities.

Paid foster care - a subset of foster care where DFPS is making foster care payments.

Visit https://www.dfps.texas.gov/ for information on substitute care placements and all DFPS programs.

A removal occurs when CPS determines that a child cannot safely remain in their own home and that DFPS needs to seek legal custody to ensure child safety. Removals can occur in an investigation, family preservation, family substitute care or family reunification stage.

More information at www.dfps.texas.gov.

A removal occurs when CPS determines that a child cannot safely remain in their own home and that DFPS needs to seek legal custody to ensure child safety. Removals can occur in an investigation, family preservation, family substitute care or family reunification stage.

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

Children in the Custody of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)- All children for whom DFPS legal responsibility through court ordered temporary or permanent managing conservatorship or other court ordered legal basis. These children may be residing in substitute care or may be living with a parent, referred to as a trial home visit. DFPS legal responsibility terminates when a court orders DFPS custody ended or a youth turns 18, whichever comes first.

Substitute care - all children who are living in a DFPS out of home placement. It does not include children in DFPS custody who are living with a parent on a return and monitor. Unless otherwise noted, it does include youth over 18 who are in extended foster care but are not in DFPS custody.

Kinship care- a subset of substitute care that includes all children in DFPS custody who are living with a legal or blood relative or other individual who has a significant relationship with the child or the child's family known as "fictive kin."

Foster care - all children in DFPS custody living in a placement that has been verified to provide 24-hour residential care for a child, in accordance with Chapter 42 of the Human Resources Code and related regulations. These placements include foster homes, including kinship care where the caregiver has been verified, general residential operations (GRO), emergency shelters, residential treatment centers (RTC), and juvenile facilities.

Paid foster care - a subset of foster care where DFPS is making foster care payments.

Visit https://www.dfps.texas.gov/ for information on substitute care placements and all DFPS programs

Average monthly count of unduplicated children in paid foster care per month by fiscal year. This dataset counts unique children regardless of payment types during the month.
Calculations exclude children and young adults where cost of care was not covered by Title IV-E or state paid foster care.

A young adult is any person in foster care who was 18 to 21 years of age at anytime during the fiscal year.

Some children are served in more than one eligibility type in a month.

DFPS sets priorities for the delivery of protective services. In establishing priorities, DFPS defines timeframes for conducting initial face-to-face interviews with alleged victims. The priorities are based on severity and immediacy of alleged threat to the life or physical safety of the alleged victim. (40 Texas Administrative Code §705.2101)

The initial face-to-face contact with the alleged victim is conducted according to the following priorities:

Priority 1: Allegations that the victim is in a state of serious harm or is in danger of death from abuse or neglect. APS makes face-to-face contact within 24 hours of SWI’s receipt of Priority I allegations.

Priority 2: Allegations that the victim is abused, neglected, or financially exploited and, as a result, is at risk of serious harm. APS makes face-to-face contact within three calendar days of SWI’s receipt of Priority II allegations.

Priority 3: All other allegations that the victim is in a state of abuse or neglect. APS makes face-to-face contact within seven calendar days of SWI’s receipt of Priority III allegations.

Priority 4: Allegations of financial exploitation when there is no danger of imminent impoverishment or deprivation of basic needs. APS makes face-to-face contact within 14 calendar days of SWI’s receipt of Priority IV allegations.

Inclusion is based on the Intake Closure Date.

For HHSC 24-Hour Residential Child Care Facility Rates go to
https://www.dfps.texas.gov/Doing_Business/Purchased_Client_Services/Residential_Child_Care_Contracts/Rates/default.asp

Calculations exclude children where cost of care was not covered by Title IV-E or state paid foster care. Children may be duplicated within a month by funding streams.

Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) are calculated by dividing the days of paid foster care by number of the days in the month.

The total of all payment rate types will include duplicated counts due to changes in service levels during the month. Some children are served in more than one eligibility type in a month.

State Paid Foster Care may be funded with Federal Block Grant (TANF).

The methodology used for this chart was modified in FY16 to evaluate at the county level; therefore, the resulting averages may not match prior data books.

Divides sibling groups into two groups: Those sibling groups where all siblings are in the same placement on August 31 and those who are not all together with an additional filter for sibling group size.

In this context, siblings are defined as children in substitute care who were removed from the same household whether in the same, or separate, removal events.

If a child is suffering from a severe emotional disturbance and voluntarily relinquishing custody of the child for the sole purpose of obtaining mental health services is warranted, the Department of Family and Protective Services may be appointed managing conservator or joint managing conservator.

In this case, the parent will voluntarily relinquish custody of the child to the state. This provision was added to the Texas Family Code in Fiscal Year 2014.

More information at www.dfps.texas.gov

This table addresses Texas Human Resource Code Section 40.0516, subsection (a) (1)(F).

After FY21 SWI screeners completed the screening process for RCCI intakes.
Data can now be found under:
SWI 1.5 Residential Child Care Investigation (RCCI) Intakes Screened Out FY2014-2023
https://data.texas.gov/dataset/SWI-1-5-Residential-Child-Care-Investigation-RCCI-/yip4-ziki/about_data