Whenever CPS removes a child from his or her home and places the child in substitute care, staff must engage in permanency planning on behalf of the child to ensure that the child can return the child’s family if and when this can be accomplished or be placed permanently with an alternative family, preferably a kinship family, as soon as possible.

Federal and state law provide only four acceptable permanency goals: Family Reunification, Adoption, Permanent Managing Conservatorship to a relative or suitable individual or Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement.

These counts do not reflect all children in DFPS Legal Responsibility on August 31, only those with a permanency goal.