This chart counts the different legal statuses granted during the fiscal year for children in DFPS custody. 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.

This chart includes any child in DFPS custody at some point during the year. Children may be duplicated in the count, if they were in and out of DFPS custody more than once during the fiscal year.

A description of the different types of legal statuses is in the CPS glossary: https://www.dfps.texas.gov/About_DFPS/Data_Book/Child_Protective_Services/Resources/glossary.asp

Go to dfps.texas.gov for information on all DFPS programs.

Snapshot of Children in Substitute Care on August 31 broken out by placement type and relative placements. Please review all of our data and DFPS services at dfps.state.tx.us

The Transitional Living Services Program includes the Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) program, Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program and other services and supports to help youth transition from foster care to a successful adulthood.

PAL services ensure that youth in DFPS foster care and those transitioning from foster care to a successful adulthood receive the tools, resources, supports, and personal and community connections they need to become self-sufficient adults. PAL supportive services and benefits are provided to eligible youth and young adults ages 16 to 21. 14-15 year old youth in the Permanent Managing Conservatorship (PMC) of DFPS will receive a life skills assessment. All other youth age 14 and 15 can be served, if funding or resources are available.

The ETV program can assist youth and young adults ages 16-23. ETV services can be provided to eligible youth and young adults for 5 years or 15 semesters up to their 23rd birthday.

This chart counts children who exited DFPS custody to adoption during the fiscal year. To be adopted, a court must have terminated parental rights, the child must have lived with the adoptive family for at least 6 months, the family must have been approved for adoption through a licensed child placing agency and a court must have ordered legal custody to the adoptive parents.

Visit dfps.state.tx.us for information on 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.

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

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. This chart includes any child in DFPS custody on August 31 of the fiscal year.

A description of the different types of legal statuses is in the CPS glossary: https://www.dfps.texas.gov/About_DFPS/Data_Book/Child_Protective_Services/Resources/glossary.asp

Visit dfps.texas.gov for information on Children In Legal Responsibility and all DFPS programs.

The principal governing legislation for CPI investigations is Chapter 261 of the Texas Family Code (TFC).

The TFC definitions* of abuse or neglect investigated by CPI are:
Physical Abuse - Physical injury that results in substantial harm to the child, or the genuine threat of substantial harm from physical injury to the child.

Sexual Abuse - Sexual conduct harmful to a child’s mental, emotional, or physical welfare.

Emotional Abuse - Mental or emotional injury to a child that results in an observable and material impairment in the child’s growth, development, or psychological functioning.

Neglectful Supervision - Placing the child in or failing to remove the child from a situation that a reasonable person would realize requires judgment or actions beyond the child’s level of maturity, physical condition, or mental abilities that results in bodily injury or a substantial risk of immediate harm to the child.

Medical Neglect - Failing to seek, obtain, or follow through with medical care for a child, with the failure resulting in or presenting a substantial risk of death, disfigurement, or bodily injury or with the failure resulting in an observable and material impairment to the growth, development, or functioning of the child.

Physical Neglect - Failure to provide the child with food, clothing, or shelter necessary to sustain the life or health of the child, excluding failure caused primarily by financial inability unless relief services had been offered and refused.

Refusal to Assume Parental Responsibility - Failure by the person responsible for a child’s care, custody, or welfare to permit the child to return to the child’s home without arranging for the necessary care for the child.

Abandonment - The leaving of a child in a situation where the child would be exposed to a substantial risk of physical or mental harm, without arranging for necessary care for the child.
*See the full definitions in the CPS Glossary.

Victims have been unduplicated by investigation stage.

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

This chart counts the number of unique children for whom a court entered a legal status order during the fiscal year. If a court entered multiple different legal statuses for a child during the fiscal year, the child is only counted once.

A description of the different types of legal statuses is in the CPS glossary.

Visit dfps.texas.gov for information on substitute care placements and all DFPS programs.

Each fiscal year represents PROJECTED expenditures. Prior fiscal year projections are NOT updated.

Data addresses Texas Family Code Section 264.017. Subsection (c). Regional or County level expenditures for PEI programs are not available.

In FY2020, the STAR program was renamed to the Family and Youth Success Program (FAYS), the CBCAP program was renamed to the Fatherhood Effects (FE) Program.

APS may provide or arrange for emergency services to alleviate or prevent further abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation. APS works in partnership with other social service agencies to provide resources to vulnerable adults. These services may be provided through collaboration with other state agencies or community organizations. DFPS may use Purchased Client Services funds and may enter into contracts to provide services to clients. All other available resources must be used where feasible before purchased client services are initiated.

After the victim's immediate safety is assured and investigation is completed, APS may remain involved for a short period to stabilize a low-risk situation. In other cases, victims with more complex problems or deemed at moderate or high risk of further maltreatment or self-neglect may receive more intensive services or assistance for a longer period of time.

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