Services
Youth Transitioning to a Successful Adulthood
In some cases, CPS cannot find someone to take permanent custody of a youth. These youth may stay in state care until age 18. CPS works to connect these youth with adults who are committed to them and can provide support to them. These youth or young adults may stay in foster care until the age of 21 or 22 while they seek an education or a job.
The Transitional Living Services (TLS) program provides various resources, services, and benefits to help youth learn to live successfully on their own. Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) services help youth ages 16 to 21 years of age prepare for the future. Programs for older youth include Education and Training Vouchers (ETV), College Tuition and Fee Waivers, Extended Foster Care, and more.
Extended Foster Care
Youth in foster care who don't find a permanent home with a family may leave state care after their 18th birthday. However, they can stay in foster care or return to foster care through age 21 or 22, depending on their situation. Unless they have a medical condition that prevents it, youth must do one of the following to stay in extended foster care:
- Attend high school or a program to get a high school diploma or a high school equivalency certificate (GED).
- Attend college or other institutions of higher learning.
- Take part in a program or activity to help them get a job.
- Work for at least 80 hours a month.
Extended Foster Care also includes the Supervised Independent Living (SIL) program. SIL lets young adults live in a less-restrictive settings while CPS provides services and support to help them get ready to become successful adults. SIL settings include apartments, college dorms, other dorms, shared housing, and host homes.
Education and Training
The Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program gives financial help to youth and young adults before and after they leave CPS care while they go to college or attend other educational programs after high school. ETV helps with expenses such as rent, computers, books, daycare, and transportation. This voucher is for youth and young adults who are or were in foster care, youth who were adopted from state care, and some other youth whose guardians are not their parents. Youth who get Permanency Care Assistance after age 16 are also eligible. Former foster youth also get free tuition and fees at state-supported universities, colleges, junior colleges, and vocational schools.
Health Care Benefits
Texas provides healthcare to children in foster care and youth who reach adulthood in foster care up to the month of their 26th birthday. STAR Health is the statewide Medicaid program that provides comprehensive healthcare services for children and youth in DFPS care. It is a managed care program that also covers youth in Extended Foster Care up to the month of their 22nd birthday, as well as youth in the Former Foster Care Children and Medicaid for Transitioning Foster Care Youth programs until the month of their 21st birthday. Young adults eligible for Medicaid for Former Foster Care Children (FFCC) continue to be covered by the STAR Medicaid managed care plan of their choice from age 21 through the month of their 26th birthday.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission oversees Star Health, which is administered by Superior HealthPlan. STAR Health benefits includes:
- Quick enrollment for immediate benefits.
- A medical home for each child with coordinated medical and behavioral healthcare.
- 24-hour nursing and behavioral health helplines.
- A Health Passport for online access to a child’s health information.
Children and Youth who enter DFPS custody must get three assessments in the first 30 days to determine their medical, behavioral, and developmental strengths and needs. The components of this 3 in 30 approach are:
- A checkup in the first three days by a STAR Health medical provider to check for injuries or illnesses and get any treatments the child or youth needs right away.
- A Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment, which checks for behavioral health needs including the effects of trauma. CANS identifies needs and strengths and makes recommendations for services and supports.
- A Texas Health Steps medical checkup, which is a complete head to toe evaluation of a child to ensure medical issues are identified early, children are growing and developing as expected, and caregivers know how to support growth and development.
These three tools help CPS understand the needs and strengths of children entering care in order to provide better services to children and youth and achieve better outcomes.