What is an Interim Credential?
Existing General Residential Operations and Child Placing Agencies that meet certain eligibility criteria will be able to apply for an initial, short-term Interim Credential. The purpose of the Interim Credential is to assist current providers in making the transition between the current foster care system (based largely on the Service Level structure) to the T3C System.
Within state and federal statute and regulatory requirements, DFPS-approved providers could start providing T3C Service Packages and Add-On Services based on evaluation of a comprehensive plan and prior to meeting all the requirements to become fully Credentialed.
Providers approved for an Interim Credential to provide a particular Service Package or Add-On Service are required to become fully Credentialed before the Interim Credential expires on the last day of the twelfth calendar month after the issuance of the Active Interim Credential status.
The Active Interim Credential for any one Service Package or Add-On Service is issued to the eligible provider one time only and is not renewable.
DFPS is excited to share a DRAFT of the Interim Credential Applications for Child Placing Agencies and General Residential Operations. As outlined in the July 2024 T3C System Blueprint, having Interim or Full Credential is necessary to offer any one of the twenty-four Service Packages or three Add-On Services under the Texas Child-Centered Care (T3C) System.
The Department is on-track to begin accepting Applications for the Interim Credential in October 2024. In the continued spirit of partnership, DFPS is releasing this DRAFT of the Interim Credential Application so that residential child-care providers have an advanced preview. DFPS is still in the process of finalizing the document and anticipates that slight changes will be made to the DRAFT ahead of final posting in October 2024.
DRAFT of Interim Credential Application forms:
- Child Placing Agencies (CPA) Interim Credential Form
- General Residential Operations (GRO) Interim Credential Form
Provider Eligibility for the Interim Credential
In order for a residential provider to be eligible for the Interim Credential, they must meet all of the following criteria on the day that the Application for the Interim Credential (specific to the Service Package or Add-On Service) is submitted:
1. Active Permit:
- The residential child care provider must have a “Full” Permit issued by HHSC-CCR (or similar body for out of state providers) to support the Permit Type required for the Service Package. A provider operating under an “Initial” Permit may qualify for the Interim Credential if that same provider already holds a “Full” Permit for another similar type of operation.
- The residential child care provider’s Permit must include all applicable Treatment Services required for each Service Package at the time of application for the Interim Credential, unless hiring certain staff is the only barrier. If hiring certain staff is the only barrier, the provider will be required to have these staff hired and in place before providing services under an active T3C Interim Credential (see APPENDIX II.A: T3C Interim Credential Requirements in the Blueprint for more information on staffing requirements).
- The provider may be issued an Interim Credential if the Programmatic and Special Services required for each Service Package or Add-On Service is in process of being added to the Permit by HHS-CCR at the time of application for the Interim Credential. If HHS-CCR denies the addition of services to the Permit, the provider’s Interim Credential will subsequently be revoked.
2. Active Residential Child Care Contract:
- The residential child care provider must have an actively utilized standard residential child care contract with DFPS and/or an SSCC at the time of application.
- The residential child care provider may be serving children under “child-specific contract(s)” only at the time of application, but in addition must maintain a standard residential child care contract(s) with DFPS and/or an SSCC.
3. Performance Expectations:
- The residential child care provider has not been issued notification of intent to Revoke, Deny, or Involuntarily Suspend the license or permit at the time of application.
- The residential child care provider is not on Probation (or similar degree of consequence for out of state providers) at the time of application.
- The residential child care provider is not currently subject to contractual remedy, or other corrective actions related to placement safety, such as Safety Checks, Placement Suspension, or Corrective Action Plan for Failure to Report Abuse/Neglect without a contractor plan acceptance letter. If a contractor plan acceptance letter issued by the holder of the relevant contract (DFPS and/or SSCC) is in place at the time of application, then this would not be a bar.
- The residential child care provider does not have a history of termination of contract for cause (with DFPS and/or an SSCC), or for convenience initiated by DFPS.
- The residential child care provider is not on a vendor hold with the State of Texas at the time of application.
4. Experience Serving Children with Like Needs:
- Provider has at least six months of recent experience actively caring for children with like needs to those identified in the Service Package Description section for the specific Service Package, based on history of Service Levels of Care provided and/or consideration of historical Permit Type and Permitted Services offered.
Meeting the Programmatic/ Staffing/ Infrastructure Requirements for the Interim Credential
The tasks, activities, staffing plans, personnel and infrastructure requirements specific to each Service Package and Add-On Service for the Interim Credential are distributed across three categories depending on when they are required to be in place, as indicated in APPENDIX II.A: T3C Interim Credential Requirements in the Blueprint. Those milestones are:
- Required to be In Place @ Time of Application for Interim Credential
- Required to be In Place on 1st Day Operating under an Active Interim Credential
- Required submission of a Plan Only @ Time of Application
The T3C System Blueprint, APPENDIX II.B: Service Package Dependencies for T3C Interim Credential Requirements can be used to identify which Service Package(s) and Add-On Service(s) a particular requirement is related to, as identified in the “Service Package Dependent” column of APPENDIX II.A.
The Inactive and Active Interim Credential Periods
The Interim Credential is divided into two status periods, starting with the Inactive Interim Credential, and followed by the Active Interim Credential.
The Inactive Interim Credential is issued to a qualifying provider after it has been determined that they are eligible and meet all of the requirements necessary at the time of application. During the Inactive Interim Credential period, the provider must complete all of their plans to fulfill the requirements identified as “Required to be In Place on 1st Day Operating under Active Interim Credential” (see APPENDIX II.A: Interim Credential Requirements in the Blueprint). The Inactive Interim Credential is valid for up to 120 calendar days and failure to submit documentation of completion of all required plans to move to the Active Interim Credential status by that deadline will result in the provider losing their Interim Credential, and having to re-apply for a new Interim Credential with an updated eligibility review.
Once the provider has satisfied all requirements identified as “Required to be in Place on 1st Day Operating under Active Interim Credential”, the provider will be issued the Active Interim Credential, allowing for T3C paid placements into the Credentialed T3C Service Package(s) and Add-On Service(s) to be entered for children currently in placement, as well as acceptance of new placements into the Credentialed Service Packages. The Active Interim Credential status period must end by the expiration of the Interim Credential on the last day of the twelfth calendar month after the Active Interim Credential is issued.
There should be no expectation of extensions or renewals to the Active Interim Credential, although DFPS reserves the right to, for good cause as determined by the Department, issue one extension of up to six months. Failure to meet the requirements and obtain the Full Credential by the deadline will result in the loss of the Interim Credential and it’s resulting ability to offer T3C services, as well as one or more Contract Actions, up to and including Contract Termination.
Prioritization of Interim Credential Applications
DFPS intends to prioritize the review of Interim Credential Applications based on T3C Service Packages that meet the greatest need for capacity at this time.
Applying for an Interim Credential in one or more of the following Service Packages will result in that Application being a higher priority for review:
- CPA/Foster Family Home: Short-term Assessment Support Services
- CPA/Foster Family Home: T3C Treatment Foster Family Care Support Services
- CPA/Foster Family Home: Mental & Behavioral Health Support Services
- CPA/Foster Family Home: Complex Medical Needs or Medically Fragile Support Services
- CPA/Foster Family Home: Sexual Aggression/Sex Offender Support Services
- GRO Tier I: Mental & Behavioral Health Treatment Services to Support Community Transition
- GRO Tier II: Aggression/Defiant Disorder Services to Support Stabilization
- GRO Tier II: Sexual Aggression/Sex Offender Services to Support Stabilization
- GRO Tier II: Complex Mental Health Services to Support Stabilization