Child Protective Services Handbook Revision April 2008
This revision of the Child Protective Services Handbook was published April 1, 2008. Summaries of recently revised items are provided below.
Closing Intakes Without Assignment
Medical Neglect of Infants Born Alive
Sharing CPS Adoptive Home Studies With CASA
CPS Responsibilities Under the Texas Family Code
Closing Intakes Without Assignment (PATS 1487)
If a supervisor recommends closing an intake without assignment after the case has been reviewed and recommended for investigation by regional screeners, a program director’s approval is required. This policy incorporates PSA 06-102, Supervisor Closures on Screened Reports, dated July 18, 2006 and effective August 1, 2006. See:
2145 Closing Reports Without Assignment for Investigation
2145 .1 Supervisory Closure Recommendations on Screened Reports
2145. 2 Subsequent Intake During an Open Investigation
The following items were revised to comply with Texas Family Code §261.3012 (d), which requires that DFPS identify forms and other paperwork completed by family members of a child who is the subject of a priority one (PI) investigation. This revision incorporates PSA 06-103, The Family Information Form 2626, dated and effective July 24, 2006. See:
2243.3 Interviewing Parents or Alleged Perpetrators
2282 External Documentation Required: Forms, Letters, Documents, and Photos
Worker’s Original Case Notes (PATS 1634)
The following item is added to incorporate policy from PSA 06-101, Worker Case Notes, dated and effective July 18, 2006, and PSA 07-135, When to Save Electronic and Hardcopy Original Notes, dated and effective June 8, 2007. The Texas Family Code requires that all original case notes on the investigation be preserved as evidence in the paper case record. See:
2282.1 The Worker’s Original Case Notes
Medical Neglect of Infants Born Alive (PATS 1065)
The item below is revised to reflect a change in federal law that became effective in 2002. The change extends protection from medical neglect to any infant born alive at any stage of development, whether the birth results from labor, cesarean section, or abortion. See:
2330 Reports Alleging Medical Neglect of Disabled Children With Life-Threatening Conditions
Sharing CPS Adoptive Home Studies With CASA (PATS 1902)
When CASA is appointed to a child’s case, the following applies:
· The CASA supervisor must be given an opportunity to read, in the DFPS office, the home studies of the families under consideration for adoption of the child. The CASA supervisor may participate in the adoption staffing in which the families under consideration are being discussed.
· The CASA volunteer may participate in the adoption staffing in which the parties discuss the child’s needs and the strengths required by a potential adoptive family to meet those needs. Once an adoptive family is selected, the CASA volunteer who has been working with the child must be given an opportunity to read, in the DFPS office, a copy of the selected family’s home study.
This policy is now incorporated into items 6830 and 6838. CPS staff were informed of this policy with the issue of PSA 05-058, dated March 11, 2005.
See:
6830 Selecting an Adoptive Home
6838 Protecting the Privacy of Prospective Adoptive Families During Staffings With Non-Staff Members
CPS Responsibilities Under the Texas Family Code (PATS 1977)
The item below is revised to update the CPS responsibilities referenced in the Texas Family Code. See:
Appendix 1211: Responsibilities Under the Texas Family Code