Handbook Revision, February 1, 2021
This revision of the Child Protective Services Handbook was published on February 1, 2021.
On September 1, 2017, the investigations branch of CPS became a separate division named Child Protective Investigations (CPI). Until CPI develops its own policy handbook, investigation policies and procedures will remain in the CPS handbook.
See:
Child Protective Services Revisions
Child Protective Investigations Revisions
Child Protective Services Revisions
Managing Children’s Funds (PATS 12532)
This revision streamlines and updates the section of policy about managing children’s funds.
See:
1560 Managing Children’s Funds
1561 Accounting Procedures for Children’s Funds
1561.1 Organization of the Accounting Unit
1561.2 Separation of Duties
1561.3 Documentation
1561.4 Accounts Receivable (Income)
1561.5 Accounts Payable (Disbursements Expenditures)
1562 Managing Management of Children’s Income Accounts (CIAs)
1562.1 General Information
1562.11 Electronic Access to Children’s Funds
1562.12 Receipt and Deposits and Withdrawals of Children’s Income Funds
1562.13 When Funds Are Received Receipt of Funds
1562.14 Cash Basis Accounting
1562.15 IMPACT Financial Account Pages
1562.16 Excess Funds
1562.2 Account Resource Limits for SSI Children Who Receive SSI
1562.3 Adoptive Placement and Children’s Income
1562.4 Handling Deceased Children’s Income
1563 Establishing, Transferring, and Closing Management of Children’s Savings Accounts
1563.1 Transactions
1563.2 Establishing Establishment of a Child’s Savings Account
1563.3 Closing Closure of Accounts in a Timely Manner
1563.31 Children with a Legal Status of Resp Terminated
1563.32 Children Receiving SSA Benefits Funds and No Longer in Conservatorship or the Extended Foster Care Program
1563.33 SSI Coordinator
1564 Duties of Accounts Receivable (AR) Staff
1564.1 Manual Receipt of Funds by Accounts Receivable (AR) Staff
1564.11 Checks Payable to Person Versus DFPS
1564.2 Receivables Monthly Procedures for Accounts Receivable (AR) Staff
1565 Duties of Accounts Payable (AP) Staff
1565.1 New Benefit Award from SSA
1565.2 Stop Payments
1565.3 Handling Income When Child Is in Paid Substitute Care
1565.4 Handling Income When Child Is Not in Paid Substitute Care
1565.5 Accounts Payable (AP) Staff Duties Regarding Lump Sum Distribution
1566 1565.6 Reconciliation Requirements for Accounts Reconciliation (Recon) Payable (AP) Staff
1567 1566 Duties of Accounting Team Lead
1567.1 1566.1 Procedures for Reviewing Information and Reports
1567.2 1566.2 Monthly Reconciliation Responsibilities of Accounting Team Lead
1567.3 1566.3 Annual Reconciliation for Each Client Child
1567.4 1566.4 Reconciling Reconciliation of Child’s Income at Discharge
1567.5 1566.5 Reconciling Reconciliation of Discrepancies
1568 1567 Records Retention Requirements for Transactions Involving Children’s Funds
1569 1568 Child Support Payments
1569.1 1568.1 Request and for Court Order for Child Support
1569.2 1568.2 Enforcement of Child Support Court Orders
1569.3 1568.3 Distribution of Child Support Funds When the Child Is in DFPS Conservatorship
1569.4 1568.4 Excess Child Support Funds for in Title IV-E Cases
1569.5 1568.5 Distribution of Child Support Funds after the Child Leaves DFPS Conservatorship
1569.6 1568.6 Miscellaneous Child Support Funds in Placements That Are Unapproved or Not Yet Fully Approved
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Case Closure in FBSS (PATS 13112)
FBSS Case Closure Policy has been updated to include direction for staff on which closure code to use when closing a case in IMPACT and the case closure tasks required for each code.
See:
12700 Closing an FBSS Case Case Closure in Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS)
12710 Case Closure Tasks
12711 12710 Case Closure Conference (Staffing)
12712 12720 Final Risk Reassessment Before Closure
12713 12730 Final Safety Assessment Before Closure
12720 12740 Closing Summary
12721 12750 Final Face-to-Face Contact with Parents/Caregivers
12722 12750 Final Child Face-to-Face Contact, Pictures, and Home Visit
12730 12760 Case Closure Approval
12731 12770 Whom to Notify of the Case Closure Decision
12740 12780 Submitting an FBBS Case for Closure
12750 12781 Case Closure Letter
12760 Determining Closure Code Closure
12761 Risk is Reduced in the Family
12762 Court Ordered Services Closed
12763 Child Outside of Home/No CVS
12764 Child Removed from Home/CVS
12765 Only Child Died
12766 Family Moved
12767 Unable to Locate the Family
12770 Family Refused/Legal Impossible
12780 Services Inappropriate
12782 Using Closure Code Services Inappropriate When Closing at Transfer Staffing (Meeting) or Before Initial Family Plan
12790 Administratively Closed
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Caregiver Notifications (PATS 13237)
This handbook revision adds policy about notifying caregivers about a child’s sexual history in settings such as psychiatric hospitals and Texas Juvenile Justice Department facilities, and during reunification. It also updates policy to describe a DFPS psychiatric hospital worker’s responsibilities when a child is hospitalized at a mental health facility.
See:
4121.2 Prepare the Current and New Caregivers for the Move
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4123.1 Complete the Placement Authorization Form
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4133 Provide and Discuss the Placement Summary (Form 2279)
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4152.2 Meeting the Needs of a Child or Youth Until a Placement Is Secured
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4231.1 Notifying a Facility Regulated by Another State Agency of a Child’s Sexual Victimization and Sexual Aggression History
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4280 Temporary Absence from Paid Placement
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4300 Unauthorized Living Arrangements
4310 Unauthorized Arrangements By Youth in DFPS Conservatorship
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6520 Starting the Reunification Process
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6610 Identifying a Potential Relative Placement Before the Adversary Hearing
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6634 Critical Forms and Discussion Required at the Time of Placement
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6642 Services and Initial Contact with the Kinship Caregiver
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11611.11 Caseworker Actions During Psychiatric Hospitalizations
Child Protective Investigations Revisions
Reviews of Client Complaints (PATS 12442)
Streamlines CPS and CPI regional complaint and appeal processes.
See:
1244 Administrative Reviews of Client Complaints