Statewide Intake Policy &amp; Procedures

2122.6 Anonymous Reporter Includes Concerns about Child Abuse or Neglect Under the Jurisdiction of Child Protective Investigations (CPI) While Making a Report for Law Enforcement or Another Program

4120 Roles

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

CPI uses the following roles:

Alleged victim (VC)
Alleged perpetrator (AP)
Victim perpetrator (VP)
Unknown role (UK)
No role (NO)

4121 Alleged Victim (VC)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

CPI defines a VC as a person younger than age 18 who meets all the following criteria:

Is not, and has not been, married.
Is not legally emancipated.
Is alleged to have been abused or neglected.

See Designating Victims for CPI Intakes on the DFPS intranet.

Child Not Yet Born or Not Born Alive

CPI does not have jurisdiction over reports involving a child who has not yet been born or who was not born alive.

Exception: 4510 Pregnancy, Newborns, and Unborn Children

4122 Alleged Perpetrator (AP)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

CPI defines an AP as a person traditionally responsible for the child’s care, custody, or welfare who is suspected of abusing or neglecting a child, including the following:

Child’s parent, guardian, managing or possessory conservator.
Members of the child’s family, including the following people, regardless of whether they reside together:
- People related by blood or marriage
- A parent’s former spouse
- Adoptive family
Members of the child’s home, including:
- People living together in the child’s home, whether or not they are related to each other.
- A person who previously lived in the home when the abuse or neglect occurred.
An unrelated person who does not live with the child (or whose residence cannot be determined) but has regular and free access to the child’s home, including any of the following:
- People who provide care in the child’s home such as a babysitter.
- Significant others of household members who do not live in the home.
School personnel or volunteers at the child’s school. See 4521.2 Criteria for an Alleged Perpetrator (AP) in School Reports.
DFPS employee, contracted staff, volunteer, intern, or Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) when a child is in DFPS conservatorship, including a child temporarily without placement. See Child Protective Services Handbook, 2121.1 DFPS Employee or Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) Abuse or Neglect Investigations.

4122.1 Unknown Alleged Perpetrator (AP)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist completes an intake when the identity of the AP is unknown, but the abuse or neglect could have reasonably resulted from an act or failure to act by a person who meets the criteria of an AP.

The intake specialist does not add an Unknown person to the person list when allegations meet the legal definition of abuse or neglect, but the identity of the AP is unknown. Instead, the intake specialist designates the appropriate allegation for each alleged victim (VC) without adding an AP.

Example: A toddler is found wandering around an apartment complex unattended. It is unknown who is responsible for the toddler’s care at the time of the report. The intake specialist completes an intake. The toddler is listed as a VC, and the AP is left blank.

4122.2 Child as an Alleged Perpetrator (AP)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist designates a child age 10–17 as an AP in a CPI intake if they meet the criteria for APs above. Field staff may determine during an investigation that a child’s developmental level excludes him or her from being designated as an AP. The intake specialist uses the child’s chronological age to determine eligibility as an AP. The intake specialist documents all known special needs, including developmental level, in the narrative.

See:

4123 Alleged Victim Perpetrator (VP)

4540 Designating a Child as an Alleged Perpetrator for Child-on-Child Abuse or Neglect under CPI Jurisdiction

4122.3 Youth's Partner as an Alleged Perpetrator (AP)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

In most cases, a youth’s sexual partner is not designated as an AP against the youth, even if residing in the same home, because this person is not traditionally responsible for the care, custody, or welfare of the youth. However, a youth’s partner can be an AP to other children in the home.

Example 1: A youth runs away to live with the youth’s boyfriend, who then physically abuses the youth. CPI does not investigate the boyfriend as an AP.

Example 2: A youth’s adult partner lives in the house with the youth and is having a sexual relationship with the youth. The partner is not designated as an AP. Instead, the youth’s parent or caregiver may be assigned the role of AP.

Example 3: A youth’s partner lives in the home with the family. The partner punches the youth’s three-year-old sibling in the face. The partner is an AP of physical abuse (PHAB) against the sibling.

See 4532 Sexually Active Youth Ages 14 to 17.

4122.4 Deceased Alleged Perpetrator (AP)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist can designate a deceased person as an AP. The intake specialist assesses priority of the intake based on the following:

When the abuse or neglect occurred.
Current safety factors.
Case history.

If the AP is deceased, the intake specialist takes the following steps:

Completes a priority 1 (P1) or priority 2 (P2) intake when either of the following are true:
- The abuse or neglect is recent.
- The abuse or neglect is not recent, but other APs, in addition to the deceased AP, pose an existing safety threat to the child.
Completes a priority none (PN) intake when either of the following are true:
- The abuse or neglect happened in the past and no current safety factors exist.
- Case history shows that the abuse or neglect being reported has already been investigated.

In all cases, the intake specialist includes the deceased AP on the person list. When the date of death is known, the intake specialist enters it on the Person Detail page in the Date of Death field.

See Child Protective Services Handbook, Appendix 2472.1-B: Definitions of Roles.

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.515

4123 Alleged Victim Perpetrator (VP)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

CPI defines an alleged VP as a child for whom all of the following are true:

Is age 10 and older.
Is alleged to be a victim of abuse or neglect.
Is a perpetrator of abuse or neglect with respect to another child within the same intake.

See Child Protective Services Handbook, Appendix 2472.1-B: Definitions of Roles.

4124 Unknown Role (UK)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When the intake specialist has insufficient information to determine whether a principal (PRN) is an alleged victim (VC) or alleged perpetrator (AP), the intake specialist designates the person with a role of unknown (UK).

4125 No Role (NO)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

If a person is clearly not involved as an alleged victim (VC) or alleged perpetrator (AP), the intake specialist designates him or her with a role of no role (NO). However, this is often difficult to determine at intake. The intake specialist only designates a collateral (COL) as no role (NO) in CPI intakes. The intake specialist designates principals (PRNs) not clearly defined as a VC or AP with an unknown role (UK).

See 4112 Collateral (COL).

4130 Relationship or Interest (Rel/Int)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The eldest alleged victim (VC) is assigned the Rel/Int of oldest victim (OV). All other individuals on the person list are assigned the Rel/Int option that best describes that person’s relationship to the OV.

4140 Person List Considerations for CPI Intakes

4141 Person List with Limited or Unknown Information on Household Members

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist creates an entry on the person list to represent each household member when information is available to identify the person, such as age or his or her relationship to the oldest victim (OV).

When that information is not available, the intake specialist does as follows:

Does not add the individual to the person list.
Documents knowledge of the household member in the narrative’s household composition paragraph.
Adds a statement to clarify that the reporter was unable to provide specific identifying information on the household member.

Example

Household consists of 8-year-old oldest victim (OV), 6-year-old female sibling (SB), mother (AP), maternal uncle (AU), 2-year-old male, two adult females, and approximately four other children between 5–12 years old. Names, exact ages, and relationships of additional household members are unknown.

In this scenario, the only household members on the person list are the 8-year-old, 6-year-old, 2-year-old, mother, and uncle.

4142 Person List Involving a Child Death Report

SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023

For specific instructions in documenting the person list for reports involving a child death, see:

4631 Death of a Child Not in DFPS Conservatorship

4632 Death of a Child While in DFPS Conservatorship

4200 CPI Allegations

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist assesses each report on a case-by-case basis. It is essential for the intake specialist to consult SWI policy, state laws, and applicable resources and to use his or her professional judgment to determine if one or more allegations are supported. The intake specialist completes an intake if at least one allegation is supported.

4210 Abuse Allegations

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

CPI investigates abuse allegations of:

Emotional abuse (EMAB)
Labor trafficking (LBTR)
Sex trafficking (SXTR)
Physical abuse (PHAB)
Sexual abuse (SXAB)

4211 Emotional Abuse (EMAB)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Emotional abuse is defined as any of the following:

Mental or emotional injury to a child that results in an observable and material impairment in the child's growth, development, or psychological functioning.
Causing or permitting the child to be in a situation in which the child sustains a mental or emotional injury that results in an observable and material impairment in the child's growth, development, or psychological functioning.
A person’s current use of a controlled substance, as defined by Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 481, in a manner or to the extent that the use results in mental or emotional injury to a child.

Texas Family Code §261.001(1)(A),(B)

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.453

4212 Human Trafficking

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

CPI reports use two human trafficking allegations: labor trafficking (LBTR) and sex trafficking (SXTR).

4212.1 Labor Trafficking (LBTR)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Labor trafficking is any of the following acts or omissions by the person responsible for a child’s care, custody, or welfare:

Knowingly causing, permitting, encouraging, engaging in, or allowing a child to be trafficked in a manner punishable as an offense under Texas Penal Code §20A.02(a)(5) or (6).
The failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent a child from being trafficked in a manner punishable as an offense under any of these sections. See Texas Family Code §261.001(1)(L).
To entice, recruit, harbor, transport, enslave, or provide to others or obtain for oneself a child for labor or services through force, fraud, coercion, or exploitation. It involves giving or receiving money, goods, or services as payment, including the child’s services, and a pervasive loss of freedom for the child.

Control can be exerted or shown as follows:

Threats of deportation, physical or other types of harm to the child or the child’s family.
Evidence of withholding or destroying of the child’s legal documents.
Causing the child or child’s family to become indebted to the trafficker.
Restricting the child’s movement, communication, or ability to live a normal life.
The detrimental nature of the work to the health, safety, or well-being of the child.
Use of physical, verbal, sexual intimidation, or other types of manipulation to cause the child to feel helpless or in fear of the trafficker.

It is met whether the child actually engages in forced labor or services or simply faces a substantial risk of doing so.

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.459

According to the Texas Penal Code, a person commits an offense if the person knowingly does either of the following:

Traffics a child with the intent that the trafficked child engages in forced labor or services.
Receives a benefit from participating in a venture that involves an activity described by subdivision (5) of Texas Penal Code §20A, including by receiving labor or services the person knows are forced labor or services.

Texas Penal Code §20A.02(a)(5),(6)

Forced labor or services means labor or services, other than sexual conduct, that another person performs or provides under force, by fraud, or coercion.

Texas Penal Code §20A.01(2)

The intake specialist completes an intake for CPI with an allegation of LBTR when a parent or other person responsible for a child uses force, fraud, or coercion and does any of the following:

Knowingly provides the child to others for labor or services.
Uses the child for his or her own benefit.
Allows the child to be trafficked.
Controls the child and makes the child believe that he or she has no other choice but to continue with the labor or services, resulting in a loss of freedom for the child.
Receives a monetary or non-monetary benefit for the child’s labor or services. Benefits include, but are not limited to, money, goods, services, or drugs.

The intake specialist also completes an intake for CPI with an allegation of LBTR when a parent or other person responsible for a child does not make a reasonable effort to prevent a child from being labor trafficked as described above.

If the labor or services constitute sexual conduct, the abuse is then considered sex trafficking (SXTR).

See 4212.2 Sex Trafficking (SXTR).

Work Situations That Do Not Involve Labor Trafficking (LBTR)

LBTR does not include normal contributions to family and community life, including any of the following:

Performing chores inside and outside of the home.
Requiring a child to work in the family business without pay.
Requiring a child to work in agriculture or farming as part of the family’s business or means of earning a living.
Other forms of labor or services specified under Texas Labor Code §51.003.

Per Texas Family Code §151.001(5), a parent of a child has the right to “the services and earnings of the child.” CPI recognizes a parent’s reasonable requirements for a child to perform chores or work and to determine appropriate recompense to the child for the services. This does not constitute forced labor or services.

Work or services provided in these situations should be appropriate to the child’s age and not result in substantial harm from physical injury or genuine threat of substantial harm from physical injury.

4212.2 Sex Trafficking (SXTR)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Sex trafficking is any of the following acts or omissions by the person responsible for a child’s care, custody, or welfare:

Knowingly causing, permitting, encouraging, engaging in, or allowing a child to be trafficked in a manner punishable as an offense under Texas Penal Code §20A.02(a)(7) or (8).
The failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent a child from being trafficked in a manner punishable as an offense under any of these sections.
To compel or encourage a child to engage in sexual conduct as defined by Texas Penal Code §43.01. See Texas Family Code §261.001(1)(G)(L).
To entice, lure, recruit, harbor, transport, enslave, sell, or hold captive to provide to others or obtain for oneself a child for sexual conduct. It involves giving or receiving money, goods, or services as payment, including the child’s sexual services, and a pervasive loss of freedom for the child.

Sex trafficking does not require force, fraud, or coercion. It occurs even if it appears that the child agrees with the conduct or does not consider himself or herself to be a victim.

Control can be exerted or shown as follows:

Threats of deportation, physical or other types of harm to the child or the child’s family.
Evidence of withholding or destroying of the child’s legal documents.
Causing the child or child’s family to become indebted to the trafficker.
Restricting the child’s movement, communication, or ability to live a normal life.
Using physical, verbal, or other types of intimidation or manipulation to cause the child to feel helpless or in fear of the trafficker.

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.461

According to the Texas Penal Code §20A.02(a)(7)(8), a person commits an offense if he or she:

Knowingly traffics a child and, by any means, causes the trafficked child to engage in or become the victim of conduct prohibited by the following Texas Penal Codes:
Receives a benefit from participating in a venture that involves an activity described.
Engages in sexual conduct with a child who is being trafficked in the manner described.

The intake specialist completes an intake for CPI with an allegation of SXTR when a parent or other person responsible for a child does any of the following:

Knowingly provides the child to others.
Uses or obtains the child for his or her own benefit.
Allows the child to engage in or become the victim of any of the offenses listed in Texas Penal Code §20A.02(a)(7).
Controls the child and makes the child believe that he or she has no other choice but to continue engaging in the offenses listed in Texas Penal Code §20A.02(a)(7).
Gives or receives a monetary or non-monetary benefit from the child’s participation in any of the offenses listed in Texas Penal Code §20A.02(a)(7). Benefits include, but are not limited to, money, goods, sexual services, or drugs.
Fails to make a reasonable effort to prevent a child from being sex trafficked as described above.

4212.3 Labor or Sex Traffickers Not Investigated by CPI

SWI Policy and Procedures July 2024

The intake specialist does not designate a person who is not responsible for the child’s care, custody, or welfare, as defined in 4122 Alleged Perpetrator (AP), as an alleged perpetrator (AP) in a CPI intake.

CPI does not investigate claims of trafficking when all three of the following conditions are met:

A child leaves home without the consent of his or her family and lives with a person alleged to be trafficking the child.
The AP is neither related to nor legally responsible for the child.
The parent or caregiver did not cause, encourage, engage in, or allow trafficking, or fail to make reasonable effort to prevent trafficking.

For example, when a child leaves home or runs away to live with the child’s boyfriend, who then traffics the child for purposes of labor or services, CPI does not investigate the boyfriend as an AP because the boyfriend is not traditionally responsible for the child’s care, custody, or welfare.

4212.4 Law Enforcement Notification for Trafficking Reports

SWI Policy and Procedures July 2024

See 2676 When the Abuse or Neglect Incident Involves Human Trafficking.

4213 Physical Abuse (PHAB)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Physical abuse is defined as any intentional act causing injury or trauma to another person. The components of PHAB include:

Physical injury.
Failure to protect.
The use of controlled substances.

Physical Injury

Physical injury is any of the following:

An injury that substantially harms a child.
A genuine threat of substantial harm from physical injury to a child.
An injury that does not match the history or explanation given.

Physical injury does not include the following:

An accident.
Reasonable discipline by a parent or caregiver that does not expose a child to a substantial risk of harm.

Texas Family Code §261.001(1)(C)

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.455

Failure to Protect

Failure to protect is a failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent an action by another person that results in physical injury substantially harming to a child.

Texas Family Code §261.001(1)(D)

Controlled Substances

Controlled substances are defined in the Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 481.

The intake specialist uses an allegation of PHAB when either of the following occurs:

A child is physically injured because a person uses a controlled substance.
A child is permitted or encouraged to use a controlled substance.

Texas Family Code §261.001(1)(I),(J)

4214 Sexual Abuse (SXAB)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Sexual abuse is any of the following acts or omissions by the person responsible for a child’s care, custody, or welfare:

Sexual conduct harmful to a child’s mental, emotional, or physical welfare, including conduct that constitutes any of the following offenses:
- Continuous sexual abuse of a young child or disabled person under Texas Penal Code, §21.02.
- Indecency with a child under Texas Penal Code, §21.11.
- Sexual assault under Texas Penal Code, §22.011.
- Aggravated sexual assault under Texas Penal Code, §22.021.
Failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent sexual conduct harmful to a child.
Compelling or encouraging a child to engage in sexual conduct, as defined by Texas Penal Code, §43.01.
Causing, permitting, encouraging, engaging in, or allowing the photographing, filming, or depicting of a child, if the person knew or should have known that the resulting images of the child are pornographic or obscene, as defined by Texas Penal Code, §43.21.
Causing, permitting, encouraging, engaging in, or allowing a sexual performance by a child, as defined by Texas Penal Code, §43.25.

Texas Family Code §261.001(1)(E),(F),(G),(H),(K)

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.457

See:

Designating Victims for CPI Intakes on the DFPS intranet

2252 Alleged Perpetrator (AP)

4121 Alleged Victim (VC)

4220 Neglect Allegations

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Neglect is defined as an act or omission by person responsible for a child's care, custody, or welfare who shows blatant disregard for consequences, and the act or omission harms or creates an immediate danger to the child’s physical health or safety.

Texas Family Code §261.001(4)

CPI investigates neglect allegations of:

Abandonment (ABAN)
Medical neglect (MDNG)
Neglectful supervision (NSUP)
Physical neglect (PHNG)
Refusal to assume parental responsibility (RAPR)

4221 Abandonment (ABAN)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Abandonment requires both of the following components:

A parent, guardian, managing conservator, or possessory conservator of a child leaves the child in a situation that would expose the child to an immediate danger of physical or mental harm, and the person does not arrange for necessary care for the child.
The parent, guardian, or managing or possessory conservator of the child shows no intent to return.

Texas Family Code §261.001(4)(A)(i)

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.465

Parents have the right to place their children with alternate caregivers when the placement does not present obvious safety issues that could harm the child. These situations are not abandonment.

Alleged Perpetrators (APs) of Abandonment (ABAN)

The intake specialist may designate only a parent, guardian, managing conservator, or possessory conservator of the child as the role of AP for an ABAN allegation. The intake specialist does not designate temporary caregivers as the role of AP for ABAN. A temporary caregiver has no legal responsibility for the child.

4222 Medical Neglect (MDNG)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Medical neglect is the failure by the person responsible for a child’s care, custody, or welfare to seek, obtain, or follow through with medical care for a child, when that failure results in either of the following:

An immediate danger of death, disfigurement, or bodily injury to the child.
An observable, material impairment to the child’s growth, development, or functioning.

Texas Family Code §261.001(4)(A)(ii)(b)

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.469

4223 Neglectful Supervision (NSUP)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Neglectful supervision is any of the following acts or omissions by the person responsible for a child’s care, custody, or welfare:

Placing a child in or failing to remove a 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, and that results in bodily injury or an immediate danger of harm to the child.
Placing a child in or failing to remove a child from a situation in which the child would be exposed to an immediate danger of sexual conduct harmful to the child.
Placing a child in or failing to remove a child from a situation in which the child would be exposed to acts or omissions that constitute abuse committed against another child.

Texas Family Code §261.001(4)(A)(ii)(a),(d),(e)

Texas Family Code §261.001(1)(E),(F),(G),(H),(K)

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.467

4224 Physical Neglect (PHNG)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Physical neglect is the failure by the person responsible for a child’s care, custody, or welfare to provide a child with the food, clothing, or shelter necessary to sustain the life or health of a child.

Physical neglect is not alleged if the failure to provide is caused primarily by financial inability, unless relief services were offered and refused.

Texas Family Code §261.001(4)(A)(ii)(c)

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.471

4225 Refusal to Assume Parental Responsibility (RAPR)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Refusal to assume parental responsibility is the failure by the person responsible for a child’s care, custody, or welfare to permit a child to return to the child’s home without arranging for the necessary care for the child after the child was absent from the home for any reason, including having been in residential placement or having run away.

Texas Family Code §261.001(4)(A)(iii)

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.473

Alleged Perpetrators (APs) of Refusal to Assume Parental Responsibility (RAPR)

The intake specialist may designate only a parent, guardian, managing conservator, or possessory conservator of the child as the role of AP for a RAPR allegation. The intake specialist does not designate temporary caregivers as the role of AP for RAPR. A temporary caregiver has no legal responsibility for the child.

When the refusal to allow the child to return to or remain in the home is due to the child’s behavioral or emotional needs, see 4564 Placement Assistance for Therapeutic Needs.

4300 CPI Priorities

SWI Policy and Procedures July 2024

The intake specialist completes a CPI intake with one of the following priorities:

Priority 1 (P1)
Priority 2 (P2)
Priority None (PN)

4310 Priority 1 (P1)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist completes a P1 intake for CPI when:

A child is in an immediate or imminent threat of severe harm or death as a result of abuse or neglect.
A case history search reveals an intake flagged with a red sunburst.

See:

4611.1 Red Sunburst without Unable to Complete (UTC) Disposition

4611.2 Unable to Complete (UTC) and Unable to Locate (UTL) Procedures

4630 Child Death

4510 Pregnancy, Newborns, and Unborn Children

CPI is required to initiate the investigation within 24 hours of receiving a P1 intake.

See Child Protective Services Handbook, 2143 Assigning Priority to Reports of Abuse or Neglect.

4320 Priority 2 (P2)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist completes a P2 intake for CPI when the alleged abuse or neglect does not involve severe harm or does not require an immediate response.

CPI is required to initiate the investigation within 72 hours of receiving a P2 intake.

4330 Priority None (PN)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist completes a PN intake for CPI when all the following criteria are met:

There are allegations of abuse or neglect.
SWI is not recommending investigation.
CPI needs to review the information to determine if further action is needed.

The intake specialist completes PN intakes on a limited basis and only for the reasons described in the following sections.

Note: School reports cannot have a PN designation. See 4522 Assessing Priority for School Reports.

4331 Past Abuse or Neglect; No Current Safety Issues

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist selects the priority none (PN) code Past Abuse or Neglect; No Current Safety Issues when all the following apply:

The incident met the legal definition of abuse or neglect at the time it occurred.
The incident is past abuse or neglect. Past abuse or neglect refers to an incident that occurred three or more months ago.
No current safety threat exists.

The intake specialist selects the PN code regardless of whether CPI has investigated the incident.

The intake specialist also selects the PN code Past Abuse or Neglect; No Current Safety Issues when the alleged victim (VC) is an unaccompanied alien child (UAC) and the alleged abuse or neglect occurred in the child’s home country, regardless of the length of time since the incident occurred.

Exceptions

If the alleged victim was a child when the incident occurred but is now an adult, the intake specialist completes an information and referral (I&R) unless there are current allegations or safety threats to a child.
If the report is about a child death that was investigated, and it contains no new allegations involving other children, the intake specialist selects the PN code of Child Death/Incident Addressed in Previous Case. See 4631 Death of a Child Not in DFPS Conservatorship.

4332 Additional Information from Specific Collateral or Principal (COL/PRN) Is Needed

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist uses the priority none (PN) code on a limited basis when CPI may be able to determine if the intake needs to be investigated or closed through an additional phone call to a specific collateral (COL) or principal (PRN) contact.

An intake qualifies for this code when all the following criteria are met:

The intake specialist needs a key piece of information to determine if there is an assignable allegation of abuse or neglect.
The intake specialist knows a specific COL or PRN contact who is clearly identified has the needed information.
The intake specialist has contact information for the identified person.

For example, the school nurse reports that a father hit his 11-year-old child. The nurse was told that the child has injuries, but she has not seen them. The school counselor has seen the injuries and can provide a description to CPI.

Determining Eligible Contacts

The intake specialist does as follows:

Designates a parent, relative, or household member as a contact if he or she:
- Is not an alleged perpetrator (AP).
- Has the specific information needed to make an investigation determination.
Does not designate alleged victims (VCs) or APs as the specific contact for this code because doing so could compromise the outcome.
Does not designate the reporter as the person who has the needed information because it is presumed he or she has provided all known information when the report was made.

Documenting the Specific Contact

The intake specialist clearly identifies who should be contacted in the intake. This information is documented in either of the following places:

In the person notes of the specific contact on the person list if his or her name and locating information are known.
In the narrative if the specific contact is identified, but his or her name is not known. Example: “The 8th-grade guidance counselor at the middle school on 2nd street in Taylor.”

The intake specialist does not use this PN code when either of the following are true:

The information is too vague or general to determine whether there is abuse or neglect. In such cases, the intake specialist completes the appropriate information and referral (I&R) report type.
The only information needed from the specific COL or PRN is locating information. If the allegation meets legal definitions and a specific person can provide locating information, the intake specialist completes a priority 1 (P1) or priority 2 (P2) intake.

4333 Child Death/Incident Addressed in Previous Case

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist uses the priority none (PN) code Child Death/Incident Addressed in Previous Case when CPI investigated the child’s death and there are no current allegations for other living children.

For specific criteria on this PN code and information on how to document a Child Death/Incident Addressed in Previous Case, see 4631 Death of a Child Not in DFPS Conservatorship.

4400 Processing CPI Intakes and Case-Related Special Requests (CRSRs)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The following sections contain specific instructions for documenting CPI intakes and CRSRs.

4410 Case Name

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist selects the Case Name from a drop-down menu created from the person list. The In Regards To field automatically populates for all intakes and case-related special requests (CRSRs). The intake specialist usually selects the case name as one of the following:

In intakes, the parent or primary managing conservator of the person designated as the oldest victim (OV).
In CRSRs, the parent or primary managing conservator of the person designated as Self (SL).

Examples:

If the parents are married or living together but not married, the case name is the mother’s name.
If the parents are separated and conservatorship is not established, the case name is the name of the parent who has actual care, custody, and primary possession of the child.
If the parents were never married or are divorced and conservatorship is established, the case name is the name of the primary managing conservator.
If it is a blended family by marriage, the case name is the name of the primary managing conservator of the OV for intakes or the primary managing conservator of the person designated as SL for CRSRs.
If the parents are living together, not married, and have children by other partners, the case name is the name of the primary managing conservator for each report completed. See 4550 Multifamily Households.
If the child lives with a relative, fictive kin, or unrelated caregiver who is not the primary managing conservator, the case name remains the name of the parent or primary managing conservator.
If both parents’ rights are terminated and the child is in DFPS permanent managing conservatorship, the case name is in the same name as the parent or primary managing conservator of the case with the substitute care (SUB) stage.

For exceptions, see:

4515.3 SWI Procedures for Baby Moses Intakes

4520 School Reports

4720 Determining CPI or Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) Jurisdiction for a Child in a Relative or Fictive Kin Placement

4760 Child Lives in a Home and Community-based Services (HCS) Group Home or Receives Services in Another Setting

4810 Requirements for Case-Related Special Requests (CRSRs)

4420 County

SWI Policy and Procedures July 2024

Once the intake specialist completes an intake, case-related special request (CRSR), or I&R, he or she assigns the report to the appropriate county.

The intake specialist assigns most I&Rs to Existing CPS Case and I&Rs CVS Caseworker Notification to the county in which the existing case is open or to which the subcare case is assigned. See 3340 County Location.

In most instances, the intake specialist assigns intakes and CRSRs to the county of the parent or primary managing conservator’s residence. When a child is in DFPS conservatorship, DFPS is the primary managing conservator. The intake specialist assigns intakes to the county with conservatorship of the child regardless of the child’s current location or priority of the intake. The following situations require assignment to a different county:

If immediate response is needed, or the intake is a P1, and the child is more than 50 miles from the primary managing conservator’s residence, the intake specialist assigns the intake to the county where the child is located.
If the primary managing conservator’s county of residence is unknown, the intake specialist assigns the intake to the county where the child is located.
If a child is living with a relative, fictive kin, or an unrelated caregiver in a different county from the primary managing conservator with no plans for the child to return to his or her home, the intake specialist assigns the intake to the county where the relative, fictive kin, or unrelated caregiver lives.

If it is unclear whether there are plans for the child to return to the home of the managing conservator, the intake specialist uses professional judgement as to who is the primary person responsible for the child’s care, control, and welfare. If the primary managing conservator is actively involved and making decisions for the child, then the county of the managing conservator is best.

The county for assignment corresponds to the county of the Case Name. Assigning an intake or CRSR to a county other than the Case Name requires a change of county.

See:

3101 CVS Caseworker Notification

4800 CPI Case-Related Special Requests

4430 CPI Screener Eligibility Question

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist answers a screener eligibility question for all priority 2 (P2) CPI intakes.

The question appears at the bottom of the Priority section on the Intake Actions page in IMPACT. The question reads:

Is there an open case on the family in at least one of the following stages:

INV – Investigation; AR – Alternative Response; FPR – CPS Fam Preservation; FSU – Family Subcare; or FRE – CPS Fam Reunification?

The accompanying radio buttons enable a Yes or No response to the question.

The intake specialist selects Yes if any of the principals in the new intake are also principals in a CPI or CPS case that is open in any of the following stages:

Investigation (INV).
Alternative Response (AR).
Family Preservation (FPR), also documented as Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS) or CPS Family Preservation in IMPACT.
Family Substitute Care (FSU).
Family Reunification (FRE).

The intake specialist is not required to open each stage to determine in which stage the person being searched was designated as a principal (PRN) when cases have been merged. IMPACT displays a person’s role in a case as PRN or collateral (COL) at the end of the case history row. For example:

45678912 CPS FSU Doe,Jane HARRIS Smith,John
Investigation PRN

If the person searched for is a COL or the CPI or CPS case is not open in any of the above-mentioned stages, the intake specialist selects No for the screening question.

See 4521.1 Criteria for Alleged Victim (VC) in School Reports.

4440 CPI Call-out and Assignment

SWI Policy and Procedures July 2024

IMPACT auto-assigns some reports. If the Auto Assign checkbox is greyed out, or not appropriate for use on a certain report, the intake specialist manually assigns the report according to the Assignment Charts on the DFPS intranet.

See Assignment Charts on the DFPS Intranet for CPI call-out and routing procedures. Some CPI offices have extended business hours, which are noted on the charts.

4450 Open Cases

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist only pastes an open CPI or CPS case at the top of the narrative or sends an information and referral (I&R) report to an open CPI or CPS case when at least one of the specified stages is open.

See:

3121 Specific Considerations for an I&R to Existing Case

4500 CPI and CPS Special Topics — Part 1

SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023

The following are topics specific to CPI and CPS.

4510 Pregnancy, Newborns, and Unborn Children

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Unborn Child

In most cases, the intake specialist cannot recommend an investigation regarding concerns for an unborn child. The child must be born alive before CPI has jurisdiction to intervene. The intake specialist completes the appropriate information and referral (I&R) type and recommends that the reporter contact SWI after the child is born if there are no other children to consider.

Exception: The intake specialist completes a Case-Related Special Request (CRSR) – Req for Local Public Svc (C-PB) and does not include the unborn child on the person list when all of the following are true:

The information does not support an intake for other children.
A professional reporter (typically law enforcement, medical staff, or a caseworker) is requesting CPI assistance.
The mother is not early in her pregnancy.
The mother is expected to deliver within the next 48 hours or sooner.

4511 Assessing Drug or Alcohol Concerns During Pregnancy

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist cannot recommend an investigation for abuse or neglect regarding drug or alcohol use by a pregnant woman until after the child is born. For exceptions, see 4510 Pregnancy, Newborns, and Unborn Children.

Other Children to Consider

The intake specialist assesses whether current safety issues exist for other children being cared for by the pregnant woman when a woman is alleged to be using drugs or alcohol during her pregnancy or tests positive during the pregnancy. The intake specialist’s assessment should include the nature and extent of the woman’s drug or alcohol use.

If the information supports an allegation, the intake specialist completes an intake, listing the known children as alleged victims (VCs). The intake specialist does not document the unborn child on the person list. Instead, he or she documents concerns about the unborn child in the narrative.

4512 Assessing Post-Delivery Drug or Alcohol Concerns

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Assessing Physical Abuse (PHAB)

The intake specialist completes a priority 1 (P1) intake with an allegation of PHAB when a newborn shows signs of physical harm because of the mother’s drug or alcohol use. This applies regardless of the mother’s or newborn’s drug test results.

Signs of harm may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Fetal alcohol syndrome
Fetal alcohol effect
Neonatal abstinence syndrome

The intake specialist completes an intake for PHAB when a physician has expressed concern that the newborn was physically harmed from exposure to drugs or alcohol, but an official diagnosis has not been determined.

Assessing Neglectful Supervision (NSUP)

The intake specialist considers the nature and extent of the mother’s substance use and her ability to provide a safe environment for the newborn, if the situation meets all of the following criteria:

The reporter alleges the mother used drugs or alcohol during her pregnancy.
The mother and newborn tested negative at birth.
The newborn has not shown any signs of physical harm from the mother’s drug or alcohol use.

The intake specialist completes a CPI intake with an allegation of NSUP if current safety issues are identified. The intake specialist assigns the priority based on the severity and immediacy of the circumstances.

The intake specialist completes a P1 intake with an allegation of NSUP when a mother or newborn tests positive for alcohol or any drug other than marijuana at the time of birth. It is not necessary for the newborn to show signs of physical harm because of the mother’s drug or alcohol use to complete a P1 for NSUP.

The intake specialist completes a priority 2 (P2) intake with an allegation of NSUP when the situation meets both of the following criteria:

A mother or newborn tests positive for marijuana only (no alcohol or other drugs) at the time of birth.
There are no other concerns for the newborn at the time of birth.

The intake specialist does not complete an intake if the situation meets both of the following criteria:

The reporter alleges there was only one positive drug test early in the pregnancy.
There are no other safety concerns.

4513 Miscarriage or Fetal Demise

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

A child death intake is not warranted in the following situations:

When there is not a live birth.
Drug or alcohol use is suspected as the cause of the miscarriage or fetal demise.
The woman was positive for drugs at the time of the miscarriage or demise.

The intake specialist completes an intake if allegations are assessed for other children in the home. He or she designates the other children as the alleged victims (VCs) and does not include the child who died before birth on the person list. Concerns regarding the child who died before birth are included in the narrative.

See 4300 CPI Priorities.

The intake specialist completes the most appropriate information and referral (I&R) type if no other children are in the home.

4514 Concerns Regarding Breastfeeding Mother with AIDS or HIV

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

If a mother with AIDS or HIV is breastfeeding, the intake specialist:

Completes a priority 1 (P1) intake with an allegation of neglectful supervision (NSUP).
Documents information about the mother’s diagnosis of AIDS, HIV, or other illnesses in the narrative and the Worker Safety Issues Comments box according to standard procedures. See 2650 Worker Safety Issues.

4515 Baby Moses Reports

SWI Policy and Procedures December 2020

The purpose of the Baby Moses law is to encourage a parent who would otherwise abandon a baby in an unsafe situation to deliver the baby to a designated emergency infant care (DEIC) provider. The law protects a parent from criminal prosecution if the child is unharmed and brought to a DEIC provider before the infant is 60 days old.

4515.1 Designated Emergency Infant Care (DEIC) Providers

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The Baby Moses laws identify only the following entities as DEIC providers:

An emergency medical services provider.
A hospital.
A fire station.
A freestanding emergency medical facility licensed under Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 254.
A child-placing agency licensed by DFPS that:
- Agrees to act as a DEIC provider.
- Has a licensed registered nurse or licensed emergency services provider on staff.

Any entity not on this list, including a DFPS office or a police station, is not considered a DEIC provider.

Texas Family Code §262.301

See 4515.2 Criteria for a Baby Moses Report.

4515.2 Criteria for a Baby Moses Report

4515.21 Infant Is Brought to a Designated Emergency Infant Care (DEIC) Provider

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

A situation meets the criteria for a Baby Moses report if the infant:

Is known or appears to be 60 days old or younger.
Shows no indication of abuse or neglect.
Is voluntarily delivered to and left with an employee of a DEIC provider or placed in a newborn safety device located inside the DEIC provider facility by a person (presumed to be the parent) who does not express intent to return for the infant.

If the infant appears unharmed, DEIC providers have no legal obligation to gather information from or about the person leaving the child. The DEIC provider may provide the person with a form for voluntary disclosure of the child’s medical facts and history.

4515.22 Infant Is Born at a Medical Facility But Mother Is Unable or Unwilling To Parent

SWI Policy and Procedures July 2024

If a woman is admitted to a medical facility, gives birth, and leaves the medical facility without the baby, the case is considered a Baby Moses case if:

The case meets the above-listed criteria.
The mother indicates through her actions or words that she is unable or unwilling to parent the infant. Refusing to see or hold the baby may be an indicator that the mother does not want the child, but this alone does not qualify the intake as a Baby Moses case.

4515.3 SWI Procedures for Baby Moses Intakes

SWI Policy and Procedures March 2026

For Baby Moses cases, the intake specialist does as follows:

Obtains and documents details about how and when the baby was delivered to the designated emergency infant care (DEIC) provider.
Obtains and documents details about the baby’s age (or estimated age) and physical condition.
Obtains and documents any available information about the person who left the baby and any written or verbal information the person provided.
Asks the reporter whether the person who left the baby completed a form voluntarily disclosing the baby’s medical facts and history.
Does not instruct the reporter to have the person fill out the form or to attempt to gather any information from the person.
Creates, on the person list, a person to represent the parent, but leaves the name fields blank. IMPACT will automatically designate an Unknown # for each unnamed person entered on the person list.
Does not document parents’ names on the person list, even if the names are known. This protects confidentiality and prevents the parent from being related to other cases in IMPACT.
Documents parents’ names in the narrative, if the names are known.
Selects the computer-generated Unknown # as the case name on the Intake Actions page.
Completes a priority 1 (P1) intake with the allegation of abandonment (ABAN) and the unknown parent as the alleged perpetrator (AP).
Assigns the intake according to standard procedures.

See Child Protective Services Handbook, 2351 Baby Moses.

Texas Family Code §262.301

4515.4 Situations That Do Not Meet Baby Moses Intake Criteria

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist does not complete a Baby Moses intake if the infant:

Is known or appears to be 60 days old or older.
Has been harmed.
Is not abandoned at a designated emergency infant care (DEIC) provider location.
Is abandoned at a DEIC provider in a way that causes or exposes him or her to harm, such as exposure to severe temperature or similar dangers.
Tests positive for drugs at birth.

If the child is harmed, the case does not meet the criteria for a Baby Moses intake. The intake specialist assesses the report according to standard procedures.

4516 Mother with a Child in DFPS Conservatorship Gives Birth to a New Baby

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When a caller reports that a mother with a child in DFPS conservatorship has given birth to a new baby and no allegations of abuse or neglect toward the newborn exist, the intake specialist assesses the report type based on who reported the birth.

4516.1 Birth Reported by DFPS or Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) Staff

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When the mother in an open DFPS conservatorship (CVS) case gives birth to a new child, CPS or SSCC staff consult with a CPI program director (PD) to determine whether a new investigation is necessary for the newborn. The CPS or SSCC staff report the child’s birth to SWI, when necessary.

See Child Protective Services Handbook, 6360 When a Mother in an Open CVS Case is Pregnant.

When DFPS or SSCC staff is the reporter, the intake specialist:

Completes an intake.
Designates the requested allegation. If there is no requested allegation, the intake specialist designates the primary allegation in the original case that caused the newborn’s sibling to be removed.
Completes a priority 1 (P1) intake, unless a lesser priority is requested.

When a lesser priority is requested, the intake specialist complies with the request and documents in the conclusion:

The name and job title of the DFPS or SSCC staff.
The requested priority.

4516.2 Birth Reported by Anyone Other Than DFPS or Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) Staff

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When anyone other than DFPS or SSCC staff reports the birth of a new baby to a mother who has children in DFPS conservatorship, and there are no allegations toward the newborn that rise to the level of abuse or neglect, the intake specialist:

Notifies CPS of the birth by processing an I&R to Existing CPS Case.
Assigns the information and referral (I&R) report to the Immediate Call-Out workload whether the field office is open or closed.

4517 Child Born to Mother in a Corrections Facility, Mental Health Hospital, or Drug Treatment Facility

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When a mother gives birth while confined to a facility and is unable to make appropriate arrangements for the infant, the intake specialist completes an intake to help place the infant by doing as follows:

Designates the mother the role of alleged perpetrator (AP).
Documents the address for the mother as that of the facility.
Designates the allegation of neglectful supervision (NSUP), absent any allegations of abuse or neglect.
Completes a priority 2 (P2) intake, absent any immediate concerns of abuse or neglect.

4520 School Reports

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The Special Investigations (SI) program of CPI investigates allegations of child abuse or neglect by school personnel or volunteers in a school setting.

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.601

A “school setting” can be any of the following:

The physical location of a school.
The location of an event that a school sponsors or approves, including field trips and camps sponsored by the school.
Any location where a child is in the care, custody, or control of school personnel or volunteers in their official capacity, including transportation services.

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.605(a)(7)

See Child Protective Services Handbook, 2320 School Investigations.

4521 Criteria for Person Types in School Reports

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The Special Investigations (SI) program only investigates allegations of abuse or neglect in a school setting when both the alleged victim (VC) and the alleged perpetrator (AP) meet specific criteria.

4521.1 Criteria for Alleged Victim (VC) in School Reports

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The VC must be either of the following:

A child.
Was a child at the time that the alleged abuse or neglect occurred, even if he or she is now an adult.

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.609(a)(3)

The intake specialist assesses whether an Adult Protective Services (APS) intake is appropriate if the VC was an adult with a disability when the incident occurred.

See Adult Protective Services Handbook, 4320 Allegations Involving Schools.

The intake specialist completes an I&R Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law if the VC was an adult without a disability when the incident occurred.

4521.2 Criteria for an Alleged Perpetrator (AP) in School Reports

SWI Policy and Procedures March 2026

The AP in a school report must be school personnel or a volunteer and must be identifiable.

School Personnel or Volunteer

School personnel and volunteers are people who have access to children in a school setting and do at least one of the following:

Provide services to children.
Care for children.

School personnel include, but are not limited to, the following:

Employees.
Contractors (but only those who provide services to or care for children).
Bus drivers.
Cafeteria workers.
Custodians.
Police officers, peace officers, and security officers (sometimes called school resource officers) employed directly by the school or school district.

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.605(a)(6)

Former School Personnel or Volunteer

If a person is no longer school personnel or an active volunteer in a school setting, all of the following must be true for the person to be an AP in a school report:

The AP was school personnel or a volunteer acting in his or her official capacity at the time of the incident.
The AP abused or neglected a victim who is a child or who was a child at the time of the incident.
The incident occurred in a school setting.

Identifiable

An AP is identifiable if there is enough information for DFPS staff to know which specific person is the AP.

If the AP’s full name is not available, the intake specialist obtains a description, such as “the AP is the 6th grade math teacher,” or “the AP is the child’s school bus driver.” The intake specialist considers all possible means of identification, including the following:

Collaterals (COLs).
Other people able to identify the AP.
School records, such as restraint reports naming the involved school personnel or volunteer.

The alleged victim (VC) cannot be the source of information to identify the AP unless the VC is also the reporter.

The intake specialist documents the description of the AP and sources that may identify the AP in the AP’s Person Notes and narrative.

If the reporter does not have enough information for the AP to be identifiable, the intake specialist completes the most appropriate information and referral (I&R) type.

4522 Assessing Priority for School Reports

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Priority 1 (P1)

The intake specialist assesses a P1 if a school intake requires immediate intervention.

Priority 2 (P2)

The intake specialist assesses a P2 if a school intake does not require immediate intervention, regardless of when the incident occurred.

The intake specialist assesses a P2 if the incident involves abuse or neglect by an alleged perpetrator (AP) without current access to children, because he or she is no longer employed as school personnel or an active volunteer, regardless of when the incident occurred.

The intake specialist assesses a P2 if the incident involves abuse or neglect of an unaccompanied alien child (UAC) by school personnel or a school volunteer in the child’s home country.

Priority None (PN)

School intakes cannot be prioritized as a PN.

See Child Protective Services Handbook, 2320 School Investigations.

Information and Referral (I&R)

The intake specialist selects the most appropriate I&R type for school reports that do not meet the criteria for investigation.

4523 Documenting School Reports

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Documenting school reports requires some specific procedures that differ from how other reports are documented.

Number of Intakes

When there are multiple alleged perpetrators (APs) in the school setting, the intake specialist completes a separate intake for each AP, even if the APs are involved in the same situation.

In Regards To and Case Name

The intake specialist enters the name of the AP in the In Regards To and Case Name fields. When the name is not known, he or she creates an Unknown person on the person list, with the relationship of School Personnel. The intake specialist designates this Unknown person as the In Regards To and Case Name.

Person List

The only people the intake specialist designates as principals (PRNs) on the person list are the AP and alleged victims (VCs).

The only children the intake specialist designates as VCs on the person list are those who have allegedly been abused or neglected. The intake specialist does not enter Unknown on the person list page to represent other students to whom an AP has access.

The intake specialist documents parents as collaterals (COLs) on the person list. The parent of a VC is never documented as an AP in a school report. When additional allegations are made against a parent that meet the legal definition of abuse or neglect, the intake specialist assesses a separate CPI report in the parent’s name.

Alleged Victim (VC)

The intake specialist documents the address for the VC as the VC’s home address.

When a VC in a school report was a child at the time of the incident but is 18 or older when the report is made, the intake specialist documents the person as a VC and enters the known date of birth (DOB) or approximate age.

Alleged Perpetrator (AP)

The intake specialist documents the address for the AP as the school’s address. If the home address of the AP is known, the intake specialist documents it as a secondary address in the Report Person Detail section.

4524 School Reports That Do Not Allege Abuse or Neglect

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

DFPS does not investigate administrative issues or violations of school policies, unless the issues or violations meet the legal definitions of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

See Adult Protective Services Handbook, 4320 Allegations Involving Schools.

Administrative issues or school policy violations that DFPS does not investigate include the following:

Actions the school personnel or volunteers take that are reasonably believed to be immediately necessary, under the existing circumstances, to avoid imminent harm to the child or other people. The actions cannot include unnecessary force or the inappropriate use of restraints or seclusion.
Use of restraints or seclusion that are necessary and appropriate.
Reasonable discipline that is appropriate to the child’s age, size, and developmental level and does not cause or pose a genuine threat of causing substantial physical harm.

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.607(b)(3)

4525 Home Schooling

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Home schools are not subject to inspection, monitoring, or regulation by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) or by local school districts.

The intake specialist assesses reports involving the abuse or neglect of home-schooled children using the same criteria and intake guidelines as any other CPI report.

4526 Boarding Schools

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist assesses allegations of abuse or neglect by school personnel or volunteers at a boarding school as an intake for CPI. The intake specialist conducts a resource search to rule out Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) jurisdiction, such as a basic care facility or a residential treatment center (RTC).

4527 Foreign Exchange/Sponsorship Program

SWI Policy and Procedures December 2020

If a child is living with a family under the sponsorship of a foreign exchange program or organization, the sponsoring family is considered the caregiver. If there are allegations of abuse or neglect by the family, the intake specialist completes an intake for CPI.

4530 Sexual Behavior in Children and Youth

4531 Children Exhibiting Sexual Behavior

4531.1 Assessing Behavior

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When children under the age of 10 behave sexually, it is important to establish the difference between normal sexual behaviors and those that may be concerning and possibly related to sexual abuse. The intake specialist bases the assessment on the totality of information obtained. When a situation meets the legal definition of abuse or neglect, the intake specialist completes an intake. These situations include, but are not limited to:

When children under the age of 10 exhibit age-inappropriate sexual behavior that may be indicative of sexual abuse. For a description of common and concerning sexual behaviors based on age, see Sexual Behavior on the DFPS intranet.
When children who are more than two years apart in age or developmental level engage in age-inappropriate sexual behavior.
When a child is forcing another child to engage in sexual behavior by using violence, intimidation, or coercion.

4531.2 Identifying the Source of Sexual Behavior

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When the situation meets criteria for an intake as stated above, the intake specialist determines:

If the situation involves two or more children, which child initiated the age-inappropriate sexual behavior or escalated the behavior.
The root cause of the sexual behavior, if known.
Whether the child has a history of age-inappropriate sexual behavior.

4531.3 Reports for Children under the Age of 10 Who are Exhibiting Age-Inappropriate Sexual Behavior

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When It Is Known Which Child Initiated or Escalated the Age-Inappropriate Sexual Behavior

When it is known which child initiated or escalated the age-inappropriate sexual behavior, the intake specialist completes an intake for sexual abuse (SXAB), listing that child as the oldest victim (OV). If the child listed as OV makes an outcry of sexual abuse with a known abuser, that abuser is listed as the alleged perpetrator (AP). When the child listed as OV makes no outcry of sexual abuse or makes an outcry with no named abuser, then the intake specialist completes an intake where the AP is unknown. When the relationship of the abuser is unknown, assume the abuse or neglect could have reasonably resulted from an act or failure to act by a person who meets the criteria of an AP. See 4122 Alleged Perpetrator (AP).

The intake specialist does not complete an additional intake for the other child, unless there is information that the other child was also abused by someone meeting the criteria for an AP.

When It Is Unknown Which Child Initiated or Escalated the Age-Inappropriate Sexual Behavior

When it is unknown which child initiated or escalated the age-inappropriate sexual behavior, if the child was an alleged victim (VC) of sexual abuse, or whether either child has a history of age-inappropriate sexual behavior, the intake specialist does as follows:

Considers all the children involved as VCs.
Completes the appropriate number of intakes for SXAB.
Does not list an AP.

Caregiver as an Alleged Perpetrator (AP)

The intake specialist assesses whether the caregiver is an AP in the situation. The intake specialist adds a neglectful supervision (NSUP) or SXAB allegation to the existing intake, listing the caregiver as the AP, if a caregiver meets both criteria:

Knows of prior inappropriate sexual behavior.
Does not take precautions to prevent subsequent incidents of inappropriate sexual behavior.

4531.4 Children Ages 13 or Younger Engaged in Sexual Activity

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Caregivers are required to make a reasonable effort to prevent a child age 13 or younger from having a sexual relationship, regardless of whether the child states the relationship is consensual.

When a caregiver makes a reasonable effort to prevent the sexual activity but the child continues to be sexually active, CPI does not consider this to be neglectful supervision (NSUP). Placing a child on birth control does not equate to condoning the child’s behavior.

The intake specialist assesses based on the available facts when a child, age 13 or younger, is known to be any of the following:

Sexually active.
Pregnant.
Positive for a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Example

The intake specialist does not complete an intake if a 13-year-old is known to be pregnant by a 14-year-old classmate, and her parents were unaware that she was sexually active.

The intake specialist completes an intake for sexual abuse (SXAB) with an unknown alleged perpetrator (AP) when the only information available is that the child is sexually active, pregnant, or has an STI.

4532 Sexually Active Youth Ages 14 to 17

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

CPI investigates child sexual activity only when the act involves abuse or neglect as defined by the Texas Family Code §261.001. To establish neglectful supervision (NSUP) by the caregiver, CPI considers whether the situation exposes the child to an immediate danger of sexual conduct harmful to the child. See 40 Texas Administrative Code 707.467(2).

4532.1 A Youth Aged 14-16 Engaged in Sexual Activity

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

CPI investigates situations involving a child with a sexual partner who is more than three years older than the child as sexual conduct harmful to a child.

Texas Family Code §261.001(1)(E)

Texas Penal Code §21.11(b)

“More than three years older” means a time frame of three years and one day or greater between the two individuals’ dates of birth (DOBs). Often, this cannot be established at intake because the reporter does not know both individuals’ DOBs. When DOBs are not available, but the known ages indicate a possibility of a three year and one day age difference, the intake specialist completes an intake for neglectful supervision (NSUP) if all other required criteria below are met.

In addition to the age difference, the caregiver must be both:

Aware of the relationship.
Failed to make a reasonable effort to prevent it.

The intake specialist lists the youth’s caregiver as the alleged perpetrator (AP). The youth’s partner is listed as a collateral (COL) with a designation of no role (NO).

The intake specialist completes an I&R Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law if it is unknown whether the caregiver is aware of or made efforts to prevent the relationship. Additional information and referral (I&R) reports may be necessary.

Example

A family member reports that a 14-year-old and a 17-year-old are having sex with the knowledge and consent of the 14-year-old’s parents. The caller does not know the date of birth of the 17-year-old; therefore, the intake specialist cannot determine if there is a three year and one day age difference between them. The intake specialist completes an intake based on the ages, which indicate the possibility of more than a three-year age gap between the two partners.

4532.2 A Youth Aged 14-16 Living with an Unrelated Partner Who is More than Three Years Older

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When a youth age 14-16 is living with an unrelated partner who is more than three years older, the intake specialist assesses for neglectful supervision (NSUP) on the caregiver, based on 4532.1 A Youth Aged 14-16 Engaged in Sexual Activity. This applies whether the youth moved in with the partner, or the partner moved into the youth’s home.

When the sexual relationship began determines whether the youth’s sexual partner is an AP for sexual abuse (SXAB).

If:	Then the youth’s sexual partner is considered:
The sexual relationship began after the person started living with the youth.	An AP of SXAB.
The sexual relationship existed before the person started living with the youth, or it is unknown when the sexual relationship began.	A principal (PRN) with an unknown (UK)role.

The reporter does not need to have direct knowledge of sexual activity. When a youth lives with an unrelated person and demonstrates behavior that indicates an intimate relationship with that person, it is reasonable for the intake specialist to assess as if a sexual relationship exists. The intake specialist completes an intake for NSUP based on available facts and the likelihood of sexual activity.

An intake is not appropriate if the sexual partner with whom the youth is living is not more than three years older.

4532.3 A Youth Aged 14-16 Has a Child and Is in a Relationship with an Unrelated Partner Who Is More Than Three Years Older

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

In this section, youth refers to the parent who is age 14 to 16, and child refers to the child of the youth. When a youth is in a relationship with an unrelated partner who is more than three years older than the youth, the older partner is not categorized as a sex offender solely on the basis of having a sexual relationship with a youth age 14 to 16 who is more than three years younger. However, the partner could pose a sexual abuse risk to the child.

There is a risk of sexual abuse by the older partner to the child of the 14 to 16-year-old youth when any of the following are present:

The older partner is on the sex offender registry.
The older partner was or is being criminally prosecuted for the relationship with the 14 to 16-year-old, which indicates law enforcement concluded there was heightened concern.
The older partner has a Reason to Believe (RTB) disposition for sexual abuse (SXAB) or sex trafficking (SXTR) in case history.
The older partner was grooming the 14-to-16-year-old when the youth was a much younger age.
The older partner is alleged to have engaged in a series of relationships with other much younger youth or a pattern of dating youth more than three years younger.
There is a clear outcry that the older partner sexually assaulted, abused, or trafficked someone else in the past.

The sexual partner of the 14-to-16-year-old is the alleged perpetrator (AP). The older partner may or may not also be the father of the youth’s child.

4532.4 A Youth Age 17 Engaged in Sexual Activity

SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023

In most cases, CPI does not investigate sexual activity of youth who are 17, unless the partner is known to be one of the following:

Caregiver
Relative
School personnel
Household member that is not the youth’s partner

4533 A Child or Youth with a Developmental Delay Engaged in Sexual Activity

SWI Policy and Procedures March 2023

When the child has a developmental delay and functions at a lower age level, the intake specialist uses the developmental age of the child for assessment.

Example

An intake specialist completes a report for a 16-year-old who has a developmental delay and functions like a 10-year-old, when the caregiver is both:

Aware that the child is having a sexual relationship.
Failed to make a reasonable effort to prevent it.

Texas Family Code §261.001(1)(F)

4534 Limited Information about Sexually Active Children or Youth

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

SWI receives reports from healthcare and community providers who are mandated to report sexual activity involving children and youth. These reports are referred to as Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) reports.

The intake specialist assesses each report individually with careful consideration to the available information. The intake specialist does as follows:

Performs a history search for each person listed in the report.
Assesses for abuse or neglect, according to standard procedures.
Completes an intake, a case-related special request (CRSR), or the appropriate information and referral (I&R) type.

4540 Designating a Child as an Alleged Perpetrator (AP) for Child-on-Child Abuse or Neglect under CPI Jurisdiction

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist may consider a child, aged 10-17, an AP when concerning behavior between children meets the legal definition of abuse or neglect. Such a designation requires special considerations that are not necessary when the AP is an adult. The following sections address common scenarios for child-on-child abuse or neglect.

See:

4122.2 Child as an Alleged Perpetrator (AP)

4123 Alleged Victim Perpetrator (VP)

4541 Child-on-Child Sexual Abuse (SXAB)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When the behavior meets the legal definition of SXAB, the intake specialist considers the following before designating a child as an alleged perpetrator (AP):

Age difference between the children.
Developmental levels of the children.
The use of force or coercion.

Some sexual behaviors between children are common. The intake specialist uses the Sexual Behavior resource on the DFPS intranet to determine whether the behaviors are considered concerning.

4542 Child-on-Child Physical Abuse (PHAB)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist considers the following when assessing for possible child-on-child PHAB:

Age difference between the children.
Size difference between the children.
Developmental levels of the children.
Severity of injuries.
Frequency of violence or abuse.
Intent to cause harm.

Some sibling conflict is common and can sometimes lead to injuries. The intake specialist does not use injury as the single determining factor for designating a child as an alleged perpetrator (AP).

4543 Child-on-Child Neglectful Supervision (NSUP)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Before designating a child as an alleged perpetrator (AP) for NSUP, the intake specialist first establishes both of the following:

The adult caregiver specifically left one child in charge of others.
The child in charge was aware of his or her responsibility to supervise the other child or children.

The intake specialist also considers the following:

Age difference between the children.
Developmental levels of the children.
How often one child is responsible for supervising other children.
Capabilities of the supervising child (mental, physical, behavioral).
Needs of the child being supervised.

4544 Determining the Role of the Caregiver When Assessing Child-on-Child Abuse or Neglect

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When the intake specialist completes an intake for child-on-child abuse or neglect, he or she also considers whether the caregiver has taken reasonable measures to ensure the safety of the victimized child. If not, the situation may require an additional allegation of neglectful supervision (NSUP), designating the caregiver as the alleged perpetrator (AP).

Designating the caregiver as an AP may be appropriate when none of the children involved qualify as an AP due to their age.

4550 Multifamily Households

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

In multifamily households, the intake specialist documents children as principals (PRNs) only in the intake for their own nuclear family. The intake specialist documents the children of the other family or families in the household as collaterals (COLs). When the intake specialist only completes one intake, all household members are PRNs.

See 4410 Case Name.

4551 Clarification of Terms: Family and Multifamily Household

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Family

Family, in the context of a “one case per family” group, refers to:

A nuclear family of parents or legal caretakers and their child or children by birth, conservatorship, adoption, or marriage.
Families blended by marriage and living in the same home with stepparents, such as a parent with a child or children married to another person with a child or children.

These definitions of family apply even when the parent or legal caretaker does not live in the home with the child. For example, when a child lives with a relative or friend who does not have conservatorship, the child’s family in this context means his or her biological or legal parents, not the people with whom the child lives. The parent, or other legally responsible person, has the legal responsibility to ensure the child’s safety if the child is at risk of abuse or neglect.

Multifamily Households

Multifamily households include, but are not limited to, the following:

More than one unrelated family group living in the same household. Examples:
- A parent and his or her child live with an unrelated roommate and his or her children.
- A mother and her children live with her partner and his or her child.
More than one related family group living in the same household. Examples:
- Three sisters and their children live together.
- Several generations of a family live together.
A household consisting of a family group and a child who is not in the conservatorship of anyone in the household, and whose parents do not live in the home. Example: An aunt, her boyfriend, and their child are caring for her sister’s two children, but the sister does not live in the home.

The intake specialist completes a separate intake for each family in the household, except in the following situations:

Information does not clearly show it is a multifamily household. The intake specialist documents in the narrative section of the intake that this might be a multifamily household.
It is a multifamily household, but allegations do not involve one of the families. Only one intake is completed on the multifamily household.

See 4410 Case Name.

4552 Person Detail on Multifamily Intakes

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist documents the Report Person Detail on a multifamily household as follows:

All adults as principals (PRNs) with their relationship to the oldest victim (OV).
The children as PRNs in the intake for their nuclear family.
The children of the other family or families in the household as collaterals (COLs).

Exception: If a child in one nuclear family is an alleged perpetrator (AP) in an intake involving another family in the household, that child is listed as a PRN, and his or her role is listed as AP.

4560 Children Placed Outside the Home

4561 Child in DFPS Conservatorship

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The program responsible for investigating reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of children in DFPS conservatorship depends on the setting where the incident occurs.

Some situations require an I&R to Existing CPS Case. See:

4561.1 Situations That Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case

4561.2 Situations That Sometimes Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case and its subitems.

Additionally, an I&R CVS Caseworker Notification is required for any intake involving a child in DFPS conservatorship. See 3101 I&R CVS Caseworker Notification.

4561.1 Situations That Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

In addition to any intake or information and referral (I&R) report completed for another program, the intake specialist also completes an I&R to Existing CPS Case when a child in DFPS conservatorship is in any of the following situations:

The child runs away or returns to the placement after running away.
The child is hospitalized or requires urgent, unplanned treatment by a medical professional because of injury, trauma, or illness.
The child is arrested.
The child dies.
The child’s placement is no longer working (also referred to as “a placement break down”), and the child needs to be moved to another placement immediately.
A report indicates that the child is involved in human trafficking.

Note: These instructions also apply to young adults, ages 18-21, in DFPS conservatorship.

The situations above require a call-out when immediate contact is needed or the I&R is processed outside business hours. The intake specialist only makes a call-out in emergency situations or situations that cannot wait for the intake specialist to complete the report in IMPACT and send it to support staff for call-out. The intake specialist does as follows:

When immediate contact is needed in emergency situations, the intake specialist calls out the I&R to the on-call worker and assigns to the on-call worker contacted.
When immediate contact is not needed, and it is outside business hours, the intake specialist assigns the I&R to the Immediate Call-Out workload.

See:

2684 Call-Outs

3121 Specific Considerations for an I&R to Existing Case

4561.2 Situations That Sometimes Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist sends an I&R to Existing CPS Case in some situations that do not require immediate notification to CPI or CPS, depending on the setting in which the incident occurred. See the following sections for more information about specific types of situations.

See:

4711.1 CPI Out-of-State Table

4711.3 Child in an Out-of-State Placement, including Interstate Compact on the Placement of a Children (ICPC), Alleges Abuse or Neglect

4561.21 Incident in a Non-Licensed Setting

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

If the incident involves a child in DFPS conservatorship and supports an intake, the intake specialist completes the following:

A CPI intake.
An I&R CVS Caseworker Notification.
An I&R to Existing CPS Case only if indicated in one of the following sections:
- Completing an I&R to Existing Case and an intake or a case-related special request (CRSR) in 3120 I&R to Existing Case.
- 4561.1 Situations That Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case.

The intake specialist completes an I&R to Existing CPS Case, if the incident involves a child in DFPS conservatorship but does not support an intake.

4561.22 Incident in a Kinship Setting

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist first determines which program has jurisdiction over the kinship home if the incident involves a child in DFPS conservatorship and supports an intake. See 4720 Determining CPI or Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) Jurisdiction for a Child in a Relative or Fictive Kin Placement. The situation may require one or more of the following:

A CPI or Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) intake.
An I&R CVS Caseworker Notification.
An I&R to Existing CPS Case if indicated in one of the following sections:
- Completing an I&R to Existing Case and an intake or a case-related special request (CRSR) in 3120 I&R to Existing Case.
- 4561.1 Situations That Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case.

The intake specialist completes an I&R to Existing CPS Case, if the incident involves a child in DFPS conservatorship but does not support an intake.

Breakdown of Kinship Placement

The intake specialist completes an I&R to Existing CPS Case if all of the following are true:

A child is in a kinship placement.
The child is in DFPS conservatorship.
There is an open substitute care (SUB) stage.
The kinship caregiver reports he or she can no longer care for the child.
There are no allegations of abuse or neglect by the caregiver.

The intake specialist completes an intake only if there is no open SUB stage and the kinship caregiver reports he or she can no longer care for the child. The kinship caregiver does not have a legal obligation to the child. Therefore, he or she cannot be an alleged perpetrator (AP) for abandonment (ABAN), refusal to assume parental responsibility (RAPR), or neglectful supervision (NSUP) in these situations. The intake specialist does the following:

Completes a CPI intake with the biological or legal parent as the AP.
Assesses for an allegation of RAPR or NSUP, depending on the circumstances of the case.

4561.23 Incident in a Residential Child Care Regulation (RCCR) Setting

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

RCCR notifies CPS when a child in DFPS conservatorship is mentioned in a Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) intake or an I&R RCL Standards Compliance.

The intake specialist completes both of the following if the incident supports an intake:

An RCCI intake.
An I&R CVS Caseworker Notification.

The intake specialist completes one of the following if the incident does not support an intake:

An I&R to Existing RCL Case, if relevant to the case.
An I&R RCL Standards Compliance.

The intake specialist does not complete an additional I&R to Existing CPS Case unless one of the following applies:

There is an open CPS case that does not include a substitute care (SUB) stage. This may occur if the child is involved in more than one open CPI or CPS case.
An I&R to Existing CPS Case is indicated on the CCR Situations Involving a Child in DFPS Conservatorship resource on the DFPS intranet.
The situation falls under 4561.1 Situations That Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case.

See 9530 Reports Involving Children in DFPS Conservatorship in a RCCR Operation.

4561.24 Incident in a Day Care Regulation (DCR) Setting

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

DCR notifies CPS when a child in DFPS conservatorship is mentioned in a Day Care Investigations (DCI) intake or an I&R DCL Standards Compliance.

The intake specialist completes both of the following if the incident supports an intake:

A DCI intake.
An I&R CVS Caseworker Notification.

The intake specialist completes one of the following if the incident does not support an intake:

An I&R to Existing DCL Case, if relevant to the case.
An I&R DCL Standards Compliance.

The intake specialist does not complete an additional I&R to Existing CPS Case unless one of the following applies:

There is an open CPS case that does not include a substitute care (SUB) stage. This may occur if the child is involved in more than one open CPI or CPS case.
An I&R to Existing CPS Case is indicated on the CCR Situations Involving a Child in DFPS Conservatorship document on the DFPS intranet.
The situation falls under 4561.1 Situations That Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case .

4561.25 Incident in a Provider Investigations (PI) Facility or Community Setting

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Provider Investigations (PI) Intake That Involves a Child in DFPS Conservatorship

The intake specialist completes both of the following if the incident involves a child in DFPS conservatorship and supports a PI intake:

A PI (Facility or Community) intake.
An I&R CVS Caseworker Notification.

The intake specialist does not complete an I&R to Existing CPS Case whencompleting a PI intake, unless one of the following applies:

There is an open CPS case that does not include a substitute care (SUB) stage. This may occur if the child is involved in more than one open CPI or CPS case.
The situation falls under 4561.1 Situations That Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case.

Incident That Is Not an Intake but Involves a Child in DFPS Conservatorship

The intake specialist completes one of the following if the incident involves a child in DFPS conservatorship but does not support an intake:

An I&R to Existing PI Case (Facility or Community), which appears in IMPACT as an I&R to Existing APS-PI Case, if relevant to the case.
An I&R AFC Client Rights/Fac Admn Issues if PI Facility has jurisdiction and there is not an existing PI Facility case.
An I&R Referred to HHSC if PI Community has jurisdiction and there is not an existing PI Community case.

The intake specialist does not complete an I&R to Existing CPS Case when completing an I&R to Existing APS-PI Case, an I&R AFC Client Rights/Fac Admn Issues, or an I&R Referred to HHSC, unless the situation falls under 4561.1 Situations That Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case.

See:

6500 Report Does Not Meet the Definition of Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation

6720 Reports Involving Children in DFPS Conservatorship or Adults in DFPS Extended Foster Care

7620 Reports Involving Children in DFPS Conservatorship

4561.3 Youth in Conservatorship Has a Child

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When a youth has a child before entering DFPS conservatorship, or a child is born to the youth while in DFPS conservatorship, CPS field staff may request a case-related special request (CRSR) if both of the following apply:

The youth’s child is going to live with the youth parent in the same placement.
The youth’s child is not in DFPS conservatorship.

The intake specialist completes a separate CRSR–Req for Local Public Svc (C-PB) for each child who is going to live with the youth in the youth’s placement. Separate CRSRs allow the youth parent’s caregivers to be reimbursed for the care of each of the youth’s children living with the youth in care.

The intake specialist does as follows:

Asks whether the report needs backdating to ensure proper payment to the youth parent’s caregiver for the entire time that the youth’s child has been at that placement.
Uses the name of the youth parent as the case name for each CRSR.
Routes each CRSR to the county with the open conservatorship (CVS) case for the youth parent.

If there are concerns of abuse or neglect of the youth’s child, see 4561.4 Youth in Conservatorship Abuses or Neglects Own Child.

See:

2821.1 Determining the Date and Time of the Report

4800 CPI Case-Related Special Requests (CRSRs)

Child Protective Services Handbook, 6451 When a Youth in Substitute Care is Pregnant or Parenting

4561.4 Youth in Conservatorship Abuses or Neglects Own Child

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When it is alleged that a youth parent in DFPS conservatorship abused or neglected the youth’s own child, the intake specialist bases some parts of the assessment on whether the youth’s child is also in DFPS conservatorship.

The intake specialist looks at the case history for the youth’s child to determine whether the child is in DFPS conservatorship, as follows:

A youth’s child who is not in DFPS conservatorship, but who has an active substitute care (SUB) stage for placement with the youth, appears as SUB C-PB in case history.
A child who is in DFPS conservatorship appears as SUB REG in case history.

The intake specialist completes one Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) intake if both the youth parent and the youth’s child are in DFPS conservatorship. The youth parent and child are alleged victims (VCs) of neglectful supervision (NSUP), and the adult caregiver is the alleged perpetrator (AP).

If the youth parent is in DFPS conservatorship but the youth’s child is not, the intake specialist completes two intakes, as follows:

A CPI intake with the youth parent as the AP of abuse or neglect and the youth’s child as the VC. The case name is the name of the youth parent.
An RCCI intake with the youth parent’s caregiver as the AP of NSUP and the youth parent as the only VC.

The intake specialist also completes an I&R CVS Caseworker Notification for any child or youth in DFPS conservatorship who is a principal (PRN) in an intake.

See:

9222 Alleged Perpetrator (AP)

4562 Child Removed by Non-DFPS Entities

4562.1 Court-Ordered Investigations or Removals

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist completes a priority 1 (P1) intake if a court orders an investigation into alleged abuse or neglect, or a removal.

The intake specialist completes a case-related special request (CRSR) using the Court Ordered Request (C-CO) type if a court orders intervention not alleging abuse or neglect.

4562.2 Children Placed in a Shelter by Law Enforcement

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist first assesses whether there is abuse or neglect when a law enforcement officer places a child in an emergency shelter and calls SWI.

The intake specialist completes:

A priority 1 (P1) intake if abuse or neglect is alleged.
A case-related special request (CRSR) – Req for Local Public Svc (C-PB), if there are no allegations but law enforcement requests assistance from CPI.

4563 Youth in the Custody of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD)

SWI Policy and Procedures March 2026

Youth in the custody of the TJJD may not have an appropriate home to which they may return upon release from a state-run TJJD facility. The TJJD staff attempts to find family members or other appropriate placements for these youth upon release. If unsuccessful, TJJD requests CPI assistance. This policy does not apply to county juvenile detention centers.

If the report includes allegations of abuse or neglect, the intake specialist assesses the situation according to standard procedures.

If there are no concerns of abuse or neglect, and the request is 90 days or less from the youth’s release date, the intake specialist does the following:

Completes and closes an I&R Matter Referred On.
Sends an email to the Policy and Performance Management (PPM) unit mailbox with the request and the report ID. PPM will complete the appropriate case-related special request (CRSR).

If the request is 91 days or more before the youth’s release date, the intake specialist informs the caller of the timeline, if able, and completes an I&R Clearly Not Reportable – Re: Children.

4564 Placement Assistance for Therapeutic Needs

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2023

When a parent or legal guardian is seeking therapeutic services for a child who has unmet emotional or behavioral health needs, there may be resources available to provide assistance through DFPS referrals.

4564.1 Residential Treatment Center Project

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When community-based programs are unable to meet the child’s needs, DFPS may explore seeking temporary legal custody to help the parent or legal guardian meet the child’s therapeutic needs. A court may grant temporary legal custody in either of the following ways:

Joint managing conservatorship (JMC) shared between the parent or guardian and DFPS.
Temporary managing conservatorship (TMC) given to DFPS while the child receives therapeutic services.

The intake specialist bases the assessment on all of the following factors:

Relationship of the requester to the child.
Reason for the placement assistance.
Whether the child was adopted from DFPS conservatorship.
Whether abuse or neglect is alleged, in addition to the placement request.

See 4564.3 Assessing Reports Involving Placement Assistance for Therapeutic Needs.

The Residential Treatment Center Project allows a child who needs therapeutic placement to receive intensive mental health care in a residential treatment center (RTC), while the child’s parent or guardian maintains legal responsibility. If the family lives in Texas, and the child’s emotional or behavioral needs cannot be met in a family setting, Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) may be able to provide the family with an out-of-home placement for the child through this project.

When a parent, guardian, or mental health professional requests therapeutic placement for a child, the intake specialist does one of the following:

If there are allegations of abuse or neglect, assesses according to standard procedures. This includes situations where a parent or guardian refuses to assume parental responsibility (RAPR).
If there are no allegations of abuse or neglect, refers the parent, guardian, or mental health professional to the local mental health authority (LMHA) or local behavioral health authority (LBHA) to ask for a referral to the Residential Treatment Center Project. The intake specialist completes an I&R Matter Referred On and closes the information and referral (I&R) report.

The LMHA or LBHA sends the referral directly to HHSC. For a listing of LMHAs and LBHAs, see the Find Your Local Mental Health or Behavioral Health Authority webpage.

See Child Protective Services Handbook, 2390 Working with Families Seeking Assistance with Mental Health Services for Children with Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED).

4564.2 Post-Adoption Substitute Care Services

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

An adoptive parent who adopted a child from DFPS conservatorship may become unable to care for the child because of the child’s therapeutic needs, including the following:

Emotional or behavioral issues related to trauma experienced before the adoptive placement.
Genetic issues not known before consummation of the adoption.

The adoptive parent may contact DFPS to request placement of the adopted child for therapeutic or behavioral reasons. Families must meet specific criteria to qualify for post-adoption substitute care services. However, the intake specialist is not required to determine whether a family meets the criteria.

When an adoptive parent requests therapeutic placement for the adopted child, the intake specialist uses the following sections to assess the report.

See Child Protective Services Handbook, 6951 Post-Adoption Substitute Care (Return to Care).

4564.21 Assessing Reports for Post-Adoption Substitute Care

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Families must meet specific criteria to qualify for Post-Adoption Substitute Care services. The intake specialist is not required to determine if the family meets the criteria.

The intake specialist assesses according to standard procedures when an adoptive parent of a child adopted through DFPS seeks placement of a child for therapeutic needs. Assessment depends on whether allegations of abuse or neglect are present.

No Allegations of Abuse or Neglect

When an adoptive parent requests a therapeutic placement, there are no allegations of abuse or neglect against the adoptive parent, and the presenting problems are solely the result of emotional or behavioral issues, the intake specialist does as follows:

Completes a CPI intake alleging refusal to assume parental responsibility (RAPR) without assigning an alleged perpetrator (AP).
Documents the adoptive parent’s person type as principal (PRN) with a role of unknown (UK).
Assesses priority based on how quickly the child requires out-of-home placement.

See Child Protective Services Handbook, 6951 Post-Adoption Substitute Care (Return to Care).

Allegations of Abuse or Neglect

If there is alleged abuse or neglect by the adoptive parent, in addition to the adoptive parent’s request for placement assistance, the intake specialist does as follows:

Completes a CPI intake.
Assigns roles according to the abuse or neglect allegations.
Includes the allegation of RAPR but does not assign an AP. This allows CPS to assess the case for the placement program, if appropriate.

4564.3 Assessing Reports Involving Placement Assistance for Therapeutic Needs

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist refers to the table below to determine how to assess a report involving placement assistance for therapeutic needs. Assessment depends on all of the following factors:

Relationship of the requester to the child.
Reason for the placement assistance.
Whether the child was adopted from DFPS conservatorship.
Whether abuse or neglect is alleged, in addition to the placement request.

Placement Assistance for Therapeutic Needs Table
Requester	Reason for Placement Assistance	Child Adopted from DFPS Conservatorship	Allegation of Abuse or Neglect	Assessment and Processing
Adoptive parent	Therapeutic or behavior reasons	Yes	Yes	CPI intake. Include refusal to assume parental responsibility (RAPR) allegation with no alleged perpetrator (AP). Assess allegations and assign roles according to standard procedures. Assess priority according to standard procedures and how soon placement is needed.
Adoptive parent	Therapeutic or behavior reasons	Yes	No, and the problems are solely the result of emotional, behavioral, or genetic issues	CPI intake. Include RAPR allegation with no AP. Assign adoptive parent’s person type as principal (PRN) and role as unknown (UK). Assess priority based on how soon placement is needed.
Parent, guardian, or mental health professional	Therapeutic or behavior reasons; request for referral to Residential Treatment Center Project	No	Yes	CPI intake. Assess allegations, roles, and priority according to standard procedures. Do not refer caller to LMHA or LBHA.
Parent, guardian, or mental health professional	Therapeutic or behavior reasons; request for referral to Residential Treatment Center Project	No	No, and the problems are solely the result of emotional, behavioral, or genetic issues	I&R Matter Referred On Refer caller to LMHA or LBHA for referral to the Residential Treatment Center Project. Close the information and referral (I&R) report.
Requester	Reason for Placement Assistance	Child Adopted from DFPS Conservatorship	Allegation of Abuse or Neglect	Assessment and Processing

4570 Reports Involving Family Violence

4571 Physical Abuse (PHAB) as a Result of Exposure to Family Violence

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist considers any of the following factors when a child is injured during family violence:

The age of the child.
The severity of the injury.
The presence of special needs or disabilities.
Direct threats of physical harm to the child.

The intake specialist completes an intake for PHAB when:

Family violence results in any physical injury to a child aged five or younger, or a child of any age with special needs or a disability that raises the child’s level of vulnerability.
Family violence results in a substantial physical injury to a child of any age.
A caregiver threatens to kill or substantially harm a child, and factors indicate the following:
- A reasonable likelihood that the caregiver may follow through with the threat.
- The child shows genuine fear of harm.

See 4574 Designating Roles for Family Violence-Related Intakes.

4572 Neglectful Supervision (NSUP) as a Result of Exposure to Family Violence

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist considers any of the following factors when assessing for NSUP:

The child’s level of vulnerability.
Any injuries sustained by the child.
The severity or potential severity of injury to the caregiver by the alleged perpetrator (AP). This is an indicator of the level of violence, which helps the intake specialist determine the threat of harm to the child.
The proximity of the child to the violence. Proximity is defined as the child being in a location that reasonably places the child at risk of bodily injury or substantial risk of immediate harm in relation to the level of violence.

Circumstances in which the intake specialist completes an intake for NSUP include, but are not limited to:

A household member assaults a caregiver and causes or may have caused severe injury that would prevent the caregiver from providing appropriate care and supervision for a child.
A caregiver is in proximity of a child while committing family violence that has the potential to cause serious harm to the child, such as:
- Throwing objects.
- Using weapons or objects to harm or threaten others.
- Striking others when a child is likely to be hit.
A child, of any age, attempts to physically intervene in the family violence.
A child, age five or older, sustains a minor injury from exposure to family violence, but the severity of the incident could have resulted in a more serious injury. If a child younger than five is injured, see 4571 Physical Abuse (PHAB) as a Result of Exposure to Family Violence.

See 4574 Designating Roles for Family Violence-Related Intakes.

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.477

4573 Emotional Abuse (EMAB) as a Result of Exposure to Family Violence

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist uses professional judgment to identify behaviors and determine whether these behaviors present an observable and material impairment to the child’s growth, development, or psychological functioning.

The intake specialist explores the child’s behaviors to look for a link between the violence and the child’s behaviors when assessing for EMAB as a result of exposure to family violence.

See

4211 Emotional Abuse (EMAB)

4574 Designating Roles for Family Violence-Related Intakes

Texas Family Code §261.001(1)(A)(B)

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.477

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.453

4574 Designating Roles for Family Violence-Related Intakes

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist considers specific criteria in the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) when identifying alleged perpetrators (APs) of family violence. Information to support TAC definitions may not be known at intake. Once abuse or neglect has been determined, the intake specialist makes the following designations:

The role of the AP based on which adult caused harm to another adult in a way that presented a safety threat to a child.
The role of the adult victim of family violence as unknown (UK), which allows CPI to change the role after the caseworker assesses the entire situation and determines whether specific criteria outlined in 40 Texas Administrative Code §707.477 are applicable.

The intake specialist does not consider the frequency of occurrence when designating roles. Additionally, the actions of the adult victim of family violence in defending herself, himself, or the children should not be considered as “engaging” or “participating” in family violence.

Both adults may be designated a role of AP in the following situations:

Both have caused harm during separate incidents.
One adult demonstrated aggression, but the other adult intensified the violence beyond what was necessary for self-protection. For example, the mother pushes the aunt and then walks away. The aunt responds by grabbing a hammer and hitting mother in the head.

4580 Motorized Vehicles (Including ATVs)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

CPI generally does not investigate situations related to traffic violations, such as driving without proper car seats, use of seatbelts, or speeding with a child in the vehicle. Law enforcement agencies have criminal jurisdiction to investigate these cases. The intake specialist requests additional information and considers all other factors to determine if the situation falls under CPI jurisdiction to investigate.

4581 Driving without a Car Seat or Seat Belt

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Though failing to secure a young child in a car seat or with a seat belt is against Texas law, this alone does not meet the legal definition of child abuse or neglect.

When SWI receives a report that alleges the parents or caregivers did not secure their child with a car seat or seat belt, the intake specialist:

Gathers additional information.
Assesses the situation according to standard procedures.

The intake specialist completes an intake if an unrestrained child is injured or dies in a traffic accident only when there are additional safety issues such as:

The parent was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the car accident.
The parent knowingly took unsafe actions that directly placed the child in substantial danger of harm, such as trying to outrun police in a car chase or using their vehicle as a weapon.

4582 Caregiver Driving While under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist focuses the interview on how the caregiver’s substance use affects his or her ability to care for the child and how the caregiver’s behavior affects the safety of the child.

Law Enforcement Reporting

The intake specialist is not required to establish potential harm or patterns of behavior when law enforcement reports a caregiver driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol with a child in the car. Law enforcement officials provide a professional opinion as to the caregiver’s impairment. When law enforcement reports these situations, the intake specialist assesses an intake.

All Other Reporters

The intake specialist requests additional information to establish whether the situation falls under CPI jurisdiction when the reporter is not law enforcement.

Relevant factors may include, but are not limited to:

How the caregiver acts or drives while under the influence.
Frequency of occurrence.
If the child has been injured.

4583 Child Left Alone in a Vehicle

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist assesses situations involving a child left unsupervised in a vehicle and relevant safety factors before determining whether the incident falls under CPI jurisdiction.

Safety factors the intake specialist considers include, but are not limited to:

Age and capabilities of the child.
Sufficiency of ventilation.
Time left alone in the vehicle.
Temperature and weather outside.
Location of the vehicle.
The child’s physical and emotional condition (overheated, scared, worried).
Whether the child is participating in dangerous behaviors (playing with the vehicle’s controls, climbing in the trunk, exiting the vehicle).

Any combination of these factors may warrant an intake. The intake specialist completes a thorough interview to fully assess each situation on a case-by-case basis.

4600 CPI and CPS Special Topics – Part 2

SWI Policy and Procedures December 2020

The following are topics specific to CPI and CPS.

4610 Locating Families

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When a report is made concerning a child or family who was previously involved with CPI or CPS but is now missing, CPI or CPS must respond as quickly as possible. These types of cases are identified in IMPACT by:

A red sunburst on an Unable to Complete (UTC) or Unable to Locate (UTL) case.
The Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) designation.

Both designations require special procedures.

4611 Red Sunburst Indicator

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When a CPI investigation is closed with a disposition of Unable to Complete (UTC) or an Alternative Response (AR) stage is closed with a case closure of Unable to Locate (UTL), and the investigation (INV) or AR stage was completed within the past 12 months, a red sunburst indicator may display next to the case number on the Case List page. Not every case with a UTC disposition or UTL case closure will have a red sunburst. The red sunburst designation is removed from the case after a year has passed, since the last INV or AR stage. SWI only follows UTC procedures when a UTC case or UTL AR stage is designated with a red sunburst.

A case might have both Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) and red sunburst designations. In those situations, the intake specialist follows CSCAL procedures.

See Child Protective Services Handbook, 3110 Purpose of the Child Safety Check Alert List.

4611.1 Red Sunburst without Unable to Complete (UTC) Disposition

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When a red sunburst is found during a history search on any principal (PRN) and a UTC disposition is not shown next to the case number on the Case List page, the case is likely in the Alternative Response (AR) stage. When a family in an AR stage is uncooperative, the case is sent to investigation, where a UTC disposition might be assigned. When the family cannot be located, an AR stage is closed with an Unable to Locate (UTL) case closure. This case closure in an AR stage generates the red sunburst designation. Case closures for AR stages are in the Case Management tab of IMPACT.

The intake specialist follows instructions for UTC or UTL procedures when any case, including an AR stage, is designated with a red sunburst. A case might have both Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) and red sunburst designations. In those situations, the intake specialist follows CSCAL procedures.

4611.2 Unable to Complete (UTC) and Unable to Locate (UTL) Procedures

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When a red sunburst is found during a history search on any principal (PRN) in the Unable to Complete (UTC) or Unable to Locate(UTL) case, the intake specialist determines whether CPI has initiated an investigation since the family’s most recent UTC or UTL closure. The intake specialist then follows the instructions under the applicable subheading below.

Investigation Since Unable to Complete (UTC) or Unable to Locate (UTL)

The intake specialist assesses and processes the report according to standard procedures if CPI has initiated an investigation since the family’s most recent UTC or UTL closure.

No Investigation Since Unable to Complete (UTC) or Unable to Locate (UTL)

The intake specialist follows the instructions under the applicable scenario (A, B, or C) below if CPI has not initiated an investigation since the family’s most recent UTC or UTL closure.

Exception for Anonymous Reports

When the reporter is anonymous, the intake specialist follows instructions under scenarios A and C only. DFPS cannot accept anonymous reports of child abuse or neglect under CPI’s jurisdiction. If an anonymous reporter discloses new allegations (scenario B) that meet the legal definition of child abuse or neglect, the intake specialist completes an I&R Refused to Report.

See:

2122.7 Anonymous Reporter Reveals Enough Information to Find an Existing Child Protective Investigations (CPI) Case

See 4615 Not Enough Locating Information for a CPI Intake.

Scenario A: New Locating Information and No New Allegations

If CPI has not initiated an investigation since the UTC or UTL closure, the reporter is providing new locating information, and there are no new allegations, the intake specialist does as follows:

Duplicates the intake through the New Using feature.
Updates the existing information, for all persons, to reflect the new locating information.
Manually changes the county, if the updated locating information is out of state and assigns the new intake to the county that investigated the UTC or UTL case.
Assesses a priority 1 (P1).
Documents the following in the Conclusion section of the narrative: “Per UTC/UTL policy, this is being entered as a P1 intake.”
Auto-assigns the intake. If auto-assign is not available, refer to the Assignment Charts.
Completes an I&R to Existing CPS Case to the new intake that was generated in the first step above. This information and referral (I&R) report documents the contact that led to the new P1 intake.
Auto-assigns the I&R.
Gives the reporter the report ID for the I&R when the reporter is not anonymous.

Scenario B: New Allegations

If CPI has not initiated an investigation since the UTC or UTL closure, and there are new allegations, whether the reporter can or cannot provide current locating information, the intake specialist does as follows:

Completes a new P1 intake.
Documents the current locating information if the reporter provides it. If the reporter does not provide new locating information, he or she documents the most recent locating information from IMPACT.
Documents the current allegations.
Documents the following in the Conclusion section of the narrative: “Per UTC/UTL policy, this intake is being entered as a P1.” It is not necessary to complete a separate I&R.
Auto-assigns the intake.

See exception for anonymous reports above under No Investigation Since Unable to Complete (UTC) or Unable to Locate (UTL) subheading.

Scenario C: No New Locating Information and No New Allegations

If CPI has not initiated an investigation since the UTC or UTL closure, the reporter cannot provide new locating information, and there are no new allegations, the intake specialist completes the I&R type that is most relevant to the situation.

SWI does not generate a case-related special request (CRSR) for the following reasons:

CPI field staff already conducted a Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS) search.
CPI field staff exhausted all other methods for locating the family.

The intake specialist refers to the table below for additional guidance in processing UTC or UTL reports.

Case Stage	Sunburst	Procedures
Closed UTC or UTL	No	Follow standard assessing and processing procedures. Justification: The case is not flagged with a sunburst.
Closed UTC or UTL	Yes	Follow UTC or UTL procedures outlined in this section. Justification: The fact that the case is flagged with a red sunburst indicates that it has been less than 12 months since CPI last had contact with the family.
Closed UTC or UTL and current Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) designation	Yes	Follow CSCAL procedures outlined in 4612.1 Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) Reported by Law Enforcement and 4612.2 Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) Discovered During Routine History Search. Justification: CSCAL procedures take precedence over UTC or UTL procedures.

Case Stage

Sunburst

Procedures

Closed UTC or UTL

Follow standard assessing and processing procedures.

Justification: The case is not flagged with a sunburst.

Closed UTC or UTL

Yes

Follow UTC or UTL procedures outlined in this section.

Justification: The fact that the case is flagged with a red sunburst indicates that it has been less than 12 months since CPI last had contact with the family.

Closed UTC or UTL and current Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) designation

Yes

Follow CSCAL procedures outlined in 4612.1 Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) Reported by Law Enforcement and 4612.2 Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) Discovered During Routine History Search.

Justification: CSCAL procedures take precedence over UTC or UTL procedures.

4612 The Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) Program

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) runs CSCAL, an automated program that helps DFPS find families that move and cannot be located, for purposes of:

Investigating a report of child abuse or neglect.
Alternative Response (AR).
Providing protective services to a family receiving family-based support services.
Providing, in limited circumstances, protective services to the family of a child who is in the managing conservatorship of DFPS.

Texas Family Code §261.3022

The CSCAL designation is displayed as Special Handling on the Case Summary page as Child Safety Check Alert List. In addition to the CSCAL designation, a red sunburst may also be present in case history, indicating the case has a disposition of Unable to Complete (UTC) or Unable to Locate (UTL). The intake specialist follows CSCAL procedures when a case reflects both designations.

4612.1 Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) Reported by Law Enforcement

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When law enforcement encounters a person with a CSCAL designation, he or she reports the information to SWI.

The intake specialist:

Gathers identifying and locating information for each person on the CSCAL.
Requests the DFPS case number or the originating case agency (OCA) number. OCA is the term some law enforcement agencies use to refer to the DFPS case number.
Performs a case or person search to determine if the people on the CSCAL are principals (PRNs) in an open or closed CPS case in IMPACT.

Principal (PRN) Match Found

Regardless of CSCAL designation in IMPACT, if the people named in the CSCAL are listed as PRNs in any open or closed CPS case, the intake specialist:

Tells law enforcement that he or she will immediately contact the local CPI office to relay the information.
Requests law enforcement stay with the PRNs and wait for contact from the local CPI office. If law enforcement cannot stay or already let the PRNs go, the procedures for the intake specialist are the same.
Uses the table below to complete the report.

If:	Then the intake specialist:
There are no new allegations, and the case is open.	Completes an I&R to Existing CPS Case. Selects the CSCAL Disaster Relief code option. Calls out the report to the county where the PRNs are located. This may not be the same county as the open CPS case found in IMPACT. Assigns the information and referral (I&R) report to the CPI staff contacted.
There are no new allegations, and the case is closed.	Using the current date, duplicates the most recent intake from the case with a CSCAL designation by copying the Report Information page, and the Person, Allegation, and Narrative sections. Assesses a priority 1. Selects the CSCAL Disaster Relief code option. Documents “P1 per CSCAL procedures” in the Conclusion section of the narrative. Calls out the report to the county where the PRNs are located. This may not be the same county as the closed CPS case found in IMPACT. Assigns the intake to the CPI staff contacted. Completes an additional I&R to Existing CPS Case. This I&R documents the report that led to the new CSCAL intake. The existing CPS case is the duplicated case that is now open. Auto-assigns the I&R to the field. Provides the report ID for the I&R to the reporter.
There are new allegations, and the case is open or closed.	Completes a CPI intake. Documents all applicable allegations. Assesses a priority 1. Selects the CSCAL Disaster Relief code option. Documents “P1 per CSCAL procedures” in the Conclusion section of the narrative. Calls out the report to the county where the PRNs are located. This may not be the same county as the previous CPS case found in IMPACT. Assigns the intake to the CPI staff contacted.

No Match Found or Collateral (COL) Match Only

The intake specialist may not find a person search match or may find that the person searched is only a COL in the CSCAL case. When this happens, the intake specialist selects CSCAL from the Disaster Relief code drop-down menu on the Report Information page but otherwise assesses the current information according to standard procedures.

4612.2 Child Safety Check Alert List (CSCAL) Discovered During Routine History Search

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist might discover a CSCAL designation when performing a routine history search. The intake specialist determines whether any people in the current report are principals (PRNs) in the case with the CSCAL designation.

Principal (PRN) Match Found and Current Locating Information

When a routine history search reveals that people in a current report are PRNs in a CPS case with a CSCAL designation, the intake specialist uses the table below to complete the report. This applies even when the family’s current location is out of state.

Exception for Anonymous Reports

When the reporter is anonymous, the intake specialist follows instructions in the table below only when there are no new allegations. DFPS cannot accept anonymous reports of child abuse or neglect under CPI’s jurisdiction. If an anonymous reporter discloses new allegations that meet the legal definition of child abuse or neglect, the intake specialist completes an I&R Refused to Report.

See:

2122.7 Anonymous Reporter Reveals Enough Information to Find an Existing Child Protective Investigations (CPI) Case

If:	And:	Then the intake specialist:
There are no new allegations.	The case is open.	Completes an I&R to Existing CPS Case. Documents “CSCAL designation found in case history” in the Conclusion section of the narrative. Manually assigns the information and referral (I&R) to the Immediate Call-Out workload.
There are no new allegations.	The case is closed.	Using the current date, duplicates the most recent intake from the case with a CSCAL designation by copying the Reporter Information, Allegation, and Narrative sections. Assesses a priority 1. Documents “CSCAL designation found in case history” in the Conclusion section of the narrative. Auto-assigns the intake. Completes an additional I&R to Existing CPS Case. This I&R documents the report that led to the CSCAL case. The existing case is the duplicated case that is now open. Auto-assigns the I&R to the field. Provides the report ID for the I&R to the reporter when the reporter is not anonymous.
There are new allegations.	The case is open or closed.	Completes a CPI intake. Documents all applicable allegations. Assesses a priority 1. Documents “CSCAL designation found in case history” in the Conclusion section of the narrative. Auto-assigns the intake. See exception for anonymous reports above.

Principal (PRN) Match Found and No Locating Information

The intake specialist processes the report as an I&R most applicable to the situation if the reporter could not provide current locating information, even when there are new allegations, and whether the previous case is currently open or closed. SWI does not generate a case-related special request (CRSR) because CPI staff has already exhausted all other methods for locating the family.

When the reporter is anonymous, the intake specialist completes the most applicable I&R type based on what information the reporter discloses.

See:

2122.7 Anonymous Reporter Reveals Enough Information to Find an Existing Child Protective Investigations (CPI) Case

See 2480 Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS) Searches.

Collateral (COL) Match Found

When a routine history search reveals that the person searched is a COL in a CSCAL designated case, the intake specialist:

Does not follow CSCAL procedures.
Assesses and prioritizes the current information according to standard procedures.

4613 Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Unable to Locate Parent or Guardian of a Child in an Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with an Intellectual Disability (ICF/IID) or Nursing Facility

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

HHSC staff sends a referral to the SWI support mailbox when either of the following are true:

An intermediate care facility (ICF) was unable to locate a parent or guardian for a child with an intellectual disability or related condition for a full year.
A nursing facility is unable to locate a resident child’s parent or guardian for a full year.

In these cases, the intake specialist:

Completes a priority 2 (P2) intake with an allegation of abandonment (ABAN).
Designates the HHSC staff submitting the referral as the reporter.
Documents in the narrative that the referral is in accordance with Texas Government Code §546.0221.
Assigns the report to the parent or guardian’s last known county of residence or to the county where the facility is located, if HHSC is unable to provide the parent or guardian’s last known county of residence.
Emails the attachments completed and sent by HHSC to the CPI routing coordinator (RC) of the region to which the intake was sent.

4614 Limited Locating Information

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When a reporter has limited locating information, the intake specialist asks the reporter whether he or she has any of the following information:

Directions to the home.
Post office box or rural route address.
Child’s school or day care, including name, address, or location.
Workplaces of the household members, including name, address, or location.
Location other than the residence, including specific dates or times when the child or household members are at this location.
Texas license plate number.

The intake specialist completes an intake when sufficient locating information is obtained. If the intake specialist is unable to complete an intake, he or she follows the instructions in 4615 Not Enough Locating Information for a CPI Intake and its subsections.

Child Is Believed to Be Unhoused

Being unhoused is not a sole qualifier for an intake because the child is not always in a state of abuse or neglect. The intake specialist explores the safety of the child and the impact being unhoused has on him or her. The child may be otherwise healthy and well-cared-for, despite the family’s situation.

The intake specialist asks for additional information to help locate the child when there are abuse or neglect allegations and the family is believed to be unhoused. This includes the following:

A physical description of the child.
The current location of the child, if known.
A summary of the family’s habits or patterns, including specific locations, dates, and times the family frequents.

The intake specialist completes a CPI intake if the reporter provides enough information to expect that the child can be identified and located. If the intake specialist is unable to complete an intake, he or she follows 4615 Not Enough Locating Information for a CPI Intake and its subsections.

4615 Not Enough Locating Information for a CPI Intake

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The reporter may be unable to provide sufficient locating information to process an intake. When this occurs, the intake specialist does as follows:

Searches in IMPACT and on the internet.
Requests a TIERS search. See 4615.1 Requesting a Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS) Search.
Sends a group message to Support Staff in Teams to request a license plate search, if that is the only information available. See 2490 License Plate Searches.

The intake specialist completes an I&R Clearly Not Reportable Re: Children when both of the following are true:

There is no locating information available.
The reporter is not able to provide the full name (first and last) of any of the following people:
- An alleged perpetrator (AP).
- An alleged victim (VC).
- Any adult household member of a VC or AP.

4615.1 Requesting a Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS) Search

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist sends a group message to Support Staff in Teams to request a TIERS search when all of the following apply:

There is not enough locating information to complete an intake about a child.
The family lives in Texas, or it appears likely that the family lives in Texas.
The intake specialist has obtained the first and last name of at least one of the following people:
- Alleged perpetrator (AP).
- Alleged victim (VC).
- Adult household member of a VC or AP.

The intake specialist provides the report ID and all other information that support staff requests.

Successful TIERS Search

If the search is successful, support staff provides the locating information to the intake specialist, and the intake specialist completes the intake.

Unsuccessful TIERS Search

If the search is unsuccessful, support staff notifies the intake specialist, who then completes a case-related special request (CRSR) Req for Local Public Svc (C-PB) and submits it to the Supervisor Approval workload.

4615.2 Processing a Case-Related Special Request (CRSR) Completed Due to a Lack of Locating Information

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Before completing a CRSR due to a lack of locating information, the intake specialist follows the steps in 2480 Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System (TIERS) Searches.

If a CRSR Req for Local Public Svc (C-PB) is appropriate, the intake specialist does as follows:

Completes the Report Information page. The intake specialist documents Travis County as the county and Other as the Address Type for the person chosen as the case name.
Submits the CRSR to the Supervisor Approval workload.
Notifies the Floor Support channel in Teams that he or she submitted a CRSR completed due to a lack of locating information.

The intake supervisor then does as follows:

Follows the instructions in the Close a Case-Related Special Request section of the SWI IMPACT User Guide on the DFPS intranet and selects the reason Services Completed.
Completes the CRSR Lack of Locating Notification Form on the Templates and Forms resource on the DFPS intranet, which notifies support staff that the CRSR requires action.

Support staff sends the information to Family Inquiry Network/Database Research System (FINDRS) to request assistance in obtaining locating information. FINDRS sends a reply email with the results to each person on the CRSR Lack of Locating Notification form distribution list.

4615.3 Processing Results of the Family Inquiry Network/Database Research System (FINDRS) Search

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Upon receipt of a response from FINDRS, the following steps occur:

Support staff notifies the intake supervisor or worker V who initiated the case-related special request (CRSR) Lack of Locating Notification CRSR Form to FINDRS that the results were received, so that he or she is aware it is in progress. There is no expectation for the original intake supervisor or worker V to take additional action.
Support staff notifies Workforce Management (WFM) and provides the RightFax number associated with the response.
WFM assigns the RightFax number to a designated intake specialist for processing.
The intake specialist uses the RightFax number to access the report from the Mail/Fax workload in IMPACT and completes an intake or information and referral (I&R), depending on the results.

The information from FINDRS contains the original report ID or the case number, and the new locating information, if any.

Successful FINDRS Search

If the FINDRS search results contain new locating information, the intake specialist does as follows:

Duplicates the original report with the New Using function.
Enters the new locating information.
Completes an intake.

See 2812 Duplicating a Report (New Using).

Unsuccessful FINDRS Search

The intake specialist completes an I&R Clearly Not Reportable - Re: Children if the FINDRS search does not find any new locating information. He or she does not duplicate the original report.

4620 Methamphetamine Labs

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist completes an intake when there is an allegation that a child is exposed to methamphetamine manufacturing (commonly known as meth labs).

Prioritization

The intake specialist completes a priority 1 (P1) intake when a law enforcement official or representative (such as victim services) informs SWI that police are at a home or are planning to respond to a home where methamphetamines are being manufactured and a child is present.

When a reporter other than law enforcement reports suspicion that methamphetamines are being manufactured in the home, the intake specialist requests detailed information about the following:

The location of the lab in the home.
When and how often the drug is being made.
Where the chemicals are stored.
Whether there is a chemical odor in the home.
Whether the child has access to the chemicals or processing equipment.
Whether the child has sustained harm as a result of the manufacturing.

The intake specialist uses the information obtained from above to assess the priority according to standard procedures.

Special Handling

The intake specialist documents suspected manufacturing of methamphetamine as follows:

Marks the Special Handling checkbox.
Documents brief comments, such as the location of the lab, in the Special Handling Comments box on the Intake Actions page and in the narrative.

See:

2660 Special Handling

2666 Suspected Manufacturing of Methamphetamines

4630 Child Death

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist is required to consult (staff) with an intake supervisor, worker V, or acting supervisor for any report of a child death. An intake specialist who is an acting supervisor does not have to consult on child death reports, but may do so, if needed.

When an intake is assessed, the staffing supervisor, worker V, or acting supervisor does as follows:

Consults the Child Death Reports & Notifications guidelines.
Completes notification if required.

See:

4631 Death of a Child Not in DFPS Conservatorship

4632 Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship

4631 Death of a Child Not in DFPS Conservatorship

SWI Policy and Procedures June 2026

The intake specialist assesses any report involving a child’s death, regardless of how much time has passed since the child’s death. The intake specialist’s assessment depends on the following factors:

Whether the situation is under CPI jurisdiction.
Whether the child’s death was investigated previously.
Whether there are allegations of current abuse or neglect of other living children.
Whether there are allegations of past abuse or neglect of the deceased child or other living children in the current report.
Whether the reported information indicates abuse or neglect was or was not a contributing factor in the child’s death.

The intake specialist reviews CPI Investigation (INV) stages to determine whether the child’s death was investigated previously.

A child’s death is considered investigated previously when either of the following applies:

There is a closed INV stage involving the child’s death.
There is a merged case still open, but the INV stage involving the child’s death is closed.

A child’s death is not considered investigated previously when either of the following applies:

There is an open INV stage involving the child’s death.
There is an open or closed case-related special request (CRSR) involving the child’s death.

4631.1 Priority 1 (P1)

SWI Policy and Procedures June 2026

The intake specialist completes an intake as a P1 when a reporter mentions the death of a child and all the following conditions apply:

The situation is under CPI jurisdiction.
CPI has not previously investigated the child’s death.
It is alleged or suspected that abuse or neglect was a contributing factor in the child’s death.

The intake may include allegations of current or past abuse or neglect of other living children. The intake specialist designates the oldest victim child, living or deceased, as the oldest victim (OV) on the person list.

4631.2 Case-Related Special Request (CRSR)

SWI Policy and Procedures June 2026

The intake specialist completes a CRSR – Req for Local Public Svc (C-PB) when any reporter (professional or non-professional) mentions the death of a child and all the following conditions apply:

The situation is under CPI jurisdiction.
CPI has not previously investigated the child’s death.
Either of the following situations applies:
- The reporter is unable to provide information that clearly indicates abuse or neglect was or was not a contributing factor in the child’s death.
- The cause of death is unknown at the time of intake.
There are no allegations of current abuse or neglect of other living children.
There are no allegations of past abuse or neglect of the deceased child or other living children in the current report. Past IMPACT history is not considered in determining whether this condition applies.

In this situation, the intake specialist completes a CRSR because further review is needed by CPI. If CPI obtains information that abuse or neglect contributed to the child’s death, a CPI staff member contacts SWI to request a reentry of the CRSR as an intake.

See:

2851 Reasons for a Reentry

2865.1 Reentering a Child Death Case-Related Special Request (CRSR) as an Intake

4631.3 Current Allegations for Living Children with Vague Child Death Information

SWI Policy and Procedures June 2026

The intake specialist completes an intake when the reporter mentions the death of a child and all the following conditions apply:

The situation is under CPI jurisdiction.
The reporter is unable to provide information that clearly indicates abuse or neglect was a contributing factor in the child’s death.
There are allegations of current abuse or neglect of other living children.

A previous or current CPI investigation involving the child’s death is not an assessment factor in this situation because the information from the reporter is too vague. If there is an open CPI investigation related to the child’s death, the intake specialist documents it at the top of the narrative.

The intake specialist does as follows:

Completes an intake with priority based on the current safety threats to other living children.
Designates the oldest living victim child as the oldest victim (OV).
Does not include the deceased child on the person list.
Documents information about the child’s death only in the narrative.

4631.4 Current Allegations for Living Children with Clear Child Death Information Previously Investigated by CPI

SWI Policy and Procedures June 2026

The intake specialist completes an intake when the reporter mentions the death of a child and all the following conditions apply:

The situation is under CPI jurisdiction.
CPI previously investigated the child’s death and closed the Investigation (INV) stage.
Abuse or neglect is alleged or suspected as a contributing factor in the child’s death.
There are allegations of current abuse or neglect of other living children.

The intake specialist does as follows:

Completes an intake with priority based on the current safety threats to other living children.
Designates the oldest living victim child as the oldest victim (OV).
Does not include the deceased child on the person list.
Documents information about the child’s death only in the narrative.

4631.5 Priority None (PN)

SWI Policy and Procedures June 2026

The intake specialist completes an intake as a PN in the specific circumstances below using the following PN codes:

Child Death/Incident Addressed in Previous Case
Past Abuse/Neglect; No Current Safety Issues

Child Death/Incident Addressed in Previous Case

The intake specialist completes an intake as a PN with a PN code of Child Death/Incident Addressed in Previous Case when the reporter mentions the death of a child and all the following conditions apply:

The situation is under CPI jurisdiction.
CPI previously investigated the child’s death and closed the Investigation (INV) stage.
Abuse or neglect is alleged or suspected as a contributing factor in the child’s death.
There are no allegations of current abuse or neglect of other living children.
There are no allegations of past abuse or neglect of other living children in the current report. Past IMPACT history is not considered in determining whether this condition applies.

See 4333 Child Death/Incident Addressed in Previous Case.

Past Abuse/Neglect; No Current Safety Issues

The intake specialist completes an intake as a PN with a PN code of Past Abuse/Neglect; No Current Safety Issues when the reporter mentions the death of a child and all the following conditions apply:

The situation is under CPI jurisdiction.
The reporter is unable to provide information that clearly indicates abuse or neglect was or was not a contributing factor in the child’s death.
There are allegations of past abuse or neglect of the deceased child or other living children in the current report. Past IMPACT history is not considered in determining whether this condition applies.
There are no allegations of current abuse or neglect of other living children.

A previous or current CPI investigation involving the child’s death is not an assessment factor in this situation because allegations of past abuse or neglect in the current report allow the intake specialist to assess a PN.

See 4331 Past Abuse or Neglect; No Current Safety Issues.

4631.6 Information and Referral (I&R) Report

SWI Policy and Procedures June 2026

The intake specialist completes an I&R when the reporter mentions the death of a child and one or more of the following conditions apply:

The situation is not under CPI jurisdiction.
The child’s death is believed to be the result of natural causes.
No abuse or neglect is alleged or suspected as a contributing factor in the child’s death.
Information about the child’s death is vague, with limited or no details available. For example, the reporter discloses that a child died but does not know when the death occurred or under what circumstances.

In all situations above, both of the following conditions apply:

There are no allegations of current abuse or neglect of other living children.
There are no allegations of past abuse or neglect of the deceased child or other living children in the current report. Past IMPACT history is not considered in determining whether this condition applies.

The type of I&R the intake specialist completes depends on the situation.

4631.7 Child Death Assessment Table

SWI Policy and Procedures June 2026

The intake specialist uses the table below to determine how to assess a report involving the death of a child not in DFPS conservatorship. For the purposes of this table, assume CPI has jurisdiction in all of the situations, except the last one.

Situation Number	Child Death History	Current Abuse or Neglect of Other Living Children	Past Abuse or Neglect of Deceased Child or Other Living Children	Alleged or Suspected Abuse or Neglect Contributed to Death	Assessment
1	Never investigated.	Yes or No	Yes or No	Yes	P1
2	Never investigated.	No	No	Either of the following: It is unclear whether abuse or neglect did or did not contribute to the child’s death. The cause of death is unknown.	CRSR
3	Either of the following: Never investigated. Investigated and Investigation (INV) stage is closed.	Yes	Yes or No	It is unclear whether abuse or neglect contributed to the child’s death.	Intake based on current safety threats to other living children. Child death information documented only in the narrative.
4	Either of the following: Never investigated. Investigated and INV stage is closed.	No	Yes	It is unclear whether abuse or neglect contributed to the child’s death.	PN: Past Abuse/Neglect; No Current Safety Issues. Child death information documented only in the narrative.
5	Investigated and INV stage is closed.	Yes	Yes or No	Yes	Intake based on current safety threats to other living children. Child death information documented only in the narrative.
6	Investigated and INV stage is closed.	No	Yes, of deceased child only. No, of other living children.	Yes	PN: Child Death/Incident Addressed in Previous Case
7	Any of the following: Not CPI jurisdiction. Never investigated. Investigated and INV stage is closed.	No	No	Any of the following: Child’s death is believed to be the result of natural causes. No abuse or neglect is alleged or suspected. Information about the child’s death is vague, with limited or no details available.	I&R

4632 Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship

4632.1 Program Jurisdiction for the Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

A child in DFPS conservatorship often resides in a placement or other living arrangement that falls under the jurisdiction of various programs in DFPS and other state agencies. Each of these programs assesses a child’s death differently. The intake specialist determines the type of placement or living arrangement that the child was in at the time of death before completing a report for the death of a child in DFPS conservatorship. These types include the following:

An unlicensed placement (for example, the home of a kinship caregiver who is not verified as a foster parent).
A facility under the jurisdiction of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD).
A nursing home.
A facility under the jurisdiction of Child Care Investigations (CCI) (for example, a foster home or day care).
A facility or community provider under the jurisdiction of Provider Investigations (PI).

Notifying the Local CPS Office of the Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship

The intake specialist notifies the CPS office in the county that had conservatorship of the child who died, regardless of which agency or DFPS program has jurisdiction to investigate.

In most instances, the intake specialist makes this notification by completing an I&R to Existing CPS Case and an I&R CVS Caseworker Notification.

See:

4561 Children in DFPS Conservatorship

4561.1 Situations That Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case

4632.2 Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship in an Unlicensed Placement

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Unlicensed placements or living arrangements may include any of the following:

A child who lived in an unlicensed kinship placement not verified as a foster home.
A child who lived in the child’s family’s home.
A child who was on runaway status, with no licensed placement listed in IMPACT.
A child who died while hospitalized in a medical facility, and the hospital was listed in IMPACT as the child’s placement at the time of death.

The intake specialist completes a priority 1 (P1) intake for CPI if both of the following apply:

A child in DFPS conservatorship dies in a placement or living arrangement that does not require licensure. If the placement or living arrangement requires licensure but does not have a license, see:
CPI has not already investigated the death.

A P1 intake is required even if there is no indication that abuse, neglect, or exploitation was a contributing factor in the death.

The intake specialist also completes an I&R CVS Caseworker Notification.

The intake specialist also completes an I&R to Existing CPS Case if there is an open case involving the child in a different county than the county responsible for investigating the death. This information and referral (I&R) report is not needed if a CPI intake is going to the same county as the child’s conservatorship (CVS) case, and the only open stage of service is the substitute care (SUB) stage.

If there are no clear allegations, the intake specialist does as follows:

Selects the allegation most applicable to the situation.
Does not designate an alleged perpetrator (AP) on the person list.
Leaves the AP field on the Intake Actions page blank.

See:

3121 Specific Considerations for an I&R to Existing Case

4561.1 Situations That Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case

4632.3 Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship in a Facility under the Jurisdiction of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist refers the reporter to the administration of the TJJD facility and to the appropriate law enforcement agency when a child in DFPS conservatorship dies while incarcerated in a facility under the jurisdiction of TJJD.

The intake specialist completes the following:

An I&R to Existing CPS Case.
An I&R Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law to the law enforcement agency with criminal jurisdiction. This includes the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) – Joint Crime Information Center (JCIC) if the situation involves any human trafficking.
An I&R Matter Referred On to TJJD and assigns to the Faxing workload.

See:

3121 Specific Considerations for an I&R to Existing Case

3171 Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law

4561.1 Situations That Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case

4632.4 Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship in a Nursing Home

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist refers the reporter to Health and Human Services Complaint and Incident Intake (HHS CII) and to the appropriate law enforcement agency with criminal jurisdiction when a child in DFPS conservatorship dies while the child is a patient in a nursing home.

The intake specialist completes the following:

An I&R to Existing CPS Case.
An I&R Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law to the law enforcement agency with criminal jurisdiction. This includes the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) – Joint Crime Information Center (JCIC) if the situation involves any human trafficking.
An I&R Referred to HHSC and assigns to the Faxing workload.

See:

3121 Specific Considerations for an I&R to Existing Case

3171 Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law

3172 Referred to HHSC

4561.1 Situations That Require an I&R to Existing CPS Case

4632.5 Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship in a Facility under the Jurisdiction of Child Care Investigations (CCI)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When a child in DFPS conservatorship dies while in the care of a child care facility that is subject to regulation by Child Care Regulation (CCR), either Day Care Regulation (DCR) for day care or Residential Child Care Regulations (RCCR) for residential child care (including foster homes), see:

CCR Situations Involving a Child in DFPS Conservatorship on the DFPS intranet

8720 A Child’s Death in a DCR Operation

9720 A Resident’s Death in an RCCR Operation

4632.6 Death of a Child in DFPS Conservatorship in a Situation under the Jurisdiction of Provider Investigations (PI)

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When a child in DFPS conservatorship dies while in the care of a facility or community provider under the jurisdiction of PI, see:

6720 Reports Involving Children in DFPS Conservatorship or Adults in DFPS Extended Foster Care

6760 Death of a Client

7620 Reports Involving Children in DFPS Conservatorship

7650 Death of a Client

4640 Forced or Coerced Marriage

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Forced or coerced marriage abuse is when someone forces or coerces a child to get married or to marry a specific person.

Texas Family Code §261.001(1)(M)

When the intake specialist receives information that a caregiver is forcing or coercing a child into marriage, the intake specialist completes an intake. The allegation is dependent upon the circumstances.

When the situation clearly meets intake criteria for an existing allegation, the intake specialist designates that allegation. For example:

Physical abuse (PHAB): if a caregiver threatens to cause substantial physical harm to a child if the child does not marry.
Emotional abuse (EMAB): if a child experiences observable emotional harm as a result of being forced or coerced into marriage.

The intake specialist designates an allegation of neglectful supervision (NSUP) when the situation does not clearly fall under any of the existing allegation types.

When the Marriage Has Already Occurred

The intake specialist is not responsible for determining whether the child has entered into a legal marriage when assessing claims of forced or coerced marriage. When an alleged incident of forced or coerced marriage has already occurred, the intake specialist completes an intake and designates the most appropriate allegation. CPI will determine whether the marriage is legally valid. Once a child enters into a legal marriage, the child is emancipated, and DFPS no longer has jurisdiction to investigate.

4700 Special Program or Agency Jurisdictional Topics

SWI Policy and Procedures June 2023

The following sections describe how to address complex jurisdictional issues for CPI and CPS.

4710 Incidents Involving Abuse or Neglect Out of State

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When SWI receives a report involving abuse or neglect and the child, the alleged perpetrator (AP), or incident is out-of-state, the intake specialist considers the following to determine jurisdiction:

The child’s primary residence.
The child’s current location.
The AP’s primary residence.
Where the incident occurred.

See 4711.1 CPI Out-of-State Table to determine jurisdiction and SWI action, including report type and rationale.

See 4822 Case-Related Special Request (CRSR) – Out-of-State (C-OS) for requests for home visits or courtesy interviews for someone in Texas.

4711 Incidents, Victims, or Perpetrators Out of State

4711.1 CPI Out-of-State Table

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

In most situations, the intake specialist uses the table in this section to determine how to assess a report that meets the Texas legal definition of abuse or neglect and involves either of the following:

Someone who lives out of state.
An incident that occurred out of state.

DFPS has jurisdiction over most incidents that occurred in Texas. However, some circumstances warrant an investigation in Texas even if the incident occurred out of state.

When another state has an active investigation, the out-of-state caseworker may contact SWI to request a home visit or courtesy interview. The intake specialist does not use the table in this situation because that state is already investigating the allegations. See 4822 Case-Related Special Request (CRSR) – Out of State (C-OS).

The intake specialist completes all required I&R CVS Caseworker Notifications and I&R to Existing CPS Case, when appropriate. See 3101 I&R CVS Caseworker Notification and 3121.1 When to Send an I&R to Existing CPS Case.

Exception for Anonymous Reports

The intake specialist usually does not send a report of child abuse or neglect to any agency, including to programs equivalent to CPI in other states or countries, if both of the following are true:

The reporter is anonymous.
The report falls under CPI’s jurisdiction, if the incident happened in Texas.

If other information in the report does not meet the Texas legal definition of abuse or neglect, the intake specialist considers whether to send it to a program equivalent to CPI in another state or country. If the intake specialist sends this information to a program equivalent to CPI in another state or country, the intake specialist does as follows:

If information that meets the Texas legal definition of child abuse or neglect from an anonymous reporter is directly relevant to the report faxed to the other agency or program, the intake specialist includes it in the I&R Matter Referred On or CRSR-Request for Local Public Service.
If information that meets the Texas legal definition of child abuse or neglect from an anonymous reporter is not directly relevant to the report faxed to the other agency or program, the intake specialist completes and closes a separate I&R of the most appropriate type without the New Using function.

See:

40 Texas Administrative Code §707.489 (c)(1)(C)(iii)

Terms Used in the Table

The intake specialist refers to the following explanations of terms in the table:

Out of State: In the table, “Out of State” refers to anywhere outside Texas, including other countries.
Child’s Primary Residence: A child’s primary residence is usually with the managing conservator. The child’s primary residence remains the state that initiated the placement (sending state) when the child is placed through an Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) agreement.
Child’s Current Location: If the child is traveling from one place to another, and the child’s current location or destination is in Texas, then the intake specialist uses the Texas location as the child’s location.

CPI Out-of-State Table
Scenario Number	Child’s Primary Residence	Child’s Current Location	AP’s Primary Residence	Where Incident Occurred	SWI Action	Reasons for Action
1	Texas	Texas	Texas	Out of State	Intake to county where child lives.	The child’s primary residence is Texas.
2	Texas	Texas	Out of State	Texas	Intake to county where child lives.	The child’s primary residence is Texas, and the incident occurred in Texas.
3	Texas	Texas	Out of State	Out of State	I&R Matter Referred On	The AP lives out of state, and the incident occurred out of state.
4	Texas	Out of State	Texas	Texas or Out of State	Intake to county where child lives.	The child’s primary residence is Texas, and the child may be at risk if he or she returns to Texas where the AP lives.
5	Texas	Out of State	Out of State	Texas	Intake to county where child lives.	The child’s primary residence is Texas, and the incident occurred in Texas.
6	Texas	Out of State	Out of State	Out of State	I&R Matter Referred On	The AP lives out of state, and the incident occurred out of state.
7	Out of State	Texas	Texas	Texas	Intake to county where child is located.	The AP lives in Texas, and the child is currently in Texas.
8	Out of State	Texas	Texas	Out of State	I&R Matter Referred On	The child lives out of state, and the incident occurred out of state.
9	Out of State	Texas	Out of State	Texas	Intake to county where child is located.	The incident occurred in Texas, and the child is currently in Texas.
10	Out of State	Out of State	Texas	Texas	Intake to county where AP lives.	The incident occurred in Texas, and the AP lives in Texas.
11	Out of State	Texas	Out of State	Out of State	One of the following: I&R Matter Referred On CRSR – Requests for Local Public Service (C-PB)	One of the following: The incident occurred out of state. The AP and the child both live out of state. The AP may or may not have immediate access to the child. Regardless of access, there is no current safety threat to the child. The AP and the child both live out of state, but the AP and the child are both currently in Texas. There are concerns about severe abuse or neglect posing an immediate threat to the child’s safety.
12	Out of State	Out of State	Texas	Out of State	I&R Matter Referred On	The incident occurred out of state, and the child lives out of state and is currently away from the AP’s residence. No Texas CPI action, unless the other state’s protective services agency requests it.
13	Out of State	Out of State	Out of State	Out of State	Two I&Rs: I&R Matter Referred On I&R to Existing CPS Case, if there is an open case in Texas	The AP and the child both live out of state, the child is not currently in Texas, and the incident occurred out of state.
14	Out of State	Out of State	Out of State	Texas	Two I&Rs: I&R Matter Referred On I&R Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law	Both of the following: The AP and the child both live out of state, and the child is not currently in Texas. No Texas CPI action, unless the other state’s protective services agency requests it. Texas law enforcement has jurisdiction.
Scenario Number	Child’s Primary Residence	Child’s Current Location	AP’s Primary Residence	Where Incident Occurred	SWI Action	Reasons for Action

If a child is the subject of an ICPC agreement (either a Texas child is placed in another state, or another state’s child is placed in Texas), see 4711.3 Child in an Out-of-State Placement, Including an Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC), Alleges Abuse or Neglect.

4711.2 Information and Referrals (I&Rs) for Out-of-State Situations

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

When 4711.1 CPI Out-of-State Table indicates that the situation requires an I&R, follow the procedures specific to the I&R type as follows:

3171 Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law

When the child resides in another state, the I&R Matter Referred On is faxed to the other state’s child protective services agency. The intake specialist assigns the I&R Matter Referred On to the appropriate regional contact who facilitates communication with Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF) when the child resides in Mexico. DIF is the Mexican equivalent of CPI and CPS. See 4714 Child Resides in Mexico.

In these situations, the report is assigned to the Faxing workload.

Exception for Anonymous Reports: The intake specialist usually does not send a report of child abuse or neglect to any agency, including programs equivalent to CPI in other states or countries, if both of the following are true.

The reporter is anonymous.
The report would fall under the jurisdiction of CPI if the incident happened in Texas.

The intake specialist considers whether to send the report to a program that is equivalent to CPI in another state if other information in the report does not meet the definition of abuse or neglect under Texas law. If the intake specialist faxes information to a program that is equivalent to CPI in another state, the intake specialist does as follows:

If information about child abuse or neglect under Texas law from an anonymous reporter is directly relevant to the report faxed to the other agency or program, the intake specialist includes it in the I&R Matter Referred On.
If information about child abuse or neglect under Texas law from an anonymous reporter is not directly relevant to the report faxed to the other agency or program, the intake specialist completes and closes a separate I&R of the most appropriate type without the New Using function.

See:

4711.3 Child in an Out-of-State Placement, Including an Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC), Alleges Abuse or Neglect

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist completes an I&R Matter Referred On when a child in an ICPC placement (SUB stage type C-IC) alleges abuse or neglect that occurred in another state.

Additionally, the intake specialist completes an I&R to Existing CPS Case when all of the following are true:

There is an open CPS case in Texas in substitute care (SUB) stage.
The child is placed through an ICPC agreement in another state.
The child is alleged to have been abused or neglected in the out-of-state placement.

If a child from another state is in an ICPC placement in Texas, the intake specialist assesses according to standard procedures for a CPI or Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) intake, or an I&R to Existing Case, even if the SUB stage type is C-IC. The intake specialist selects the county where the child is placed in Texas when assigning or calling out an I&R to Existing Case, if the SUB stage is C-IC and the county says, “OUT OF STATE.” If it does not involve an ICPC placement, see 4711.1 CPI Out-of-State Table.

A child placed out of state through ICPC is still a Texas resident. Texas is still considered the child’s primary residence.

Exception for Anonymous Reports: The intake specialist usually does not send a report of child abuse or neglect to any agency, including law enforcement or programs equivalent to CPI in other states or countries, if both of the following are true:

The reporter is anonymous.
The report would fall under the jurisdiction of CPI if the incident happened in Texas.

The intake specialist considers whether to send the report to another agency if the information does not meet the definition of abuse or neglect under Texas law. This information could include safety issues with the ICPC placement or anonymous reports of child abuse or neglect occurring both in Texas and outside of Texas. If the intake specialist faxes this information to another agency or a program that is equivalent to CPI in another state, the intake specialist does as follows:

Includes the information in the I&R Matter Referred On, if information about child abuse or neglect under Texas law from an anonymous reporter is directly relevant to the report faxed to the other agency or program.
Completes and closes a separate information and referral (I&R) report of the most appropriate type without the New Using function, if information about child abuse or neglect under Texas law from an anonymous reporter is not directly relevant to the report faxed to the other agency or program.

If an anonymous reporter reveals enough information to find an open case, the intake specialist follows procedures in 2122.7 Anonymous Reporter Reveals Enough Information to Find an Existing Child Protective Investigations (CPI) Case.

See:

3121 Specific Considerations for an I&R to Existing Case

CPI Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) Table
Scenario Number	Child’s Primary Residence	Child’s Current Location	Alleged Perpetrator’s (AP) Primary Residence	Where Incident Occurred	SWI Action	Reasons for Action
1	Texas	Out of state through ICPC	Texas	Texas or out of state	Intake to county where AP lives.	The AP lives in Texas. The child’s primary residence is in Texas, and the child may be at risk if he or she returns to Texas where the AP lives.
2	Texas	Out of state through ICPC	Out of State	Texas or out of state	Two I&Rs: I&R Matter Referred On I&R to Existing Case even if the substitute care (SUB) stage type is C-IC. If incident occurred in Texas, an additional I&R Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law.	The child’s primary residence is Texas, but the child’s current location and the AP are out of state, and the abuse or neglect investigational jurisdiction is out of state.
3	Out of State	Texas through ICPC	Texas	Texas or out of state	Intake to county where child is located.	The AP lives in Texas, and the child is currently in Texas.
4	Out of State	Texas through ICPC	Out of State	Texas	Intake to county where the child is located.	Incident occurred in Texas, and the child is currently in Texas.
5	Out of State	Texas through ICPC	Out of State	Out of state	One of the following: Two I&Rs: I&R Matter Referred On I&R to Existing Case, even if the SUB stage type is C-IC. CRSR – Req for Local Public Svc (C-PB) to county where child is placed.	One of the following: Incident occurred out of state. The AP and the child are not Texas residents. The AP may or may not have immediate access. Regardless of access, there is no current safety threat to the child. The AP and the child both live out of state, but the AP and the child are both currently in Texas. There are concerns about severe abuse or neglect posing an immediate threat to the child’s safety.
Scenario Number	Child’s Primary Residence	Child’s Current Location	Alleged Perpetrator’s (AP) Primary Residence	Where Incident Occurred	SWI Action	Reasons for Action

See:

3416 Request for an Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)

Child Protective Services Handbook, 2372 Out-of-State Abuse or Neglect Incidents

4712 Abuse or Neglect Both in Texas and Out of State

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist reviews 4711.1 CPI Out-of-State Table to decide whether to complete a Texas CPI intake or another report type if incidents of abuse or neglect occurred to the same child in both Texas and another state.

If a Texas CPI intake is indicated in the table, the intake specialist completes a CPI intake and selects the Texas law enforcement agency with criminal jurisdiction. The intake specialist does not complete an I&R Matter Referred On to fax to the other state unless there are additional children at risk of or being abused or neglected in the other state. See 4712.1 Texas CPI Intake and Additional Children at Risk in Another State.

The local CPI office is responsible for contacting another state’s protective services agency, if needed, for the investigation regarding the child.

If a Texas CPI intake or case-related special request (CRSR) is not indicated in the table, the intake specialist completes an I&R Matter Referred On to fax to the other state’s protective services agency as well as an I&R Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law for the Texas law enforcement agency with criminal jurisdiction.

The reporter is anonymous.
The report is under CPI’s jurisdiction, or it would be if the incident happened in Texas.

The intake specialist considers whether to send the report to a program that is equivalent to CPI in another state if the other information does not meet the definition of abuse or neglect under Texas law. If the intake specialist faxes this information to a program that is equivalent to CPI in another state, the intake specialist does as follows:

If information about child abuse or neglect under Texas law from an anonymous reporter is directly relevant to the report faxed to the other agency or program, the intake specialist includes it in the I&R Matter Referred On and the I&R Non-FPS Criminal Matter Referred to Law.
If information about child abuse or neglect under Texas law from an anonymous reporter is not directly relevant to the report faxed to the other agency or program, the intake specialist completes and closes a separate information and referral (I&R) report of the most appropriate type without the New Using function.

See:

4712.1 Texas CPI Intake and Additional Children at Risk in Another State

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

The intake specialist refers the reporter to the appropriate out-of-state protective services agency when safety threats are present for children in another state. If the intake specialist completes a CPI intake for abuse or neglect occurring in Texas and the reporter agrees to contact the other state’s protective services agency about additional children, the intake specialist does not complete an I&R Matter Referred On for the concerns in the other state. The intake specialist documents in the CPI intake narrative that the reporter agreed to call the other state’s protective services agency about the additional children living in that state.

The intake specialist completes an I&R Matter Referred On to the other state’s protective services agency if the reporter is unwilling or unable to contact the other state’s protective services agency, or the report is received via fax, mail, or internet.

The reporter is anonymous.
The report would be under CPI’s jurisdiction if the incident happened in Texas.

If information about child abuse or neglect under Texas law from an anonymous reporter is directly relevant to the report faxed to the other agency or program, the intake specialist includes it in the I&R Matter Referred On.
If information about child abuse or neglect under Texas law from an anonymous reporter is not directly relevant to the report faxed to the other agency or program, the intake specialist completes and closes a separate information and referral (I&R) report of the most appropriate type without the New Using function.

See:

See 4820 Types of Case-Related Special Requests (CRSRs) for CPI or CPS.

4713 When Another Country Has Authority to Investigate

SWI Policy and Procedures September 2023

The intake specialist does not send information about child abuse or neglect to any country other than Mexico. If a country other than Mexico has jurisdiction to investigate, the intake specialist completes an I&R Clearly Not Reportable Re: Child.

4714 Child Resides in Mexico

SWI Policy and Procedures October 2026

Regions 6, 10, and 11 have CPI and CPS staff who facilitate communication between CPS and Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF), the Mexican equivalent of CPI and CPS. The intake specialist assigns reports to these regional contacts based on the child’s state of residency in Mexico. The intake specialist requests the child’s address in Mexico to ensure he or she assigns the report to the correct regional contact. The Assignment Charts list contact information as well as which Mexican states each regional contact covers.

When an intake specialist receives a report of abuse or neglect, as determined by Texas’ legal definition, and the child resides in Mexico, the intake specialist uses 4711.1 CPI Out-of-State Table to determine whether to complete a report for Texas or refer the report to Mexico.

When completing a report for Texas, the intake specialist assigns it to the appropriate county in Texas.

When referring the report to Mexico, the intake specialist takes the following steps:

Completes an I&R Matter Referred On.
Assigns the information and referral (I&R) report to the regional contact designated for the child’s Mexican state of residency.
Calls the regional contact to notify him or her of the assignment. (It is acceptable to leave a voicemail.)

The intake specialist selects one of the regional contacts listed in the Assignment Charts and follows the steps above if the child’s address in Mexico is unknown at the time of the report.

The intake specialist completes the I&R type most appropriate to the situation when the report is about a child who resides in Mexico, and it does not meet the Texas legal definition of abuse or neglect.

Regardless of whether the allegation meets the Texas legal definition of abuse or neglect, when a professional is requesting CPI’s help regarding a child who resides in Mexico, the intake specialist does as follows:

Completes a CRSR – Req for Local Public Svc instead of an I&R Matter Referred On.
Assigns the case-related special request (CRSR) to the regional contact designated for the child’s Mexican state of residency.
Calls the regional contact to notify him or her of the assignment. (It is acceptable to leave a voicemail.)

Exception for Anonymous Reports: The intake specialist usually does not send a report of child abuse or neglect any agency, including programs equivalent to CPI in other states or countries, if both of the following are true.

The reporter is anonymous.
The report is under CPI’s jurisdiction, or it would be if the incident happened in Texas.

The intake specialist considers whether to send the report to DIF if the other information does not meet the definition of abuse or neglect under Texas law. If the intake specialist faxes this information to DIF, the intake specialist does as follows:

If information about child abuse or neglect under Texas law from an anonymous reporter is directly relevant to the report faxed to DIF, the intake specialist includes it in the I&R Matter Referred On or CRSR - Req for Local Public Svc.
If information about child abuse or neglect under Texas law from an anonymous reporter is not directly relevant to the report faxed to DIF, the intake specialist completes and closes a separate I&R of the most appropriate type without the New Using function.

See:

4720 Determining CPI or Residential Child Care Investigations (RCCI) Jurisdiction for a Child in a Relative or Fictive Kin Placement

SWI Policy and Procedures March 2026

A child in DFPS conservatorship may be placed with a relative or fictive kin. Examples of fictive kin include a close family friend, a former stepparent, a parent’s significant other, or a godparent.

If there are allegations of abuse or neglect by the relative, fictive kin, or someone else in the home, the jurisdiction depends on whether the home is verified by a licensed child-placing agency (CPA), as follows:

CPI, if the home is not verified by a licensed CPA.
CPI, if the report involves a caregiver who is receiving Permanency Care Assistance (PCA). Eligible relatives and fictive kin who have served as verified foster parents to children for six consecutive months may receive financial and health care benefits on behalf of the child through the PCA program. See Child Protective Services Handbook, 6681 Overview of Permanency Care Assistance.
RCCI, if the relative or fictive kin home is a foster home verified by a licensed CPA and is not receiving PCA. (See the CCR Situations Involving a Child in DFPS Conservatorship guidelines on the DFPS intranet.)

If the information supports an intake for any program, the intake specialist completes both of the following:

An intake for the appropriate program.
An I&R CVS Caseworker Notification

An I&R to Existing CPS Case may also be appropriate. See the following: