All children experiencing foster care have the right to report concerns to the Foster Care Ombudsman and the Texas Abuse Hotline at any time. When a child in foster care asks to call the Foster Care Ombudsman or the Texas Abuse Hotline, caregivers must immediately provide them access to a phone to make a private call, day or night. All … Read More
All children experiencing foster care have the right to report concerns to the Foster Care Ombudsman and the Texas Abuse Hotline at any time. When a child in foster care asks to call the Foster Care Ombudsman or the Texas Abuse Hotline, caregivers must immediately provide them access to a phone to make a private call, day or night. All staff and caregivers at the operation must abide by this requirement. This is outlined in Sections 1110 and 3400 of the 24-Hour Residential Child Care Requirements.
Providers must display the Foster Care Ombudsman poster prominently in the living quarters of every child in care. The poster must be easy to access and read. You can access the Foster Care Ombudsman poster in both English and Spanish on the DFPS website.
Section 1110 Child Protective Services Right of Placement
The Foster Care Ombudsman poster must be displayed prominently in English and Spanish in a location that is easily accessible and legible to the Child population served. The provider must allow a Child to contact the Foster Care Ombudsman’s office upon request and must allow the Child to communicate with the Foster Ombudsman’s office privately if the Child requests to do so. Children must be allowed telephone access to reach out to this 24-hour system, free from observation.
The DFPS Statewide Intake hotline’s phone number must be readily available and displayed prominently in all foster care residential Facilities.
Section 3400 Providing Access to Children
The provider permits, at all times, access to each Child placed in its care by CPS.
The provider ensures that these visits with the Child are private, without any Caregivers or staff present, and that during this time the Child is not monitored by an open intercom, video, or other monitoring system.
This access is provided to:
- DFPS and HHSC employees and designees;
- DFPS third-party contractor for the Texas Service Level System and its employees;
- Foster care ombudsman;
- Properly identified individuals appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction, such as volunteer or Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), guardians ad litem, and attorneys ad litem;
- Staff with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) or a county Juvenile Probation Department (JPD); and
- Individuals on the Child’s contact list.
LEARN MORE
Dual Status FAQ Handout
Children and youth who experience abuse or neglect are at a 47% greater risk of being involved with the juvenile justice system compared to the general population. Although prevalence is hard to quantify and dependent on the definition used for the population, it is estimated that anywhere between 45-75% of first-time juvenile petitions (offenses involving minors) involve youth with foster … Read More
CFE Tools App – Tell Your Friends!
The CFE Tools App: Providing an engaging way for tools to be completed while meeting people where they are at — on their phones. We launched the CFE Tools App a little over a year ago and have 900+ users in the state of Texas! Help us reach our goal of 1000+ users by the end of 2023. The app … Read More
New podcast episode on partnering with attorney ad litems
What can CASA advocates do to build effective working relationships and increase collaboration with attorney ad litems? For this conversation, we’re honored to be joined by the deeply insightful Lori Duke, Clinical Professor and Co-Director of the Children’s Rights Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law. Lori shares strategies and best practices for collaborative child advocacy gathered from … Read More
Latino Grandfamilies Toolkit
National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 and is a time to celebrate Hispanic + LatinX culture, heritage and contributions. Texas CASA believes that supporting all children and families includes understanding their unique cultural identities, practices and everyday activities. “Kinship care is a familiar practice in Latino families. Latino families maintain life-long connections, assistance, and support … Read More
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