As required by the 86th Legislature, the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) has released its quarterly report on the Utilization of Appropriate Levels of Care in Foster Care, which provides updated information regarding implementation of plans to ensure children are placed in the most appropriate service level.
The report indicates that as of July 23, 2021, only two residential treatment centers (RTCs) are contracted to provide Intense Plus services, and no other providers are expected to add the service level to their operations.
Placing contractors continue to report that training and preparing foster families for Treatment Family Foster Care is taking longer than anticipated, and that the model works best with one child in the home receiving this service. The program continues to grow, and as of Feb. 1, 2021, the age has been expanded to all children in DFPS conservatorship ages 17 and under. Child Placing Agencies (CPAs) have begun training new and current families to work with older youth, but it is taking longer than expected for older youth to be accepted into these homes. As of July 23, 2021, 256 children have been placed in a Treatment Foster Family Care placement.
There has also been an increase in utilization of Supervised Independent Living (SIL) in areas with Community-Based Care.