Recomendaciones de Texas CASA para la Revisión de Sunset del DFPS
In September 2025, the Sunset Advisory Commission began the two-year Sunset review process for 16 state agencies, including two critical to children and families: the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). Sunset review is an opportunity for the Sunset Advisory Commission and the Texas Legislature to evaluate a state agency’s programs, rules, operations and success in fulfilling its mission, as well as address any identified issues. As part of this process, each state agency under review submits a self-evaluation identifying major challenges, which help shape the Legislature’s review. You can read HHSC’s full self-evaluation report aquí y el informe de autoevaluación completo de DFPS aquí.
La HHSC ha identificado problemas persistentes en el servicio al cliente y en los sistemas que retrasan el acceso de las familias a la cobertura médica, mientras que el DFPS ha señalado dificultades en el acceso a los servicios de salud mental y conductual para niños, retrasos y problemas de calidad en las investigaciones de CPS y el acceso a los expedientes, así como problemas continuos con la atención comunitaria. Durante los próximos dos años, la Comisión Sunset evaluará estas agencias y elaborará recomendaciones antes de los 90th Sesión Legislativa en 2027.
Based on local CASA program feedback, Texas CASA’s Public Policy team developed the following recommendations focused on DFPS. The feedback gathered from local CASA programs largely aligns with DFPS’s own self-identified challenges. These recommendations support better use of existing authority and resources to improve accountability, coordination and outcomes for children and families in DFPS and Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) conservatorship.
Las recomendaciones de Texas CASA son:
- Clarify and strengthen understanding of CASA’s legal role in cases
- Strengthen the consistency and enforcement of DFPS oversight of SSCCs
- Aumente la transparencia y la calidad en las investigaciones y el acceso a los registros de CPS
- Abordar la rotación de personal a través de capacitación, cultura y apoyo
- Expandir y estabilizar la capacidad de colocación a nivel estatal
Texas CASA’s Public Policy team will continue engaging with the Sunset Commission’s DFPS team to advocate for CASA’s priorities throughout the process. If you have any additional feedback or ideas that you would like to be shared with the Sunset Commission about DFPS or HHSC, please feel free to email the Public Policy team at publicpolicy@texascasa.org.
