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Foster Care
For children who are involved in the child protective services system, funds for Support Families may come from foster care funds. In Texas, the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) administers foster care for children who have been removed as a result of abuse or neglect. DFPS contracts with provider agencies who are licensed as Child Placing Agencies (CPAs) to recruit, support, and monitor foster families. CPAs must adhere to a set of standards established by DFPS to assure the well-being of children in foster care.
Foster care funds are sometimes referred to as “Title IV-E” referring to the legislation that authorizes the use of federal funds for foster care. Title IV-E of the Social Security Act provides federal funds to states for administering foster care programs. The objective of Title IV-E is to improve the quality of care of children in foster care, reduce the number of children in foster care, return children to their homes as soon as conditions permit, and facilitate the adoption or permanent placement of children who cannot be returned to their homes. Use of these foster care funds requires that states assure each child has a case plan, a case review system, and careful management of a child’s case in a way that protects children’s rights as well as families’ rights.
DFPS Minimum Standards for Child Placing Agencies
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