2008 Annual Report

Letter from the Commissioner

The past year was one of continued progress and improvement at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Our 2008 Annual Report provides an overview of our services and a summary of some of the tremendous accomplishments of our dedicated staff.

This report covers the 2008 fiscal year beginning Sept. 1, 2007, through Aug. 31, 2008. It also provides us with an opportunity to pause and remember just how far DFPS has come over the past three years. Every corner of the agency has been transformed, and we are doing more than ever to protect our most vulnerable and precious Texans – our children, our elderly, and those with disabilities. Here are just a few of the changes we have seen since 2005:

• Child Protective Services has added thousands of new workers and reduced investigative caseloads by almost 50 percent.
• We increased the number of adoptions by more than 40 percent.
• We reduced caseloads of Adult Protective Services caseworkers, provided them with the latest technology, and created special multi-disciplinary teams to handle complex cases.
• We more than doubled the number of residential child care inspections we perform annually.

These accomplishments were made possible by strong support from Governor Rick Perry, the Texas Legislature, the DFPS Council, and an army of supporters across the state in our courts, local law enforcement agencies, network of foster care providers, volunteer groups, and other community organizations.

As we look forward to another year of continued progress; I want to thank the many partners who help us protect those who can’t protect themselves.

Anne Heiligenstein
DFPS Commissioner

Download 2008 DFPS Annual Report