Child Protective Services Handbook Revision February 2012
This revision of the Child Protective Services Handbook was published on February 1, 2012. Summaries of new or revised items are provided below.
Eligibility Requirements for Permanency Care Assistance
Child Safety Check Alert Checklist
Name change from TYC and TJPC to new agency Texas Juvenile Justice Department
Temporary Housing Assistance Between Academic Terms for Foster Youth
Managing Children’s Funds (PATS 4557)
The items below are revised or added to document the following procedures, which have put in place during the past year:
• Cash Basis Accounting (see item 1342)
• Excess Funds (see item 1342)
• Account Resource Limits (see item 1342.2)
• Adoptive Placement and Children's Income (see item 1342.3)
• Children's Income Folders (see item 1344)
• Handling Checks Payable to Person vs. DFPS (see item 1344.1)
• Dedicated Account Box (see item 1344.2)
• Stop Payment (see item 1345)
• Form 8108: Direct deposit form for children's income (see item 1345)
• Paid Substitute Care (see item 1345.1)
• Non-paid Substitute Care (see item 1345.2)
• Procedures for entering information to show negative balances when funds have been withdrawn by the bank (see item 1342)
• The new address for Citibank: 611 W Fifth St, Austin, TX 78701 (see item 1343)
In addition, Appendix 1342.1 is updated to remove the statement “When the transaction status is updated to Invoice Submitted, the AP accountant includes it in an existing payment to reduce an outgoing payment” that appeared under the subheading Income is Owed From the Facility to DFPS
See:
1342 Managing Children’s Income Accounts (CIAs)
1342.1 Prior-Period Adjustment (PPA) Invoice Processing for Children With Income
1342.2 Account Resource Limits
1342.3 Adoptive Placement and Children’s Income
1343 Establishing, Transferring, and Closing Children’s Savings Accounts
1344 Duties of Accounts Receivable (AR) Staff
1344.1 Manual Receipt of Funds by Accounts Receivable (AR) Staff
1344.2 Receivables Procedures for Accounts Receivable (AR) Staff
1344.3 Reconciliation Requirements for Accounts Receivable (AR) Staff
1344.4 Electronic Return of Benefits
1344.5 Lump Sum Distribution Instructions
1345 Duties of Accounts Payable (AP) Staff
1345.1 Handling Income When Child is in Paid Substitute Care
1345.2 Handling Income When Child is Not in Paid Substitute Care
1345.3 Handling Deceased Child’s Income
Appendix 1342.1 Prior-Period Adjustment (PPA) Invoice Processing for Children With Income
Eligibility Requirements for Permanency Care Assistance (PATS 4942)
The item below is revised to update the eligibility requirements that a prospective permanent managing conservator must meet to receive permanency care assistance for a child.
See:
1583.1 Eligibility Requirements for a Prospective Permanent Managing Conservator to Receive Permanency Care Assistance
Child Safety Check Alert Checklist (PATS 4897)
CPS may seek a court order to place a family on the DPS child safety check alert list (CSCAL) when the family moves before CPS begins or completes an investigation. This revision clarifies that this policy includes when:
• CPS determines during an investigation that the child is not safe and removal or FBSS services are needed to ensure safety; but
• the family moves and cannot be located before the investigation is approved and closed.
See:
2224.38 Child Safety Check Alert List
2234.51 Assessing Safety at the End of the Investigation
2235.52 When Children Are at Risk
Name change from TYC and TJPC to new agency Texas Juvenile Justice Department (PATS 4992)
The Texas Youth Commission (TYC) and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission (TJPC) were abolished during the 82nd Legislative Session. These agencies have been replaced by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) effective 12/1/11.
The items below are revised to delete the names of TYC and TJPC and replace them with TJJD. (This change is not being made in items that discuss making choices from drop-down menus in the IMPACT case management system, which still has the old agency names in the menus.)
No other policy changes are being made with this revision, so the revision dates of the items below have not been changed.
1124 Definition of Stages of Service
1542.35 MAO Coverage for Children in Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) Placements
1951.2 Children and Adolescents in DFPS Conservatorship
2224.41 Preliminary Investigations Closed for Statutory Reasons
2371 Casework-Related Special Requests
2700 Intake and Investigation in Facilities Under the Authority of Other State Agencies
5352.5 Meeting the Content Requirements for the Permanency Progress Report
5353.4 Meeting the Content Requirements for a Placement Review Report
6313 Select Appropriate Placement Category and Follow Process
6323.5 Facilities Under the Authority of Other State Agencies
6526 Meeting the Requirements for Medical and Dental Services
6577 CPS Youth and Juvenile Justice
6577.1 Reporting Juvenile Offenses to Law Enforcement
6577.2 When a Youth Is in TJJD Custody in a Secure Facility or on TJJD Parole
6577.21 General Procedures When Youth Are Committed to the TJJD Secure Facility Program.
6577.22 Documenting in IMPACT Actions Related to Youth Committed to the TJJD
6577.23 Providing Medical Care to Youth in TJJD Custody or on TJJD Parole
6577.24 Meeting and Consulting With TJJD Staff
6577.25 Providing Other Services to Youth in TJJD Custody or on TJJD Parole
6577.26 Addressing Other TJJD-Related Issues
10140 Transition Centers for Youth
10321 Eligibility for the ETV Program
Appendix 1132: Federal and State Agencies
Appendix 6311: Issues to Consider in Placement Decisions
Appendix 6311-A: Issues to Consider in Placement Decisions
Appendix 6577: Filing Charges with the Juvenile Justice System
Some additional agency name changes were made in the items below:
2700 Intake and Investigation in Facilities Under the Authority of Other State Agencies (TDH changed to DSHS, Tx Rehab Commission changed to DARS, TCADA changed to DSHS, DHS changed to HHSC, and DHS changed to DADS)
Appendix 6311-A: Issues to Consider in Placement Decisions (Tx Dept MHMR changed to DARS)
Appendix 1132: Federal and State Agencies (TDH changed to DSHS, TDMHMR changed to DADS and DSHS, and TEC changed to TWC. TCADA is deleted)
Temporary Housing Assistance Between Academic Terms for Foster Youth (PATS 4952)
The item below is added to reflect policy regarding the requirement that Texas Public Higher Education Institutions assist young adults formerly in DFPS foster care to locate temporary housing between academic terms, such as summer and Christmas holiday breaks. See:
10310 Services for Post-Secondary Education
10314 Temporary Housing Assistance Between Academic Terms