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Navigate Life Texas: Resources for kids with disabilities and special needs
Navigate Life Texas: Resources for kids with disabilities and special needs
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) protects children and vulnerable adults from abuse, neglect and exploitation through investigations, services and referrals.
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
DFPS has several programs:
DFPS takes reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation through its 24/7 Texas Abuse Hotline.
To report abuse, call 800-252-5400 or visit the Texas Abuse Hotline website.
Contact DFPS if:
CPI and CPS work together to protect children from abuse and neglect.
CPI caseworkers examine reports of child abuse or neglect. They determine if children in the family have been abused or neglected and, if so, determine whether the parents are willing and able to manage these reported threats to keep their children safe. If DFPS decides children aren't safe, the investigator starts protective services.
To get services, a child must have an open case with CPI. This usually means the CPI caseworker is looking into a report of child abuse or neglect, or the child is at high risk of child abuse or neglect.
CPI can also help families facing less serious situations where the child is at risk. This is called an Alternative Response case and doesn’t involve a formal investigation. An Alternative Response case can change to a traditional investigation at any time if new information prompts a higher level of concern for the child’s safety.
Once a child has an open case, CPI aims to work with the family to create a safe environment. This sometimes includes referrals before closing the investigation.
If a case requires more substantial services or a child needs to be removed from their home, the case is transferred to CPS.
Learn more about the steps CPI takes to open a case on the DFPS website.
CPS provides services to children and families in their homes, helps place children in foster care, provides services to children and youth in foster care, and helps children get adopted.
Family-Based Safety Services seek to keep children in or return them safely to their homes. They do this by strengthening the ability of families to protect their children and reducing threats to their safety.
When a child’s safety can be reasonably assured, CPS provides in-home services to help stabilize the family and reduce the risk of future abuse or neglect. Most children getting these services live at home while CPS works with their families. In some cases, children may live somewhere else for a while, usually with relatives or close family friends, until it’s safe for them to return home.
Family-Based Safety Services are provided directly by CPS staff, through contracts with providers or through referrals to community-based providers. Services include:
Currently, Family-Based Safety Services caseworkers may also provide one-on-one parenting and housekeeping skills in areas where community-based services are not available.
State Care
If a child cannot remain safe in the home, a court of law can give the state of Texas temporary legal custody. The child then comes into the state’s care, also known as “substitute care.”
There are several types of substitute care:
Learn more about substitute care and how DFPS helps find safe and loving homes for children on the DFPS website.
APS investigates abuse, neglect and exploitation of adults who are elderly or who have disabilities. APS may provide or refer the client or their family to services. Generally, APS cannot remove an adult from their home, except in rare situations where a court has ordered it.
Adults have rights of self-determination, unless a court determines they cannot make their own decisions.
If an adult with a disability needs the help of a guardian to manage their affairs, APS refers the client to the HHS Guardianship Services program.
If the adult is found to be in a state of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation, they may be able to get protective services. These short-term services may include: