Texas Parental Placements
Texas conducts the following types of home studies:
- Relative Care
- Foster Care
- Relative-Foster Care
- Parent Care
- Adoption
RELATIVE-FOSTER CARE:
Texas implemented new relative-foster standards, allowing families with a kinship relationship to be assessed under specialized criteria. Kinship includes relationships by blood, marriage, adoption, or close emotional bonds recognized by the child or parent. These families are assessed under Texas’s relative-foster model. If approved, caregivers may receive foster care maintenance payments if authorized by the sending state. Requirements include a full home study, minimized training, and full background checks for all adult household members. Incoming “ICPC Foster” requests with identified kinship relationships will follow these standards. This new model reduces the timeframe for completion and is strongly recommended for all relatives rather than an unlicensed relative ICPC request.
Texas will not accept more than 2 home study requests on several prospective caregivers for placement of the same child at a time. The sending state will need to wait until the homestudies are completed prior to sending additional home study requests on other prospective caregivers.
Custodial Parent - Reunification
If child has been removed from the parent, Texas requires a home study evaluation before reunification:
Non-Custodial Parents
Placements with non-custodial parents are not subject to the ICPC if:
-
A court does not have evidence before it that such parent is unfit;
-
Does not seek such evidence; and
-
Does not retain jurisdiction over the child after the court transfers the child.
Texas will not accept a parent home study request on a Non Offending Parent unless Court Ordered by the sending state.
Proof of Paternity Required for Placement with Paternal Relative:
Regulation 7 Priority Placement
Texas performs priority placements:
Wait Time (ICPC Interstate Home Study)
Average length of time to process and complete a home study with criminal background checks for an interstate placement (Not including completion of education training):
Wait time to complete Home Study, only (without criminal records check):
Texas determines the "Date of Receipt" for an interstate home study as:
- Date stamped in the ICPC Office.
Mailing Process - Interstate Home Study
Method of requesting, sending, and/or reporting an interstate home study:
|
Regular Mail |
Express Mail |
Overnight Mail |
Electronic Mail |
| Send request for a home study to Receiving State |
y |
|
y |
y |
| Send home study request to Local office |
|
|
|
y |
| Send home study report to Sending State |
y |
|
y |
y |
Criminal Records Checks
Texas requires criminal background checks for the following home studies:
- Foster Care
- Relative Care
- Adoption
- Parent
Types of Checks (Criminal & Abuse Neglect Registry)
Texas requires the following types of criminal background and perpetrator checks:
Federal (F), State (S), Local (L), Abuse and Neglect Registry (ANR), Not Required (NR)
|
Federal |
State |
Local |
ANR |
NR |
| Parent |
y |
y |
|
y |
|
| Relative |
y |
y |
|
y |
|
| Foster Care |
y |
y |
|
y |
|
| Adoption |
y |
y |
|
y |
|
Wait Time for Criminal Records Checks
Wait time for fingerprint results are:
Live Scan or other technology
- State: 8-14 days
- Local/County: Not Offered
Manually - Fingerprint Card
- State: 15-30 days
- Local/County: 15-30 days
Average length of time to process and complete a home study with criminal background checks for an interstate placement (Not including completion of education training):
Verification of Criminal Records Results
- Actual results/information contained in the Criminal Background
- Signature verifying background check completed
Wait Time - (License/Certification/Approval - Education and Training)
Average Length of time it takes for a home to be licensed/approved/certified:
Length of time a license is valid before renewal required:
Texas offers classes (education and training) for placement resources' homes to become licensed/certified/approved:
- Other: if classes are offered at state or county discretion. - Varies among each Region in Texas (there are 11 Regions)
