Ausra Benavides

This document is a Self-Evaluation Report for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, detailing its mission, objectives, and operational functions. Key areas of focus include protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse, neglect, and exploitation through Statewide Intake, Child Protective Investigations, Child Protective Services, Community-Based Care, and Adult Protective Services. The report highlights recent legislative changes from the 88th and 89th sessions impacting foster care, client safety, workforce, and technology, alongside historical context, policymaking structure, funding, and performance metrics aimed at continuous quality improvement and creating a safer, stronger Texas.

The Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) Annual Plan for 2026, titled "Empowering, Strengthening, and Supporting Families," outlines the agency's vision to foster safe children and adults, strong families, and stronger communities in Texas. The plan is built upon three core goals: strengthening families through engagement, services, and support; developing and refining case management services; and transforming its workforce and infrastructure to enable better outcomes. These priorities collectively aim to deliver responsive, equitable, and effective support to the populations served.

This implementation plan outlines the Texas Community-Based Care (CBC) system, detailing the state's transition to a community-provider model for child welfare. Key goals include improving child placements with siblings and in home communities, increasing school retention, and reducing time and movement within foster care, ultimately creating sustainable service continuums across Texas. The plan addresses staged implementation, statewide rollout, intervention strategies, roles, responsibilities, training, procurement, funding, and contract oversight, aiming to enhance the delivery of services for children and families in foster care.

This document provides a chronological list of past meeting dates for the HHSC Executive Council, spanning from March 8, 2021, through December 11, 2025. The document is presented as a reference list accompanied by links to corresponding video recordings.

This Capacity Building Plan, developed by the Department of Family and Protective Services, addresses substitute care capacity needs in non-Community-Based Care regions (7, 9, 10, and 11) as mandated by Senate Bill 11. It aims to enhance the Texas Foster Care System by increasing placement capacity for all youth, including those with complex needs and teenagers, and strengthening support for existing and kinship caregivers. Key strategies include targeted recruitment, improving family finding practices, and increasing awareness of post-adoption services. The plan also details the ongoing transition to the Texas Child-Centered Care (T3C) system, which seeks to modernize care through trauma-informed assessments and specialized service packages, ultimately ensuring children in foster care receive appropriate, family-like placements while maintaining familial and community connections.