Final DFPS Reform Report Highlights Significant Progress, Roadmap for Future

More than two years ago, the 79th Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 6, which called for comprehensive improvements to the state's child and adult protective services. On September 1st, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services released its fourth and final 180-Day Report to summarize the agency's latest achievements in implementing the legislation.

The report, which was sent to the governor and legislative leaders by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, is available for download here.

“In the two years since Senate Bill 6 came into effect, these sweeping reforms have yielded tremendous improvement in the services that protect the most vulnerable Texans,” says DFPS Commissioner Carey Cockerell. “DFPS is grateful to state leadership, community stakeholders, providers, and national experts who have provided valuable guidance and input into the planning and implementation of this effort.”

Since the legislation’s passage, the state has hired more than 5,000 field staff, strengthened training for caseworkers, improved risk assessments, deployed technological innovations to enhance casework in the field, and emphasized effective involvement of both professional and civic communities. Across all its programs, DFPS has established systems to increase accountability for the quality and timeliness of casework and for the desired outcome for clients served.

The report summarizes DFPS' achievements since the passage of Senate Bill 6 in three major areas: Vulnerable Adults, Children and Families, and Licensing and Regulation. Highlights of the report accomplished in the last six months include:

Vulnerable Adults

• Increased evaluation of how APS is implementing reform;
• Improvements to mobile technology;
• Creation of multi-disciplinary community teams to provide added problem-solving support for complex APS cases in 18 counties with populations of 250,000 or more;
• A reduction in the average number of caseloads for APS In-Home Services;
• Increased educational opportunities and educational stipends, including training on how to improve working with law enforcement;

Children and Families

• Increased placement of children in kinship families and use of family group decision making process;
• A reduction in the average number of caseloads for CPS investigators;
• Increased training including services for children aging out of foster care, kinship services, assessing families, disproportionality, and health care of foster children;
• Improvements to mobile technology;
• Increased planning and services to children aging out of foster care;

Licensing and Regulation

• Expansion of random sampling of foster homes
• More informed inspections of foster homes from child placing agencies;
• Transference of child care background checks from CCL to Chief Operating Officer to centralize all background checks currently being done by DFPS, which include CPS staff, foster and adoptive parents, contractors, and regulated child caregivers;
• Technical assistance to residential operations, residential treatment centers, and child placing agencies regarding implementation and application of new licensing standards, including reporting of serious incidents;
• Improvements to automated system tracking inspection of foster homes;

Although DFPS has made extraordinary progress in implementing the legislation, the agency is still faced with challenges, many of which were anticipated in a reform effort of this size and scope. However, the overall implementation of Senate Bill 6 has been highly successful after two and half years of reform. HHSC and DFPS established a structure to monitor progress, coordinated with internal and external stakeholders, and ensured the delivery of quality services. DFPS is becoming more accountable to its clients and stakeholders, partnering with communities, leveraging the strength of families, taking advantage of technology to become more responsive, and focusing on staff development and retention.

"The implementation of Senate Bill 6 was a beginning," says Cockerell. "The work completed thus far is not viewed as the end, but as an essential foundation for the future of the DFPS. As the agency moves forward with implementing Reform II, as outlined in Senate Bill 758 and other legislation, we will continue to provide updates our progress."

The purpose of the 180-Day reports has been to track DFPS' progress towards achieving the "major elements" of reform required by Senate Bill 6, elements that form the foundation of DFPS Renewal. HHSC is also required to describe any major obstacles to progress; the steps taken to resolve such obstacles; provisions not enacted due to insufficient funds; any significant unanticipated fiscal implications; and steps taken to enhance accountability.

Previous 180-Day Reports

• Third 180-Day Report and its summary (March 1, 2007)
• Second 180-Day Report and its summary (September 1, 2006)
• First 180-Day Report and its summary (March 1, 2006)