Child Welfare

4/23/2018
 Children Protective Services

• Child Protection
• Investigations
• Family Services
• Foster Care
• Transition to
adulthood
• Adoption

4/23/2018 2
 Texas Department of Protective Service

DFPS Mission: is to protect children, the elderly, and people

with disabilities from abuse, neglect, and exploitation by
involving clients, families, and communities.

4/23/2018 3
1873
Mary Ellen abuse caused launch of child protection movement

1875
The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC0 was created

1912
US Children's Bureau was created by a law signed by President William Taft

1921
Sheppard-Towner Act, enacted by Congress, was passed in order to reduce infant and maternity
mortality
1935 President Roosevelt, Social Security Act was passed

1956 Government slowly started to take over the responsibility of protecting children.

1990 By this time the public was leaning on the government to stop child abuse.

1999 Over three hundred nongovernmental charitable societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Children were formed throughout the United States

4/23/2018 4
 Bill Amend Progress of S.1300(114th)
Sponsor Dianne Feinstein Sen. For California
Democrat
 Introduced: May 12, 2015
 June 25, 2015; Committee heal hearing about bill.
 July 9, 2015: Order Reported, recommending
 July 14, 2015; Passed senate: Bill was passed in a
vote in the Senate
 October 6, 2015; Passed House: Motion to suspend
the rules and pass the bill agreed by voice vote.
 October 16, 2015; Two days after the House voted it
was then presented to the President, and signed,
became the same day.
 Immigrant visa was issued on or after March 27,
2013 for a child who has been legally adopted, or is
coming to the U.S. to be adopted by an American
citizen that certain visa fees may be waived or
refunded.
 Specifically, immigrant visa fees for the renewal or
replacement of the visa could be waived or refunded
if:
 Original immigrant visa during period of validity
 Inability to use the visa due to factors beyond your
control
 Current law provides a 6 month window for
immigrant visa for adopted child to be used, after
expiration $325 to renew
4/23/2018 5
Intended Beneficiaries Actual Beneficiaries

 Adopted children who were  Adopted children who were

prevented from using their original prevented from using their original
immigrant visa immigrant visa
 Adoptive families  Adoptive families
 Immigration authorities  Immigration authorities

4/23/2018 6
DFPS must verify the status of a foreign child prior to permanency.

If DFPS removes a child who was born in another country and the child is not a U.S.
citizen, DFPS must notify the foreign consul to comply with the Vienna Convention on
Consular RelationsPDF DocumentExternal Link, Article 37(b).

If the U.S. citizenship status of a foreign-born child is unclear, the best practice is to notify
the consul. In addition to satisfying the legal requirement, contact with the consul may
facilitate locating family members or identifying resources for the family.

DFPS is legally required to give notice to the foreign consul when a foreign-born child
who is not a U.S. citizen comes into DFPS conservatorship.

4/23/2018 7
 Because the primary responsibility of child
protection, child welfare, and adoption
services rest on each state it becomes costly.
 State and federal expenditures for foster care
administrative costs (placing and monitoring
children in foster care) totaled $4.3 billion.
The number of children entering foster care or
in care totaled 679,191. Thus, the average
administrative cost per child served per year
was $6,675.

4/23/2018 8
  Training and other development: Parents on core
child welfare, family dynamics, better
understanding of children's race and cultural,
have experienced trauma and loss, or
significant challenges or disabilities
 Mentoring: Volunteers who serve as safe role

BIO-PSYCHO- models , and who can provide young people

with additional support

SOCIAL FACTORS  Case Management

 Education support and advocacy
 Respite
 Financial or material supports: offer funds for
specialized medical or adaptive equipment

4/23/2018 9


Guardian may have

Time constraint for Verification of
the opportunity to
Form 2650, client’s
petition for
turnaround immigration status
custody/citizenship

4/23/2018 10
 Biological
Adolescent/te
en under 17.
Biological
Adolescent/te
Social en in need of
Home-study placement,
evaluation temporary
custody, and
Bio- adoption
Psycho-
Social Social Psychological
Counseling Trauma of
and foreign
assessments child/or non-
for family citizen
Psychological
Guardian
willing to take
on trauma

4/23/2018 11
 Open a unit in each city, to assist with
foreign international affairs of the
agency.
 Verification need to be checked prior
to removal in the investigation stage.
 A link to software that assist with
checking verification in conjunction to
the Consul.

4/23/2018 12
 References

Axinn, J., & Levin, H. (1997). Social Welfare: a history of the American response to need .
White Plains, New York : Longman .

Congress.gov. (2018, February 01). Congress.gov . Retrieved from www.congress.gov

DFPS. (2018, February 09). Retrieved from Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
:
https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/handbooks/CPS/Files/CPS_pg_1000.asp#CPS_1100

Rainbow Kids Adoption & Child Welfare Advocacy. (2018, April 10). Retrieved from
https://www.rainbowkids.com/adoption-stories/adoptive-family-relief-act-passes-1357

4/23/2018 13