Before asking the court to appoint a managing conservator for a child in DFPS conservatorship, the caseworker must:

  •   share with a prospective conservator Form 0685PDF Document Intent To Accept Permanent Managing Conservatorship (PMC), and the You Can Make a Difference in a Child’s Life brochure;

  •   ensure that an agreement for permanency care assistance (PCA) is negotiated and signed before conservatorship is awarded, if the person who will be named conservator qualifies for the assistance;

  •   discuss the differences and benefits of adoption versus managing conservatorship with the person being considered to become the managing conservator;

  •   verify that the child has been placed with the caregiver for some supervisory period that is sufficient to ensure that the child has developed a relationship with the caregiver and that the caregiver is able to safely and appropriately manage the child’s situation and needs;

  •   attempt to ensure that the caregiver to be named managing conservator can attend the hearing;

  •   ensure that the caregiver has an approved kinship home assessment or foster/adopt home screening as applicable;

  •   obtain approval from the program director before seeking to name someone as the child’s managing conservator.

For information on how to apply for permanency care assistance, see 6685 Applying for Permanency Care Assistance.

For information on the problems associated with naming a relative or fictive kin (such as close family friends) as the child’s managing conservator before the relative or fictive kin has qualified for, negotiated, and signed a PCA agreement, see Form 2127PDF Document PCA Bench Card.

See 6234.23 Adoption vs. Conservatorship and You Can Make a Difference in a Child’s Life: Adoption or Permanent Managing Conservatorship)