Court’s Jurisdiction Voluntarily Extended

If a young adult returns to extended foster care after trial independence has ended, but the court’s jurisdiction was voluntarily extended at the request of the young adult who continues to receive transitional living services from DFPS, the caseworker must:

  •   ask the attorney representing DFPS to file papers with the court indicating that the young adult has returned to extended foster care and requires continued court jurisdiction;

  •   schedule a review hearing for extended foster care; and

  •   document all casework in the SUB C-RC stage of IMPACT.

Although the Texas Family Code requires that review hearings be held for a young adult who returns to extended foster care before the court’s jurisdiction ends, the young adult’s foster care maintenance payments are not funded by Title IV-E because the young adult returned to foster care after trial independence ended.

Court Case Has Already Been Dismissed

If a young adult returns to extended foster care after trial independence has ended and the court case has already been dismissed because the court did not voluntarily extend its jurisdiction at the end of the trial independence period:

  •   the court’s jurisdiction has ended and cannot be resumed;

  •   review hearings are no longer required; and

  •   the young adult’s foster care maintenance payments are not funded by Title IV-E because the young adult returned to foster care after trial independence ended.

The caseworker must document all casework in the SUB C-RC stage of IMPACT.

See 10500 Trial Independence and Return for Extended Foster Care