Review hearings for young adults in extended foster care are similar to the placement review hearings conducted before a youth turns 18.

The caseworker must schedule a hearing with the court at least every six months to address:

  •   the progress made in extended foster care; and

  •   the extent to which transitional living services were provided and used.

Social Security Act, Title IV-E, Section 475External Link(5)(B) and (C)

Texas Family Code §263.602External Link(b)-(e)

The caseworker must be prepared to present information that addresses if:

  •   the young adult’s placement is safe, appropriate, and the least-restrictive necessary to meet the young adult’s needs;

  •   DFPS is making reasonable efforts to finalize the permanency plan in effect for the young adult;

  •   all of the following criteria are met, if the young adult’s permanency plan is independent living:

  •   the young adult participated in the plan’s development;

  •   the plan of service reflects the skills and services the young adult needs to achieve the goal of living independently by the projected date;

  •   the young adult is making reasonable progress in developing the skills needed to live independently;

  •   additional services that DFPS is authorized to provide are needed to meet the young adult’s needs.

Necessary Court Findings

For DFPS to receive Title IV-E funds to cover the costs of a young adult’s extended foster care, the court must find after each review hearing for extended foster care that DFPS has made reasonable efforts to finalize the permanency plan in effect for the young adult. Because the permanency goal for most if not all young adults in extended foster care is to live independently, the documentation in support of the court’s determination must address DFPS’s efforts to prepare the young adult for independence.

45 C.F.R. §1356.21(b)External Link

Texas Family Code §263.602(b)(2)External Link

The caseworker must consult with the young adult’s Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) worker before each hearing to ensure that the caseworker is well informed about any transitional living services that the young adult is receiving or attempting to receive.