Before placing a child with a kinship caregiver, DFPS or a Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC) completes all of the following:

• DFPS history checks.
• Department of Public Safety(DPS) criminal history checks.
• A preliminary assessment using Form 6587 Preliminary Kinship Caregiver Home Assessment [sic, intranet link] . The preliminary home assessment is not required if a full home assessment has already been completed.

The history checks and preliminary assessment must be completed and approved before a child is placed, and the home assessment must be completed as soon as possible after placement.

See:

6622 Presenting a Preliminary Written Assessment

6623 Completing a Risk Assessment and a Written Home Assessment of the Kinship Caregiver.

If the parents or the child identified a potential kinship caregiver, the caseworker must contact the potential caregiver and do the following:

• Explain the reason for the contact.
• Verify the potential caregiver’s continued interest in being a placement option. If the potential caregiver is not interested in being a placement at this time, the caseworker must explore whether there are other ways that he or she can support and maintain a connection with the child or youth.

The caseworker does the following when a potential kinship caregiver verifies his or her interest in being a placement option:

• Informs the potential caregiver that all household members and regular visitors must complete DFPS and criminal history checks before beginning the home assessment process.
• Informs the potential kinship caregiver that a contracted home assessment provider will contact them.
• Explains the process for completing a written home assessment and a criminal background check.
• Informs the potential kinship caregiver that DFPS requires face-to-face interviews with all household members three years of age and older to complete the assessment.
• Informs the potential kinship caregiver that DFPS requires three non-relative and two relative references.
• Requests demographic information on all household members and frequent visitors, including dates of birth, Social Security or legal permanent resident numbers, current address, and addresses for any residences outside of Texas in the previous three years.
• Explains the expectations of a kinship caregiver, the court process for a CPS case, and the commitment required of a kinship caregiver.
• Verifies the family’s contact information is accurate.