Assignment and Notification

If another state wants to place a child in Texas, the other state’s agency completes an interstate placement packet (including a home screening request) and submits it to that state’s interstate compact office, which then forwards it to the Texas Interstate Compact Office (TICO).

TICO reviews the packet for completeness. If the packet is complete, TICO creates an ICPC case in IMPACT.

The regional ICPC coordinator assigns a caseworker, or a contractor under contract with DFPS, to complete the home screening.

Conducting the Home Screening

The caseworker or contractor assigned to conduct the home screening must:

  •   review the placement request packet; and

  •   contact the family with whom the sending agency wants to place the child.

If the caseworker or contractor needs more information to complete the home screening, the caseworker or contractor must contact the regional ICPC coordinator.

The caseworker or contractor must complete Form 6588Word Document A Kinship Caregiver Home Assessment. The caseworker or contractor must complete the form whether the caregiver is the child’s parent, the child’s relative, a foster parent, an adoptive parent, or a dual license parent.

Foster or Adoption Referrals

A completed Form 6588 Kinship Caregiver Home Assessment does not satisfy the requirements for placement as a foster, adoption, or dual license parent placement. The caregiver must still complete the training required by the DFPS Child Care Licensing Division and the minimum standard rules for licensing.

If the completed Form 6588 recommends placement, the ICPC coordinator will forward the referral to a foster-adoption (FAD) supervisor, who assigns a FAD caseworker to complete the process for verifying and approving the placement.

See the ICPC Resource GuidePDF Document, under Foster Care Placements, for guidelines on actions DFPS takes based on the foster home’s verification or licensure status.

Parent or Relative Referrals

A completed Form 6588 satisfies the requirements for placement when requesting an ICPC home screening for a parent or non-verified relative placement.

If another state wants to place the child with a relative, or a non-custodial parent who has been found to be unfit, the caseworker completing the home screening follows the guidelines in 6623 Complete a Risk Assessment and a Written Home Assessment of the Kinship Caregiver.

Approving the Home Screening

Federal law requires that the other state’s interstate compact office receive the completed Form 6588 Kinship Caregiver Home Assessment no later than 60 calendar days from the date that TICO receives the request.

42 U.S.C. §671(a)(26)External Link

A CPS supervisor must read and sign the home screening and provide a separate placement recommendation.

The CPS supervisor conducting the review must verify that all required criminal background checks are completed according to the placement type and that all persons required to undergo a criminal background check are cleared. The home screening addresses specific convictions; however, actual FBI results are not released to other states.

After receiving supervisory approval of the home screening, the regional ICPC coordinator uploads the approved home screening into the ICPC case in IMPACT.

In the ICPC Resource Guide, see Understanding the Interstate Placement Process for more information on the process by which the other state receives the Texas home screening and placement recommendation, makes a placement decision, and proceeds with placement in Texas.