In some situations, DFPS may place a child with a foster family that lives outside of Texas.

If the foster family is licensed or verified, the caseworker must first:

  •   notify the supervisor and program director before proceeding with an ICPC request; and

  •   obtain approval from the program administrator (PA) before submitting the ICPC placement request packet.

In order to approve the request, the PA must determine that:

  •   it is in the child’s best interest to be placed with the foster family;

  •   the foster family is able to meet the child’s ongoing medical and financial needs;

  •   the foster family is licensed by a private child-placing agency (CPA) in the other state and the CPA has entered into a contract with DFPS, or the foster family is licensed through the appropriate state agency in the other state.

Placing a child With a Close Friend of the Child’s Family

While DFPS treats the placement of a child with close friends of the child’s family like a placement with a relative, most states require close friends to be trained and licensed as foster caregivers.

Before submitting an ICPC placement request packet, the caseworker must research (through the regional ICPC coordinator or ICPC staff at the DFPS state office) the other state’s policy on placing a child with a close friend of the family.

Examples of Out-of-State Placements

The child’s birth family has moved to another state, and the child needs to be placed with a caregiver who lives near the birth family.

The child has grown attached to a foster family that must move outside of Texas and moving with the foster family will not affect the child’s or family’s ability to achieve the goals established in the child’s permanency plan.

For detailed information about coordinating a foster child’s move with a foster family, see 4513.6 If a Texas Caregiver Moves to Another State.