Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

Overview

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is a state agency responsible for investigating allegations of child abuse, elder abuse, and abuse of adults with disabilities.

DFPS collaborates with law enforcement, healthcare providers, and community organizations to investigate and respond to cases of child abuse and elder abuse, while also offering educational resources to help prevent future harm.

The agency also plays a key role in the child welfare system, including overseeing foster care services, adoption, and family preservation programs.

Functions

The key functions and programs of DFPS include:

• Child Protective Services (CPS): Investigates reports of child abuse and neglect, provides services to keep children safe, and places children in foster care if necessary.
• Adult Protective Services (APS): Investigates abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elderly or disabled adults, ensuring their safety and providing services for protection.
• Foster Care and Adoption Services: Oversees the recruitment, training, and support of foster families, and facilitates the adoption process for children in the state’s care.
• Case Management Services: Coordinates care and services for children and adults involved in protective services, ensuring they receive appropriate resources and support.
• Texas Youth Commission (TYC) Services: Provides rehabilitative services to youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
• Community-Based Services: Administers programs to support families, such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, food assistance, and Medicaid.
• Prevention and Early Intervention Services: Works to prevent abuse, neglect, and family crises by offering support and education to at-risk families and individuals.
• Statewide Foster Care Redesign: Focuses on improving the foster care system by enhancing services and placing children in permanent homes more effectively.
• Licensing and Regulation: Regulates and licenses foster homes, child care centers, and adult care facilities to ensure they meet required standards.
• Public Awareness and Education: Provides information and resources to the public on family and child safety issues, including prevention programs and awareness campaigns.

Agency Leadership

The department is headed by a commissioner appointed by the governor. An advisory council called the Family and Protective Services Council assists the commissioner in setting policies and strategy for the department.

Additionally, DFPS has several specialized advisory committees, including the Committee on Advancing Residential Practices, Advisory Committee on Promoting Adoption of Minority Children, and the Parent Collaboration Group.

Organization and Structure

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services employs about 12,000 staff in more than 250 local offices and the agency headquarters in Austin.

DFPS has five major internal divisions:

• Adult Protective Services offers services for the elderly and people with people with disabilities, and investigates reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation;
• Child Protective Investigations looks into reports of child abuse or neglect to determine if any child in the family has been abused or neglected; 
• Child Protective Services oversees kinship placements, foster care, and adoption;
• Prevention and Early Intervention runs preventative programs to address juvenile delinquency, child abuse, and neglect; and 
• Statewide Intake operates the Texas Abuse Hotline (1-800-252-5400 and TxAbuseHotline.org), which receives reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation from across the state.

Budget

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services had a budget of approximately $5 billion in the 2024-2025 biennium.

Role in Child Protection

Working with the family court system, DFPS plays a central role in protecting children from abusive situations. In the 2019 fiscal year, DFPS placed 18,615 children in foster care, helped 20,343 children to leave foster care, and completed 6,107 adoptions. 

The department’s Investigations and Child Protective Services (CPS) divisions handle these cases. If CPS determines that a family is unwilling or unable to provide a safe environment for a child, then the department may ask a judge to remove that child from the family. 

Often, CPS will try to identify a member of the extended family to take the child. When that is not an option, a child may live in foster care. Foster families are reimbursed for the costs of caring for children. 

In the meantime, CPS provides services to the parents until the family is reunited or a judge determines that reunion is not in the best interest of the child and approves another permanent living arrangement. Throughout a child’s stay in foster care, a judge has ongoing oversight.

Challenges and Reforms

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) has faced ongoing challenges in ensuring child safety, managing foster care shortages, and maintaining a stable workforce. Over the years, the agency has implemented reforms to address systemic issues and comply with federal court mandates.

Key Challenges:

• Foster Care Capacity & Placement Shortages – Texas has struggled with an insufficient number of foster homes, leading to children sleeping in state offices, hotels, or unlicensed facilities. This issue has drawn criticism from advocacy groups and legal oversight bodies.
• Caseworker Shortages & High Turnover – DFPS caseworkers often handle excessive caseloads, leading to burnout and frequent staff departures. The agency has difficulty retaining experienced workers, which affects service continuity.
• Legal & Federal Oversight – Following a 2015 federal lawsuit, Texas was ordered to improve foster care conditions after the court found systemic failures endangered children’s safety. Compliance efforts are ongoing.
• Funding & Resource Limitations – Despite a biennial budget exceeding $5 billion, DFPS faces funding shortfalls, particularly for prevention programs, mental health services, and post-adoption support.
• Delayed Investigations & Case Backlogs – Rising reports of abuse and neglect have overwhelmed DFPS, leading to delays in investigations and difficulty responding to high-risk cases in a timely manner.
• Aging Out of Foster Care – Youth aging out of the foster care system often face homelessness, unemployment, or lack of access to higher education.

Recent Reforms & Initiatives:

• Foster Care Redesign & Community-Based Care (CBC) – Texas is shifting toward a regionalized foster care system, where private and nonprofit organizations manage foster placements and services to improve child welfare outcomes.
• Caseworker Salary Increases & Support Programs – In response to high turnover, the Texas Legislature approved salary increases, improved training programs, and additional mental health support for DFPS employees.
• Increased Oversight & Compliance Efforts – New policies require more frequent inspections of foster care facilities and private child placement agencies to ensure compliance with safety standards.
• Technology & Data Modernization – DFPS is implementing digital case management systems and predictive analytics tools to track case progress and improve child welfare decision-making.
• Improved Transition Services for Aged-Out Foster Youth – The agency has expanded programs that provide housing assistance, job training, and college tuition waivers to help former foster youth become self-sufficient.
• Enhanced Prevention & Early Intervention Services – DFPS has increased investment in programs that support at-risk families before crises occur, aiming to reduce the need for child removals.

The impact of these reforms continues to be evaluated and debated, with ongoing discussions about how to address remaining challenges in the state’s child welfare system.

History and Legislative Background

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) traces its origins to the early 20th century when Texas first established public welfare programs to address child neglect, dependency, and family hardship. Over the decades, legislative reforms expanded the state’s role in child protection, leading to the creation of dedicated divisions to handle cases of abuse and neglect.

In 1939, the Texas Legislature formally established the State Department of Public Welfare, which initially managed child welfare programs alongside broader social services. As awareness of child abuse and neglect grew, policymakers recognized the need for a more specialized agency. In 1971, the Texas Department of Human Resources was created, consolidating welfare and protective services under one administrative structure. By the 1990s, increasing concerns over the effectiveness of child protective services led to further restructuring, culminating in the formation of DFPS as an independent agency in 2004 under the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).

Several key legislative acts have shaped the agency’s responsibilities and authority. The Texas Family Code provides the legal foundation for child protective investigations, removal procedures, and parental rights cases. The 1997 Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA), a federal law, significantly influenced DFPS policies by emphasizing the need for timely placements of children in permanent homes. More recently, court rulings and legislative reforms, including the Foster Care Redesign initiative, have sought to address longstanding issues such as caseworker shortages, high foster placement instability, and deficiencies in child safety oversight.

DFPS has also been subject to federal scrutiny and legal challenges, most notably a 2015 lawsuit that led to a federal court ruling requiring Texas to improve its foster care system and appointing monitors to oversee compliance with federal civil rights law. The lawsuit highlighted systemic failures that endangered children’s well-being, prompting state lawmakers to implement reforms aimed at increasing oversight, reducing caseloads, reducing caseworker turnover, and improving the quality of foster placements.

Throughout its history, DFPS has adapted to changing social, legal, and political landscapes. While reforms have led to progress, challenges remain, particularly in balancing the agency’s protective responsibilities with the goal of preserving family unity whenever possible. The evolution of DFPS reflects Texas’s broader struggle to create a child welfare system that ensures safety, stability, and long-term well-being for the state’s most vulnerable populations.

Additional Reading