Foster Care

• When children can't live safely at home due to abuse and/or neglect, the court can give temporary legal possession to CPS. Child Protective Services (CPS) temporarily places these children in foster care. The court and/or CPS will also place children with noncustodial parents, relatives, or close family friends who are willing and able to care for these children, when appropriate.

  Foster care settings include:

  • Foster family homes;
  • Foster family group homes;
  • Residential group care facilities; and
  • Facilities are overseen by another state agency.

  Foster care is meant to be a temporary placement until CPS no longer has custody and a permanent living arrangement has been found. However, for some children, it can become permanent when a foster parent adopts or accepts permanent managing conservatorship of a child.

Registration Information for Foster Care Children

A student who is placed in the conservatorship of DFPS has the right to be enrolled immediately in school, without immunization, academic records, and birth certificate.

***The school district must enroll a child in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) immediately in school regardless of documentation (Texas Family Code, Section 262) (g) A school district shall accept a child for enrollment in a public school without the documentation required by Subsection (a) if the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services has taken possession of the child under Chapter 262, Family Code. The Department of Protective and Regulatory Services shall ensure that the documentation required by Subsection (a) is furnished to the school district not later than the 30th day after the date the child is enrolled in the school.

Documents Required:

Post-Secondary Foster Care Support

There are many supports and services available to help students in foster care prepare for a successful transition to adulthood. Linking students with these benefits ensures students and caregivers can take advantage of them. There are financial resources and college campus supports available to help foster youth access and succeed in higher education, as well as supports for vocational education.  The links below provide additional information and opportunities for foster youth as they transition into adulthood for both college and vocational education.

• www.ApplyTexas.org
• DFPS - Transitional Living Services
• DFPS - State College Tuition Waiver
• Education and Training Voucher Program

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If you have questions, please email us at fostercare@katyisd.org