Parent and Caregiver Resources
The Parent Resource Committee supports efforts to assist parents in understanding the Texas child welfare system, the court process, and the roles and responsibilities of individuals and organizations involved in a child welfare case. To further these goals, the committee developed the following resources for parents and caregivers.
Family Helpline
In 2017, the Children’s Commission partnered with Access to Justice and the Children’s Justice Act to fund the Texas Legal Services Corporation to establish the Family Helpline for Strong Families and Safe Children (“Family Helpline”), which provides easily available, statewide access for parents, family members, and community members to basic information, education, and resources addressing issues facing parents and caregivers as they relate to child welfare law including:
- Child Protective Investigations;
- The provision of Family-Based Safety Services;
- Safety Plan and Parental Child Safety Placements;
- Chapter 34 non-parent agreements;
- Termination of parental rights;
- Custody, access, and visitation;
- Service plans;
- The court’s role in conducting hearings and oversight;
- The right to legal counsel;
- Non-offending parents, minor parents, and incarcerated parents;
- Survivors of family violence;
- Intergenerational issues;
- Reinstatement of parental rights; and
- Other variations of these situations.
Resource: Family Helpline Website
Your Rights as a Survivor: A Guide for Caregivers of Children Who Experienced Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation
The Children’s Commission established a working group of various state agencies and organizations to develop a guide for children who have experienced sexual abuse and exploitation. The purpose of the new guide is to empower caregivers by providing an overview of the child’s rights, which professionals are involved, and how to access resources, and includes common terms and helpful links, and explains the roles and responsibilities throughout a case.
Parent Resource Guide
The Parent Resource Guide is a handbook designed to help parents and caregivers understand the Texas child welfare system, their roles, and responsibilities when involved in a Child Protective Services case, and the roles and responsibilities of others. The guide is current up to the 86th Legislative Session.
The 2020 Parent Resource Guide is available below in English and Spanish: