The department, contractors, and child-placing agencies must ensure prospective caregivers get preservice training before foster or adoptive verification, with a kinship-caregiver exception.
Sec. 42.0537. CAREGIVER TRAINING REQUIREMENT. (a) The department and each single source continuum contractor shall include a provision in each contract with a child-placing agency with whom children in the managing conservatorship of the department are placed that requires the child-placing agency to provide competency-based, preservice training to a potential caregiver before the child-placing agency verifies or approves the caregiver as a foster or adoptive home. Except as provided by Subsection (d), the amount of training required by this subsection may not exceed 35 hours. (b) The department shall adopt policies to ensure that each potential caregiver receives competency-based, preservice training before the department verifies or approves the caregiver as a foster or adoptive home. Except as provided by Subsection (d), the amount of training required by this subsection may not exceed 35 hours. (c) The training required by this section does not apply to an individual who has been designated as a kinship caregiver and who is pursuing verification or licensure as a foster parent or approval as an adoptive parent. (d) The department and each single source continuum contractor providing foster care placement or case management services may include in each contract with a child-placing agency with whom children in the managing conservatorship of the department are placed provisions that: (1) require the child-placing agency to, before verifying or approving a prospective caregiver as a foster or adoptive home, provide to the prospective caregiver competency-based, preservice training in addition to other training required under this section, based on the needs of the child being placed, including training regarding: (A) the treatment of: (i) children with complex medical needs; (ii) children with emotional disorders; (iii) children with intellectual or developmental disabilities; and (iv) victims of human trafficking; and (B) any other situation the department determines would require additional training; and (2) allow the child-placing agency to provide training, in addition to other training required under this section for a prospective caregiver, that: (A) meets the eligibility standards for federal financial participation under the requirements of the federal Family First Prevention Services Act (Title VII, Div. E, Pub. L. No. 115-123); (B) meets the standards set by a nationally recognized accrediting organization; or (C) meets the standards described by Paragraphs (A) and (B). (e) The department may require training in addition to other training required under this section described by Subsection (d)(2), as appropriate, for certified child-placing agencies operated by the department. (f) A child-placing agency may issue a provisional verification as provided by Section 42.053(e) to a prospective foster caregiver while the caregiver completes the training required under Subsection (d). Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1008 (H.B. 781), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2015. Amended by: Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1139 (H.B. 2764), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2019.