Houston Daily

Texas officials have announced the removal of 195 administrative rules in an effort to make it easier for relatives and close family friends to become foster parents. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), working with other state agencies, has eliminated 75% of all administrative requirements for kinship foster care.

Governor Greg Abbott stated, "Serving as a foster parent is an invaluable way to provide a loving home for a child. When we eliminate burdensome and unnecessary rules and regulations so children can stay with their families through kinship foster care, we put those children on the best path forward. Texas will continue to prioritize children in need by removing bureaucratic red tape to keep them with their families."

First Lady Cecilia Abbott added, "When we work together to put children first, we see amazing things happen. By eliminating the hardships on Texas families who wish to foster a child, we can see families across the state stay together and provide care for their own. I thank all Texans and state agencies for working together to remove burdens and ensure every child in Texas has the opportunity to grow and flourish."

HHS Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young said, “By removing unnecessary barriers, we’re helping Texans open their homes to relatives in need. These changes will give more children in foster care the opportunity to grow up in a familiar, loving environment.”

Audrey O’Neill, Commissioner of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), explained, “Kinship families allow children in foster care to live with caring adults they know and trust. They enable a child to maintain their sense of identity and foster positive self-esteem while remaining connected to their families and communities.”

The new policy follows Senate Bill 593 from the 88th Texas Legislature, which directed HHSC and DFPS to review existing regulations related to kinship foster homes. The review process included input from various stakeholders such as agencies, providers, current foster parents, kinship parents, and advocates.

As part of these changes:

- Housing inspections will now focus primarily on health and environmental safety.

- Certain training requirements for kinship foster parents have been removed.

- Documentation needed for over-the-counter medications has been reduced.

HHSC continues its role licensing child-placing agencies that verify standards for kinship foster homes. The agency also conducts criminal background checks on individuals living within these homes and performs annual inspections on a random sample.

More information about child care regulation is available on the HHS website; details about kinship care can be found on the DFPS website. Residents may also call 2-1-1 for program details.