If you’re navigating a CPS case involving your child, CPS will likely encourage you to involve your family to support your child’s welfare. Family members can contribute in two main ways: through a Family Group Conference or a Family Team Meeting. While both are types of CPS meetings designed to harness family support, they offer distinct approaches to ensure your child’s safety and well-being.
Engaging in Proactive Family Team Meetings with CPS
Prior to CPS initiating court proceedings for temporary custody, you have the opportunity to participate in a Family Team Meeting. These meetings are not only crucial for you and your support network but also enable CPS caseworkers to make more informed decisions regarding your child’s immediate safety needs. The ideal outcome is to address these safety concerns while keeping your child in your home.
Attending a Family Team Meeting is voluntary, but skipping it means missing a vital chance to communicate with CPS about safeguarding your child. Attending these meetings can help you clear up misunderstandings, potentially speed up the investigation, and most importantly, prevent the distress of your child being removed from your home.
We encourage you to involve relatives and friends, particularly immediate family members. Their input can be invaluable in developing a robust safety plan for your child, addressing any home safety issues, or improving your parenting on critical safety matters.
Navigating Family Group Conferences Post-Placement
Typically, we convene Family Group Conferences after placing your child in foster care or with a relative. Here, you have more control over the invitees, including teachers, counselors, relatives, neighbors, and friends. Their insights are key in maintaining your child’s safety and preparing for their return home.
These conferences are also a platform for devising a safety plan for your child, similar to Family Team Meetings but under the shadow of ongoing court proceedings. It’s advisable to have legal representation at these conferences. Discussing your goals and concerns with your attorney beforehand ensures a focused and effective approach.
While CPS continues its involvement, we encourage you and your family to take the lead in the planning process. Keep in mind that you understand your child better than anyone. You can tailor the plan you create to your family’s unique needs, although it will require CPS approval.
However, it’s crucial to adhere strictly to the agreed plan. Deviating from it, even with family assistance, is not permissible. While the longing to be with your child is understandable, unauthorized visitations can breach trust and jeopardize the success of your plan. Upholding trust in the Family Group Conference is essential for a positive outcome.
What Is a Service Plan?
CPS will invariably have concerns about the safety and well-being of your child if they choose to continue an investigation. With that said, when a service plan is hatched, it will include services that you need to follow through and complete to have your child returned to your home.
The most common aspects of a service plan include getting treatment for anger management or substance addiction. Along with these classes and support groups, drug testing will occur semi-regularly. If you have been a victim of domestic violence or abuse, you’re leaving home, and living in a shelter may be part of the plan to allow your child to return to your home.
Review the service plan created before signing it. Even though you will have been present to create the plan, that does not mean that there won’t be some aspect of the plan that you don’t understand. Ask your attorney about any provision that you may be unclear about before agreeing to sign the document. You’re saying that you did not understand a portion of the plan as a justification for your having violated it is not an excuse.
Your plan can be as ambitious as you make it be. Keep in mind that what you agree to as far as attending therapy, classes, counseling sessions, and visiting with your child all take away hours from the day. You will need to figure out how you can balance your schedule with your child’s needs and this CPS case. Do not bite off more than you can chew in a service plan.
What if You Grow To Disagree With the Terms of Your Service Plan?
Do not just sign a service plan that your caseworker from CPS comes up with on their own. You need to take an active and involved role in its creation so that it suits your parenting strengths, addresses your weaknesses, and suits your schedule.
After agreeing to its terms, you need to do your best to meet every obligation agreed to. You are responsible for its completion- not your spouse or your CPS caseworker. Your caseworker is an excellent resource for learning how to start achieving the goals of your safety plan, however.
The most significant risk you take in not completing the assignments given to you in your service plan is the termination of your parental rights. Ask CPS and your family for assistance in completing the items in your service plan- don’t try to do it alone if you are experiencing issues.
Conclusion
Engaging your family through a CPS meeting, whether it’s a Family Group Conference or a Family Team Meeting, is vital for addressing your child’s needs and safety effectively. Both types of meetings play crucial roles in leveraging family support, though they differ in their methods and focus. By participating in these CPS meetings, you can create a collaborative environment that promotes the best outcomes for your child, ensuring their well-being and stability during this challenging time.
The Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC
It is highly beneficial to your case to have an attorney representing you. If you have questions for an attorney, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC, today. We can schedule a free-of-charge consultation with one of our attorneys on your behalf where your questions can be answered, and your concerns can be addressed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Family meetings with CPS in Texas are essential gatherings where parents and caregivers meet with caseworkers and other relevant parties. They discuss safety concerns, evaluate the child’s well-being, and collaborate on developing a plan to ensure the child’s safety and best interests.
CPS stands for Child Protective Services in Texas. It is a government agency responsible for investigating and responding to reports of child abuse, neglect, or other safety concerns affecting children in the state.
Texas CPS looks for various factors during their investigations, such as signs of abuse, neglect, or unsafe living conditions for children. They aim to assess the child’s safety, well-being, and overall living environment to make informed decisions in the best interest of the child.
Bryan Fagan, a native of Atascocita, Texas, is a dedicated family law attorney inspired by John Grisham’s “The Pelican Brief.” He is the first lawyer in his family, which includes two adopted brothers. Bryan’s commitment to family is personal and professional; he cared for his grandmother with Alzheimer’s while completing his degree and attended the South Texas College of Law at night.
Married with three children, Bryan’s personal experiences enrich his understanding of family dynamics, which is central to his legal practice. He specializes in family law, offering innovative and efficient legal services. A certified member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, Bryan is part of an elite group of legal professionals committed to ongoing education and high-level expertise.
His legal practice covers divorce, custody disputes, property disputes, adoption, paternity, and mediation. Bryan is also experienced in drafting marital property agreements. He leads a team dedicated to complex family law cases and protecting families from false CPS allegations.
Based in Houston, Bryan is active in the Houston Family Law Sector of the Houston Bar Association and various family law groups in Texas. His deep understanding of family values and his professional dedication make him a compassionate advocate for families navigating Texas family law.
