A group of more than one dozen family rights activists submitted a letter to the commissioner of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services with nine recommendations for protecting the rights of parents and children during the COVID-19 pandemic. These are summarised below:
- Expedite reunifications of families
- Consider either suspending all new investigations with the exception of Priority I reports
- Maintain in-person visitation to the maximum extent possible
- Suspend the use of safety plans and Parental Child Safety Placements for all non-immediate or non-serious threats to a child’s safety
- Prevent removals for failure to comply with the terms of any safety or service plan
- Suspend or alter service plan requirements that expose parents to a significant risk of exposure to COVID-19
- Suspend drug-testing requirements
- Prohibit caseworkers from marking parents’ progress as “unsatisfactory” or “noncompliant” with service plan terms due to pandemic-related barriers.
- In the event a foster placement disrupts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritize reunification of the child with their parents