Parent & 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.

Parent Resource Guide

The Parent Resource Guide is a handbook designed to help parents 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: