Texas DFPS Kinship Caregiver Agreement and Requirements
When DFPS places a child in your home after a removal, the Kinship Caregiver Agreement is the document that formally establishes your role and activates the financial support available to you. Without it, you are caring for the child under an informal arrangement — and the $23.45/day RODC reimbursement does not start until the agreement is signed.
Understanding what the agreement requires and what it gives you prevents delays that can cost hundreds of dollars a month.
What the Kinship Caregiver Agreement Is
The Kinship Caregiver Agreement is a formal contract between you and DFPS under Texas Family Code §§ 264.751–264.7541. It confirms that you will care for the child during the state conservatorship period and that you agree to specific conditions regarding the child's safety, wellbeing, and cooperation with the DFPS case plan.
This is not the same as the Authorization Agreement for Nonparent Adult Caregiver (Texas Family Code Chapter 34). Chapter 34 is a voluntary agreement between the parent and the caregiver — it does not involve DFPS. The Kinship Caregiver Agreement is specific to children in state conservatorship.
What DFPS Requires of You
To sign the agreement and begin receiving the kinship reimbursement, you must:
Complete a home assessment. A DFPS worker or contracted agency will visit your home to evaluate safety conditions — working utilities, adequate sleeping arrangements, safe storage of hazardous materials, and general living conditions. This is less extensive than a full foster home verification but covers essential safety standards.
Begin kinship training. DFPS requires kinship caregivers to start the training program, which covers trauma-informed care, the foster care system, the child's rights, and your responsibilities. The training does not have to be completed before the agreement is signed, but it must be initiated.
Meet the income threshold. Your total household income must be at or below 300% of the current federal poverty guideline for your household size. This is a household test — unlike Child-Only TANF, your income does count here. Ask your caseworker which current dollar amount applies to your household.
Cooperate with the case plan. You agree to transport the child to court hearings, allow supervised visits with the biological parents as ordered by the court, keep the child enrolled in school, and maintain the child's medical and dental appointments.
Allow ongoing DFPS contact. Your kinship worker will continue assessing the family's strengths and needs during placement. Ask your caseworker how often home visits are planned and what each visit will cover.
What the Agreement Gives You
The kinship reimbursement. $23.45 per day per child (approximately $703.50 per month), paid for up to 12 months with a potential 6-month extension for documented good cause. This rate was increased from $12.67 to $23.45 effective January 1, 2025.
A one-time start-up reimbursement. Up to $1,000 per child group for immediate concrete needs: beds, bedding, car seats, clothing, and other essentials the child needs when they first arrive.
Medicaid for the child. Children in DFPS conservatorship are automatically eligible for Medicaid — specifically STAR Health, the managed care program designed for foster and kinship youth. You do not need to apply separately through HHSC.
A path to continued support. The Kinship Caregiver Agreement is the entry point for two longer-term pathways: foster home verification (leading to higher daily rates and eventually PCA), or Permanent Managing Conservatorship without verification (leading to the $500/year post-PMC reimbursement).
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Common Questions
Can fictive kin sign the agreement? Yes. DFPS extends the Kinship Caregiver Agreement to both blood relatives and fictive kin (family friends, godparents) when the child is placed with them under a DFPS case.
What if my income is over 300% FPL? If your household income exceeds the threshold, you may not qualify for the monthly reimbursement. However, you can still serve as the child's placement and may qualify for the one-time start-up reimbursement. Discuss the income calculation with your caseworker — some deductions and exclusions may apply.
Does the reimbursement affect my TANF or SNAP? The kinship reimbursement is excluded as countable income for Child-Only TANF and Medicaid. For SNAP, disclose it when asked and confirm with HHSC how it is counted.
The Texas Kinship Financial Help guide walks through the full timeline from placement to the Kinship Caregiver Agreement to permanency, including the decision tree for choosing between the unverified and verified pathways and the agency communication log to track your interactions with your DFPS caseworker.
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