The Rainbow Room
The Rainbow Room, is an emergency resource room where Child Protective Services (CPS)
caseworkers can obtain items such as clothing, diapers, personal hygiene items, school
supplies, car seats, and other necessary items to enhance the lives of these children. The
Rainbow Room is stocked strictly through donations, grants, new in-kind and cash, made
available by the community we serve.
Family Group Decision Making Meetings (FGDM)
A process by which Child Protective Services (CPS), parents, extended family members,
and community partners come together to make important decisions about the safety
and well-being of a child. This can include identifying living arrangements and support
services that will help improve child safety and improve moral. This project includes
children who have been temporarily or permanently removed from their parents, and
children who are able to safely live with their parents if community supports are made
available. Keeping children connected to their family, friends, schools, and community
helps with their overall well-being and leads to increased positive long-term outcomes.
Co-Sleeping Reduction Initiative
Nearly every day in Texas an infant or young child dies while sleeping with a parent,
other adult or older children. The Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)
revealed that 165 children died while sleeping with an adult or older child in fiscal year
2008. The trend continues to grow as shown by the increase from 167 deaths in 2009 and
177 deaths in 2010. More than half of the cases the infants died before they were three
months old. In a third of the cases the children were between three and seven months
old. Only 10 percent of the children were older than six months. The oldest child was 22
months.
Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) Program (PAL PARTNERS)
The Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) program was implemented in 1986 to ensure
that older youth in substitute care are prepared for their inevitable departure from the
Texas Department of Family and Protective Service’s (TDFPS) care and support. At any
given time, there are about 3,500 youth 16 years of age and older in substitute care. PAL
program staff strives to provide each of these youth with skills and resources they will
need to be healthy, productive adults.