REFUGE HOUSE, INC.
| Policy Information | Details |
|---|---|
| POLICY NAME | Child Travel and Overnight Visits Policy |
| POLICY NUMBER | FC-TRV-01 |
| ORIGINATED | 7/26 |
| APPROVED BY | Board of Directors |
| EFFECTIVE DATE | 7/13/26 (pending Board approval) |
| LAST UPDATED | 7/13/2026 |
| RELATED PROCEDURE | FC-TRV-01.1 Child Travel and Overnight Visits Procedure |
| APPLICABLE T3C PACKAGES: | APPLICABLE T3C ADD-ON SERVICES: |
|---|---|
| ☒ T3C Basic Foster Family Home | ☒ Transition Support Services for Youth & Young Adults |
| ☒ Substance Use Support Services | ☒ Kinship Caregiver Support Services |
| ☒ Short-Term Assessment | ☒ Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult |
| ☒ Mental & Behavioral Health | |
| ☒ Sexual Aggression/Sex Offender | |
| ☒ Complex Medical Needs or Medically Fragile | |
| ☒ Human Trafficking Victim/Survivor | |
| ☒ Intellectual or Developmental Disability (IDD)/Autism Spectrum Disorder | |
| ☒ T3C Treatment Foster Family Care |
PURPOSE:
To satisfy the DFPS 24-Hour RCC Contract requirement that "the provider develops and maintains a written policy regarding overnight travel and overnight visits" (RCC §1120), by stating the approval and notification requirements that apply before a child in Refuge House's care travels overnight or makes an overnight visit.
SCOPE:
- This policy governs overnight travel and overnight visits by children in care. For the purpose of this policy, "Child" means children under the age of 18 (RCC §1120).
- Routine, day-to-day transportation of children (school, appointments, activities, driver qualifications, vehicle safety) is governed by the Transportation and Vehicle Safety Policy and Procedure (FC17-06 / FC17-06.1) and is out of scope here.
- Travel that is routine and fewer than 72 hours away from the foster home requires no approval under this policy (RCC §1120).
POLICY:
No child travels overnight, or makes an overnight visit, in a category for which RCC §1120 requires approval unless the required approval has been obtained before departure and documented in the child's record. Where §1120 requires notification rather than approval, the notification is made before departure and documented (RCC §1120). The approval matrix below restates the §1120 requirements; the cited RCC text controls.
APPROVAL MATRIX (RCC §1120):
| Travel type | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| In-state, routine, fewer than 72 hours away from the foster home | No approval required | RCC §1120 (CPS Handbook 6471.1) |
| In-state, more than 72 hours with the Caregiver, away from the foster home | Written approval by the CPS Caseworker or the supervisor | RCC §1120 |
| Travel with a person who is not a Caregiver or Relative (any duration) | Written approval by the CPS Caseworker or supervisor | RCC §1120 |
| Bordering state, less than 72 hours | No Caseworker approval required; the Caregiver must notify the Caseworker of the travel by text, phone, or email | RCC §1120 (CPS Handbook 6471.2) |
| Bordering state, more than 72 hours | CPS Caseworker or supervisor approval | RCC §1120 |
| Non-bordering state | Caseworker or supervisor approval and notice to the court, or the court's written approval if the court having jurisdiction over the case requires it, or both | RCC §1120 |
| Outside the United States | CPS State Office and court approval are both required; the provider completes and submits the Caregiver Declaration Regarding Out-of-Country Travel (Form 2069) | RCC §1120 |
VERIFIED KINSHIP CARVE-OUT:
Verified Kinship Caregivers will provide notification of out-of-state travel to the CPS Caseworker and to Refuge House (the Child Placing Agency) prior to departure. DFPS approval is not required for out-of-state travel for children placed in Verified Kinship Homes (RCC §1120).
OUT-OF-COUNTRY TRAVEL:
For any travel outside the United States, Refuge House — not the caregiver — completes and submits Form 2069 and does not permit departure until both CPS State Office approval and court approval are in hand (RCC §1120).
DOCUMENTATION:
Every approval, notification, and Form 2069 obtained or made under this policy is retained in the child's record; a written-approval requirement is not met unless the written approval itself is on file (RCC §1120).
COORDINATION DUTIES:
- The Case Manager classifies each planned trip against the approval matrix, routes approval requests to the CPS Caseworker or supervisor, and coordinates court notice/approval with the Caseworker where the matrix requires it (RCC §1120).
- When the Caseworker cannot be reached, the request goes through the Caseworker's Chain of Command (RCC Appendix I, "Caseworker").
- Staff consult the DFPS When a Child or Youth in CPS Conservatorship Travels Resource Guide referenced by §1120 for case-specific questions (RCC §1120).
REGULATORY ALIGNMENT:
- RCC §1120 — CPS Approval Requirements for Travel and Visits (written-policy mandate; in-state, out-of-state, out-of-country approval matrix; verified-kinship notification carve-out; Form 2069); CPS Handbook 6471.1–6471.2 as cross-referenced by §1120
- RCC Appendix I — "Caseworker" definition and Chain of Command
- 26 TAC Chapter 749 — day-to-day transportation and vehicle safety standards are addressed in FC17-06 / FC17-06.1
RELATED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:
- FC-TRV-01.1 Child Travel and Overnight Visits Procedure
- FC17-06 / FC17-06.1 Transportation and Vehicle Safety Policy and Procedure (day-to-day transport — out of scope here)
- FC-WCM-01 / FC-WCM-01.1 Worker Contact and Monitoring (travel plans as a standing home-visit discussion topic)
DEFINITIONS:
Child: for this policy, a child under the age of 18 (RCC §1120).
Caregiver: an individual who delivers services directly to the child, such as a Foster Parent (RCC Appendix I).
Bordering state: a state that borders Texas, per the §1120 out-of-state travel provisions (RCC §1120).
Verified Kinship Home / Verified Kinship Caregiver: a kinship home verified as a foster home; subject to the §1120 notification carve-out for out-of-state travel (RCC §1120).
Form 2069: Caregiver Declaration Regarding Out-of-Country Travel, completed and submitted by the provider for out-of-country travel (RCC §1120).
Adopted requirements are those in force per the editions listed in the frontmatter review basis; when DFPS revises §1120, the revised requirement applies pending policy review.