Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Services

The Child Placing Agency must become Credentialed to provide a primary Service Package as well as the Add-On Service of Pregnant & Parenting Youth & Young Adults Support to be eligible for the daily rate associated with this Add-On Service described below.

Add-On Service Summary

Add-On Service Description

In addition to the youth or young adult's primary Service Package being offered through the Child Placing Agency, this Add-On Service is offered in a trauma-informed foster home that has enhanced training and skill in caring for, mentoring/coaching, and offering support services for youth who are pregnant or actively parenting their biological child(ren). Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Services may be offered to the mother or the father, so long as the youth or young adult receiving the Add-On Service has their biological child placed with them and are residing in a Credentialed foster home.

Funding to support the Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Services Add-On is designed to cover all needs of the Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult as detailed below. The basic living needs for the youth or young adult's biological child(ren) which includes, food, clothing, shelter, education, vocation, transportation, recreation, and extracurricular needs will be covered by the Foster Care Maintenance Payments for Children of Youth and Young Adults in Foster Care.

The Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Add-On Service only applies when DFPS does not have conservatorship of the child(ren) that the Youth or Young Adult is parenting, or in situations where the child(ren) of the Youth or Young Adult is in DFPS conservatorship and is placed in the same foster home with his or her parent and is actively working towards family reunification as the permanency goal.

Add-On Service Expectations

In addition to, and/or consistent with Statutory and Minimum Standards Requirements:

• The Child Placing Agency should have policy, procedures, and a training plan specific to the program and delivery of the Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Services Add-On Service. The operation's approach to delivery of the Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Services Add-On Service must align with the operation's Evidence-informed Treatment Model. Youth and young adults must be aware of, and all staff and Caregivers must be trained in, practice, and remain current on policy, procedures, and expectations of the Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Services Add-On Service program the operation has adopted.

• The Child Placing Agency must maintain a current Logic Model specific to the provision of the Pregnant & Parenting Youth & Young Adult Support Services Add-On Service, which is modified over time based on the Child Placing Agency's Continuous Quality Improvement process.

• The Child Placing Agency's approach and delivery of the Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Services Add-On Service must consider the youth or young adult's custom needs, as well as the needs of their child(ren), and be adaptable to support individual developmental needs, and in conjunction with the primary Service Package being offered by the Child Placing Agency and Foster Family Home Caregiver.

• The Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Services Add-On Service incorporates a custom parenting plan (which may be incorporated as a part of the Service Plan). This plan should be developed in collaboration with the youth or young adult, and at a minimum must address how the youth will receive information and support related to the following areas:

  • Prenatal Care (if applicable)
  • Safe sleeping arrangements
  • Suggestions for childproofing potentially dangerous settings in a home
  • Child development and methods to cope with challenging behaviors
  • Selection of appropriate substitute caregivers
  • A child's early brain development, including the importance of meeting an infant's developmental needs by providing positive experiences and avoiding adverse experiences
  • The importance of parental involvement in a child's life and methods for coparenting
  • The benefits of reading, singing, and talking to young children
  • The importance of prenatal and postpartum care for both the parent and infant, including the impact of and signs for perinatal mood disorders
  • Infant nutrition
  • Healthy Relationships, including the prevention of intimate partner violence

• The Child Placing Agency and Foster Family Home Caregivers offer logistical support, transportation, coordination, and documentation/record keeping of services, specific to not only the youth and young adult, but their child(ren) as needed.

• The Child Placing Agency's Service Plan for a youth and young adult receiving the Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Services Add-On Service should be directed by the youth or young adult and should include (at a minimum) the following:

  • Support and aid in seeking, completing all necessary referrals, and providing coordination of services to both the youth or young adult that is pregnant or parenting, and for their child(ren), including but not limited to STAR Health, Early Childhood Intervention (if applicable) and other Medicaid programs, HHSC Women and Children's Health programs, the DFPS (transitioning to HHSC in FY 2025) Prevention and Early Intervention Program, day care (if applicable), as well as all other state, federal, and community benefits for which the parent or child may be eligible. This expertise includes understanding the timing for, and process required to complete and submit applications or other necessary documentation to obtain benefits. The Child Placing Agency and Foster Family Home Caregiver will assist the youth or young adult with completing all forms and referrals as needed. It should be noted that individual services are voluntary, and the youth, young adult, and their child cannot be forced to participate in these programs, but the Child Placing Agency must have clear policy and procedures, and the Foster Family Home Caregiver must be trained on continued/on-going methods for engaging the minor parent in services and document all efforts.

Staffing Requirements

• Child Placing Agency must have dedicated Parenting Support/Mentor staff and infrastructure to support youth and young adults receiving the Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Add-On Service.
• Child Placing Agency Aftercare Pregnant & Parenting Support Staff

Depending on the size of the Child Placing Agency, the dedicated Aftercare Pregnant & Parenting Support Staff may serve more than one function within the operation.

Generally Appropriate Staff to Youth or Young Adult Ratio

• 1 Child Placing Agency Parenting Support/Mentor staff for every 20 youth and young adults receiving the Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Services Add-On Service.
• 1 Child Placing Agency Aftercare Pregnant & Parenting Support Staff for every 20 youth and young adults receiving the Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Services Add-On Service.

Staff to youth and young adult ratio may vary based on operation's Transition Support program and dependent on the complexity of the caseload.

Desired Individual Outcome

• Child Placing Agency must have clearly articulated youth and young adult-level outcome expectations that tie directly to the operation's program for delivering the Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Services Add-On Service, and support the following at a minimum:
  • Safety for the youth or young adult and their child(ren)
  • Youth or young adult's Permanency Goal
  • Improved Well-Being for the youth or young adult and their child(ren)
• Child Placing Agency must have infrastructure in place to collect, track, and evaluate/analyze youth and young adult outcomes (both while youth or young adult is in placement and as a part of Aftercare Services), including being able to analyze outcomes based on individual foster family homes and by Parenting Support/Mentor and Aftercare staff.

Aftercare Services

• The Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult Support Services Add-On Service requires the planning and provision of Aftercare Services once the youth or young adult leaves the care of the Child Placing Agency.

• Funding to support the Aftercare Services has been built into the Child Placing Agency's daily Add-On Service rate while the child is in care, the Child Placing Agency will not receive a separate payment for the provision of the required Aftercare Services.

• Upon discharge (both successful and unsuccessful), the Child Placing Agency, in collaboration with the Foster Family Home Caregiver, and the youth or young adult, will develop and produce a robust plan that includes referrals for benefits, supports, and continued services necessary to support the pregnant or parenting youth or young adult and their child(ren). This plan should be customized around the youth or young adult's planned living arrangement and include contact information for Child Placing Agency Parenting Support/Mentor Staff and the Child Placing Agency Aftercare Support staff assigned to the youth or young adult upon discharge.

• The Aftercare Support Staff must work with the youth or young adult to develop a plan with times and dates set for weekly, then transitioning to twice a month, follow-up calls and/or meetings for a period of 6 months following discharge. Additional in-person or virtual ad-hoc meetings/staffings, as well as referrals for new or additional services, may be required during the 6-month aftercare period.

• The Child Placing Agency must maintain written documentation of all contacts or attempted contacts, referrals, and other case management support provided during the Aftercare Service period in the Child Placing Agency's case record for the child. A copy of the documentation should be provided to the SSCC or DFPS caseworker at the end of each month during the Aftercare Service period.