REFUGE HOUSE, INC.

PURPOSE:

To establish the governing requirements for the safe transportation of infants, children, and young adults in Refuge House's care — ensuring safe, reliable, properly registered and inspected vehicles; licensed, insured drivers; and age-appropriate passenger restraint at all times.

POLICY:

Refuge House requires that all caregivers have safe and reliable transportation that meets all registration and inspection requirements. All drivers must meet all Texas DPS requirements for a licensed driver. All vehicles used to transport infants/children/young adults must use age-appropriate passenger restraint systems and follow all traffic laws and procedures for vehicle operation.

This policy applies to all Refuge House programs and personnel, and to all foster/adoptive parents, kinship caregivers, mini-break and Intermittent Alternative Care (IAC) providers, in-home substitute care providers, and any other adult authorized to transport an infant, child, or young adult in the agency's care.

Refuge House harmonizes this policy with 26 TAC §§749.3101–749.3111 (vehicle and transportation requirements), the DFPS 24-Hour Residential Child Care Contract, and the provider manuals of every contracting SSCC; where these prescribe differing requirements for the same activity, Refuge House adopts the strictest applicable requirement.

AGENCY RESPONSIBILITY:

Caregivers provide routine transportation for the children in their care as they would for their own children. Per the DFPS contract, Refuge House is ultimately responsible for all transportation; when a caregiver cannot transport due to extenuating circumstances and gives at least 24 hours' notice, Refuge House arranges alternative transportation. Failure to ensure transportation is a violation of the child's service plan and may result in corrective action. The escalation path and back-up transportation options are maintained in FC17-06.1.

GOVERNING STANDARDS:

• Vehicles are maintained in safe operating condition and inspected and registered per federal, state, and local law; drivers hold a valid Texas Driver's License and current auto insurance covering the transport of foster children (TAC §749.3101).
• Child passenger safety — age-appropriate child-passenger safety systems and seat belts are used per Texas law; all children under 13 ride properly restrained in the back seat (TAC §749.3103; Texas Transportation Code).
• Tobacco/e-cigarettes are prohibited in the vehicle at any time during transport (TAC §749.2931(c)).
• Firearms/weapons in a vehicle transporting a child must comply with TAC §749.2967 (long guns unloaded and inaccessible; lawful possession).
• Children transporting other children, teaching a youth to drive, special-needs transport, and the prohibition on transporting in a pickup bed follow TAC §749.3105, §749.3107, §749.3109, and §749.3111 respectively.
• Kinship caregiver transportation follows TAC §749.4577.
• Youth age 16+ are supported in obtaining a Texas Driver's License or State ID within 30 days of the 16th birthday (or of placement, if placed at 16+).

DRIVER RECORD CHECKS (contract requirement):

Refuge House conducts a check of the driving record (MVR) of every staff member required to drive for agency purposes on an annual basis, and maintains a policy requiring such staff to notify Refuge House within 72 hours of receiving any traffic or driving citation. (2INgage Provider Services Agreement §4.4; adopted agency-wide)

QUALITY ASSURANCE:

Caregivers provide Refuge House an annual driving record for each driver and current proof of auto insurance upon each renewal; pre-trip vehicle checks, restraint use, and transportation incidents are monitored through home visits and the agency's PQI process.

REGULATORY ALIGNMENT:

• 26 TAC §749.3101 (vehicle requirements), §749.3103 (transporting foster children), §749.3105 (children transporting children), §749.3107 (teaching to drive), §749.3109 (increased-supervision / non-ambulatory transport), §749.3111 (pickup-bed prohibition)
• 26 TAC §749.2931 (tobacco/e-cigarettes), §749.2967 (firearms in a vehicle), §749.4577 (kinship transportation), §749.553(10) (driving record in personnel/home record), §749.913 (first aid/CPR exemptions)
• 24-Hour Residential Child Care Contract §3620; SSCC provider manuals (OCOK §6.20, Belong, EMPOWER, 2INgage, Saint Francis §4.6); Texas Transportation Code; T3C System Blueprint

RELATED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:

• FC17-06.1 Transportation & Vehicle Safety Procedure
• FC-17 Home Studies (vehicle/insurance verification at screening)
• FC10 Physical and Mental Health Care (special-needs / medical-equipment transport)
• FC-YT Youth Transition Support (driver-license milestone for older youth)

DEFINITIONS:

Age-appropriate restraint: the child-passenger safety system (rear-facing, forward-facing harness, booster, or adult belt) required for the child's age, height, and weight under Texas law and the manufacturer's instructions.

Authorized transporter: a caregiver, approved back-up driver, approved Refuge House staff transporter, approved kinship/family transporter, or SSCC-arranged transporter permitted to transport a child in care.

This policy document establishes the governing principles for Transportation & Vehicle Safety. The corresponding procedure document (FC17-06.1) operationalizes these principles. While policies require Board approval and remain relatively stable, procedures may be updated by the Executive Director to adapt to regulatory changes or operational improvements without requiring Board approval, provided such changes maintain alignment with the policy's intent.