Texas Children’s Protective Services (CPS)
Assisting Parents, Foster Parents and Family Members Dealing with CPS
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (or CPS) has a noble and essential calling: to protect children from dangerous or abusive environments. And, as noble and essential as is the calling of CPS, there is also an essential need to ensure that CPS performs its calling within the bounds of the law and truly for the best interests of the children with whom it comes in contact. A child can actually remain within the confines of the CPS system for up to a year and a half, or more, while the parents strive to meet the ever-increasing demands of CPS.
When you retain Kimberly D. Levi, you will be working with a family law attorney who has dedicated her efforts consistently over the years to holding CPS to the proper performance of its essential task. Your children, the children of your loved ones, or your foster children cannot afford to languish in the system. You need an attorney who will fight to ensure that the children are released from the system to you in as short a time period as possible.
CPS Defense Cases
If CPS removes your children from your home and places them in foster care, it can take a year and a half to prove your appropriateness as a parent and have your children returned. Younger children caught up in the CPS system are particularly susceptible to developing bonding and attachment issues when they are away from their parents. The longer the time away from the family, the more difficult can be the reversal of these issues. Kimberly Levi’s goal as your attorney in a CPS defense case is to help you successfully navigate the system and get your children back in your care, or at least a relative’s care, as quickly as possible.
Parents in CPS child removal cases are typically required to take parenting courses, visit alcohol and drug counselors, engage in weekly individual and family therapy, submit to psychological testing by CPS, and take mandatory drug tests — even if they are not on drugs. And, of course, the parents must accomplish all of the foregoing, and more, while at the same time maintaining steady employment – a daunting task even for parents with the most lenient employers. Further, few people realize that the psychologists and counselors employed by CPS, with whom the parent is required to visit, are actually gathering evidence that can be used against the parent to prove that they are unfit. Also, the evaluators have little incentive to shorten the length of time the parent is required to see them. Kimberly Levi will seek court approval to hire private, neutral professionals who can help you complete the evaluation process in a much shorter time period and without exposing you to evaluation by persons who rely upon CPS for their livelihood.
CPS Adoption Cases
You can also find competent representation with Kimberly D. Levi if you are a foster parent or relative who wishes to adopt children placed in your care by CPS when the parental environment is not a safe one. The challenges faced by foster or adoptive parents can be quite similar to the challenges faced by parents whose children have been taken. You must remember that CPS represents the State of Texas and not you, no matter what your relationship to CPS has been. CPS workers “on the ground” are bound by policies beyond their control. These policies, unfortunately, are often “cookie-cutter” and do not nicely fit every actual scenario. Further, the inability of CPS workers to stray from the dictated policies often results in “on the ground” decisions that are blind to the actual best interests of the children. Luckily, it is the judge, and not CPS, who has the final say in interpreting the best interest of the children. A competent attorney acting on your behalf is often necessary to enforce the checks and balances that necessarily exist to ensure that the children remain the focal point.
Contact Houston, Texas CPS family law attorney Kimberly D. Levi today to schedule a consultation during which you can gain untold amounts of knowledge and, therefore, power from an informed and experienced “in the trenches” CPS defense attorney. Do not delay and please follow her advice!