Representatives from the Lubbock non-profit organizations CASA and The Child Advocacy Center, told everythinglubbock that Child Protective Services works toward family unification.
Derek Danner with The Child Advocacy center said once a CPS case has been filed, the agency first tries to find a family member to act as a “Kinship Giver” to take care of the child while investigators work through the case.
“Now they have to vet whoever that family member is going to be to make sure it’s a safe and good environment for the child,” Danner said.
The parent will then have a list of items they need to complete in order to gain custody back.
“Whether it was narcotics or drugs or whatever it may be, they want to work those services so that when that child does get unified with the parent, those things don’t happen again and its a suitable environment,” Danner said.
With such a severe shortage of foster parents in this region, Lauren Westerberg with CASA of The South Plains said keeping the child with family members allows a sense of normalcy.
“They’re with somebody they know and I think that’s really the biggest thing, they are with a familiar person, somebody who understands them, knows their family history and can support them,” Westerberg said.
