Texas Increases Opportunities For Kinship Foster Families

TEXAS, November 10 - November 10, 2025 | Austin, Texas | Press Release

Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) today increased opportunities for Texans to foster family members by eliminating 195 burdensome and unnecessary rules. With the removal of 75% of all administrative requirements, Texas will streamline regulations to strengthen protections for children in care and make it easier for relatives to become foster parents.

"Serving as a foster parent is an invaluable way to provide a loving home for a child," said Governor Abbott. "When we eliminate burdensome and unnecessary rules and regulations so children can stay with their families through kinship foster care, we put those children on the best path forward. Texas will continue to prioritize children in need by removing bureaucratic red tape to keep them with their families."

"When we work together to put children first, we see amazing things happen," said First Lady Cecilia Abbott. "By eliminating the hardships on Texas families who wish to foster a child, we can see families across the state stay together and provide care for their own. I thank all Texans and state agencies for working together to remove burdens and ensure every child in Texas has the opportunity to grow and flourish."

“By removing unnecessary barriers, we’re helping Texans open their homes to relatives in need,” said HHS Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young. “These changes will give more children in foster care the opportunity to grow up in a familiar, loving environment.”

“Kinship families allow children in foster care to live with caring adults they know and trust,” said Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) Commissioner Audrey O’Neill. “They enable a child to maintain their sense of identity and foster positive self-esteem while remaining connected to their families and communities.”

Kinship foster care supports family bonds and reduces trauma by placing children with relatives or close family friends when parents are unable to provide care. The 88th Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 593, which Governor Abbott signed into law, to direct HHSC and DFPS to audit and streamline the state’s child care regulations for kinship foster homes.

Through a thorough review involving a stakeholder group of agencies, providers, foster and kinship parents, and advocates, HHSC eliminated 75% of all administrative requirements —

 195 total unnecessary requirements — while maintaining 55 essential kinship foster home rules to safeguard children in care.

Regulation changes include:

• Streamline housing inspections to focus on the health and environmental safety of kinship foster homes.
• Eliminate unnecessary training requirements for kinship foster parents.
• Require less documentation for over-the-counter medications.

Through the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office, the State of Texas will continue to work with HHSC, DFPS, and all other state agencies to reduce regulatory burdens, eliminate unnecessary rules, and increase transparency for Texas families. 

HHSC licenses and regulates child-placing agencies that verify and ensure kinship foster homes meet required standards. HHSC also conducts criminal background checks on individuals within a kinship foster home, monitors kinship foster homes to ensure they are safe environments, and inspects a random sample of foster homes annually.

Find more information on child care regulation and education on the HHS website, and find information on kinship care on the DFPS website. Texas residents can also dial 2-1-1 to learn about programs and services.