When children are unable to live safely in their homes, CPS tries to find relatives or family friends who can provide a stable environment while the children are away from their parents. If no one can be located, the courts can give legal custody to CPS, on a temporary basis, who then places the child in foster or kinship care.
According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), nearly nineteen thousand children were removed from their home by CPS in 2019. The North Texas region has the most number of removals in the state, with nearly four thousand or approximately twenty percent.