This directive is dangerous, irresponsible, and fundamentally incorrect. Unfortunately, Child Protective Services (CPS) is now actively investigating reports of child abuse for parents providing gender affirming care. A CPS case shares many similarities to a criminal case. We strongly recommend that parents of transgender children in Texas seek out an attorney BEFORE CPS shows up at your door to question you about abuse allegations. CPS can make an administrative finding of “Reason to Believe” that child abuse occurred before the case even goes to court. This finding results in the investigated parent being placed on a child abuse data base that is accessible by numerous states and organizations, including schools.
We highly recommend that you contact an attorney as soon as possible in your area. At DebnamRust, we have two attorneys that practice in CPS courts everyday:
- Kimberly Austin is a nationally certified Child Welfare Law Specialist. Kimberly spent 15 years as a CPS prosecutor. When it comes to working on CPS cases, Kim's experience and expertise is unmatched.
- Derek Mergele-Rust is well-versed and experienced in handling CPS matters, where he has practiced in courts throughout North Texas for the past several years.