Texas Wants to Takeover Private Foster Care Provider, EMPOWER-Child Deaths

“The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has asked a Dallas judge to appoint a third party to take over a North Texas foster care provider that repeatedly put children in imminent harm.

DFPS is petitioning for George Cannata, a child protective services regional director in North Texas, to take over EMPOWER, a private foster care service provider that oversees Dallas, Collin, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro and Rockwall counties. Cannata would be the “receiver” of EMPOWER in legal terms.

DFPS said in their petition EMPOWER repeatedly put children in imminent danger that resulted in the death of two infants and the hospitalization of a child. [Um.. who are the two infants that died in foster care? ]The provider had to be put through 17 Continuous Quality Improvement Plans and two Corrective Action Plans.

“DFPS has exhausted all lesser contractual and regulatory remedies … yet Empower continues to fail under its Community-Based Care contract, directly jeopardizing the health, safety, and welfare of children in DFPS conservatorship,” the agency wrote in its petition.

Poor documentation and minimal monitoring of two infants with abusive parents led to their death, the petition alleges. Another child was given medicine that records showed he could not have. High staff turnover meant the child had five different case workers in eight months who didn’t properly share or document his medical records.

The petition also alleges EMPOWER consistently did not comply with DFPS’ family reunification policy, “including frequency of face-to-face contacts with the children and parents, case staffings with leadership, and follow-up for on-going needs.”

Reports of poor communication with Dallas County and caseworkers being overwhelmed plagued EMPOWER soon after they took over foster care services from the state in 2024. Foster care involves monitoring and finding housing for children who are often times abused or neglected.

DFPS said a court ruling is expected within five days.

EMPOWER told KERA in a statement they will retain their contract with DFPS throughout the receiver process.

“We are committed to continuing to strengthen services for our local communities,” a spokesperson said. “As always, our number one priority is the safety and well-being of the children and families we serve.”

Community-based care is a foster care model instituted in Texas in 2017. It allows DFPS to contract out services to groups like EMPOWER, which describes itself as a collaborative of non-profits led by Texas Family Initiative.

DFPS’s website says about a quarter of children in state custody are in community-based care, and it expects to expand it to that entire population by 2029.

EMPOWER was awarded its contract with DFPS in March 2023. That contract is up for renewal in 2028, but its unclear how the recent court petition will affect that.

In a press release, Dallas-area Texas Sen. Royce West said he has had concerns about EMPOWER for some time.

“The Department of Family and Protective Services has worked closely with EMPOWER over the last two years to help them overcome a variety of challenges,” West said. “However, following recent developments, it became clear that Empower is no longer in a place where it can safely manage its caseload on its own, and asking the Court to allow for a Receiver has become necessary.””

State wants North Texas foster care provider taken over, citing 2 infant deaths

[KERA News 3/17/26 by Dylan Duke ]

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