Art. 5A.005 FOSTER HOME ADDRESS INQUIRY

If a police officer investigates a family violence call or responds to a disturbance that might involve family violence, the officer has to check something specific. The officer must look up whether the address involved in the incident matches the address of a licensed foster home, or a foster home verified through an approved agency, according to the Texas Crime Information Center database.

This means officers cannot skip this check when they respond to these types of calls. The goal is to quickly flag situations where a foster home might be involved, since that can affect how the case is handled and who needs to be notified, such as child welfare agencies or foster care licensing officials.

For families or foster parents, this rule means police are required to identify foster home connections early on. This helps make sure the right agencies get involved when a family violence situation touches a foster home, protecting the children and families connected to that home.