The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services has gone to court in Dallas County, asking a judge to step in and hand day-to-day control of foster care in North Texas to a court-appointed manager. In its filing, the agency accuses EMPOWER of “systemic failures” that it says have placed children in “imminent danger,” and links its concerns to two child fatalities. DFPS wants a receiver to take over operations in the Metroplex East region, a significant escalation in oversight of the state’s Community-Based Care contractor for Dallas and surrounding counties.
DFPS details three alarming cases
In its petition, DFPS flags three cases it says show serious lapses inside the system. One involves an infant who died after what the filing calls an unassessed reunification. Another centers on a newborn who later died after staff allegedly failed to plan for the birth, even though the parents were described by DFPS as known to be abusive. A third case involves a child hospitalized after staff allegedly mishandled medication during a lupus flare-up.
DFPS also lays out broader operational problems, accusing EMPOWER of inaccurate or late reporting, transporting children without proper car seats, and running with such high staff turnover and caseloads that proper care was not possible. The agency notes EMPOWER has already been placed on 17 improvement plans and two corrective action plans. Those details, along with the request for a receiver, appear in court records and in reporting by WFAA.
Who EMPOWER is and how it came to run the region
EMPOWER serves as the Single-Source Continuum Contractor, or SSCC, that took over foster care services in the Metroplex East community as part of Texas’ Community-Based Care rollout. The contract covers Dallas County and eight surrounding counties and shifted many placement and case-management duties away from DFPS.
State materials describe EMPOWER as a collaborative led by Texas Family Initiative and local providers, responsible for placements, kinship supports, and reunification work under the Stage II model. DFPS’ Community-Based Care pages outline the background of the contract and explain how the region moved to the new structure.
EMPOWER’s public record and reach
On its own website and press pages, EMPOWER highlights community partnerships, events, and the number of children and families it reports serving in recent fiscal years. The group lists offices in the Dallas area and posts press releases about staffing moves and program changes since it launched operations in the region. For EMPOWER’s description of its work and contact information, see EMPOWER.
Lawmakers and local leaders react
State Sen. Royce West said his office has received complaints that back up DFPS stepping in, while stressing it is too soon to decide whether EMPOWER should lose its contract. He also pointed to recent legislation that gives state leaders more power to move quickly when they believe children’s safety is on the line. His comments were included in coverage of the DFPS petition. WFAA reported the statements.
Legal stakes and the proposed receiver
Among the steps DFPS is asking the court to take is the appointment of a receiver who would run foster care operations in the Metroplex East region. The petition identifies George Cannata as the person the state wants in that role. State Community-Based Care reports list Cannata as the director of the Office of Community-Based Care Transition and describe him as a longtime child-welfare official with experience inside DFPS.
If the judge agrees to DFPS’ request, a court-appointed receiver would have broad authority to oversee operations and make immediate safety changes, with the court monitoring the transition.
Why this matters locally
The Metroplex East contract touches hundreds, and by some counts thousands, of children and families across nine North Texas counties. A ruling from a Dallas court could reshape how foster placements and reunifications work across the region.
Foster care advocates and community partners say they want quick fixes that strengthen safety while keeping services close to children’s home communities. For updates as the case moves through the courts, EMPOWER’s site and DFPS materials are expected to remain key reference points; see EMPOWER and DFPS’ Community-Based Care pages for ongoing information.
