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Judge continues DFPS conservatorship, approves extended care while SSI application pending
Summary
At a review hearing the court continued the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services as permanent managing conservator for Moses Garcia, approved extended care paperwork signed March 3 and said it would seek extended jurisdiction while the youth's Supplemental Security Income application remains pending for 18–24 months.
A judge at the juvenile review hearing continued the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services as permanent managing conservator for Moses Garcia and confirmed steps to keep him in his current placement while his Supplemental Security Income (SSI) application remains pending.
The court noted that extended-care paperwork was signed March 3 and that the child’s foster parents agreed to continue his placement long term while SSI is pursued. Pamela Ferguson, the regional attorney for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and permanency staff from Saint Francis Ministries appeared for the department; Jim Shaw appeared for the child.
The department reported that the SSI process is currently taking 18 to 24 months to complete. Permanency specialist Becky Hernandez said the agency would request extended jurisdiction—an authority the court may use while guardianship and related processes are pending—to maintain legal oversight until benefits and placement details are resolved. The judge said she had no objection to keeping the youth in his current placement and to signing the needed orders quickly; she instructed counsel to submit an order for her signature before the youth’s 18th birthday, which counsel said is next week.
Court staff listed a follow-up hearing: an extended-care review set for Sept. 10, 2025, on the 9:00 a.m. docket.
Why it matters: Extended care and extended jurisdiction keep placements and court oversight in place during long benefit determinations; the SSI timeline the department reported affects plans for long-term supports and potential enrollment in services tied to benefit approval.
The court closed the matter for the day after instructing staff to prepare and circulate the necessary orders.
