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Court names DFPS temporary conservator, orders expedited home study for preferred relative in Isaiah Gonzalez matter
Summary
Judge named the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services temporary managing conservator of Isaiah Gonzalez, directed an expedited home study of relative Britney Denny, ordered drug testing for the father and set a status hearing to continue placement planning.
A judge in the High Plains Child Protection Court found that the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) should be named temporary managing conservator of Isaiah Gonzalez after DFPS investigators reported difficulty confirming a preferred relative placement and outstanding safety questions.
DFPS permanency staff told the court that they had attempted to contact the father’s preferred relative, Britney Denny, at her home and were unable to complete a full assessment because Denny had been away. DFPS worker Amy Ellis testified that Denny then texted the department and disputed investigators’ statements, but investigators were unable to complete a face-to-face home study. DFPS and Saint Francis permanency staff also said they had received other possible relative names from the father, Anthony Otero Bunker, to evaluate for placement.
DFPS requested—and the judge ordered—an expedited home-study on Britney Denny to resolve whether she can safely provide placement. The judge named DFPS temporary managing conservator of Isaiah and named the father as a possessory conservator; the court said it found returning the child to the father would present a continuing danger at this time but directed DFPS to use reasonable reunification efforts.
The judge also ordered a drug screening for the father (urinalysis) to be completed by noon the following day and set a status hearing for July 22, 2025. The judge said if the expedited home study for Denny does not support placement, DFPS should pursue evaluation of other relatives the father has identified.
DFPS and Saint Francis staff emphasized that Denny said she was willing to care for Isaiah but that questions remain about her household composition, financial stability and recent moves. Both the father and Denny testified in the hearing: Denny confirmed she was willing to submit to a home study and a drug test; the father stated he had provided a list of relatives for DFPS to evaluate. The judge ordered DFPS to proceed promptly with background and safety checks and report at the next hearing.
The court’s order put DFPS in charge of immediate placement decisions while directing an expedited inquiry into the preferred relative’s home and the father’s suitability to resume custodial care.
