Who must sign the placement agreement?

• A. The child's parent, except for transitional living programs, where a 16-year-old or older may sign on the child's own behalf if the child resides separate from the parent and manages finances, is unmarried and pregnant, or is unmarried and a parent.
• B. The child's parent only
• C. The agency director only
• D. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is who has the legal authority to give consent for a child’s placement. Normally, a placement agreement must be signed by the child’s parent or legal guardian to authorize the placement and acknowledge responsibilities. This ensures there is a clear, lawful agreement about who is making decisions about the child’s care, services, and protections.

There is an important exception for transitional living programs: if a youth is 16 or older, and the youth lives separate from the parent, can manage their finances, and is unmarried and pregnant or unmarried and a parent, then the youth may sign the placement agreement on their own behalf. This recognizes the youth’s capacity to participate in decisions about their own placement when they are transitioning toward independence.

So, the standard rule plus the specific exception for transitional living programs explains why the designated correct approach is that the parent signs, with the eligible older youth having the option to sign themselves if the stated conditions apply. The agency director or DFPS do not substitute as the signing party in this context.