The Texas Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS) just released a slew of reports ons the State’s foster care system. Each report is mandated by the Texas legislature to give them a glimpse of what is under the hood at DFPS. At One Accord we hope to bring you that glimpse and show you ways to get involved.
On February 2nd DFPS released their “Youth Parents and Pregnant Youth in DFPS Conservatorship Fiscal Year 2022” report. Just to get us all on the same page: a “Youth in DFPS Conservatorship” is a youth that DFPS has removed from their parents and placed with a relative, close family friend, or in foster care. The fiscal year lasts from September to August. Also we see that DFPS gathers much of this data by “utilizing Paid Medicaid encounters” reported by the Health and Human Services Commission.
Here are the numbers:
- 82 babies were born to girls that are in conservatorship of the State of Texas
- 386 girls in the State’s care were found to be pregnant
- 187 youth in the State’s care were found to be parents. The report makes the caveat that this number would exclude the number of boys that might not be aware they had a child or did not want to report that information.
This means that every 4-5 days a baby is born to a girl in the State’s care and everyday a girl in the State’s care has a positive pregnancy test. Generally speaking, pregnant girls in the foster system are well supported with prenatal care and parent training. If the young mother is found to be capable of caring for the child and has a healthy support system around her, CPS will allow her to continue to raise the child and provide her the support she needs. Unfortunately, our system does not provide for a soft-landing when the girl turns 18. At that point she loses the government support she has relied on and will have all the demands of any struggling adult trying to keep their child out of the foster system. In many cases no one wins: the baby goes to a foster home and the young mother is stuck trying to meet the mounting requirements of her service plan.
What can West Texans do about this? Foster. We need foster homes that are willing to give these girls the support they need to care for their children while they are in foster care and beyond. Supportive homes that are motivated by and champions for family formation.
Think of the benefit she would have if there was a slower launch into adult motherhood than what the State offered:
- free or financial assistance with daycare while the young mother finds a job or completes her education
- a strong, nonjudgmental mentorship on the ins and outs of raising kids
- a fall back plan that is nurturing and constructive rather than harsh and punitive
Isn’t that something all young moms need?
If you are moved by this and want to take action, come out to Mid-Cites on February 28th at 6:30 for the Foster/Adopt Q&A, a project of the GetInvolved Permian Basin Collaborative. If you want to get started now go to FosterWestTexasKids.com to find a foster agency near you.