Foster Care and Child Welfare Week in Review – February 20, 2023
Here are some news items from last week related to foster care, adoption, and child welfare that caught our eye:
1a. Lawyers for foster children using money awarded in Texas lawsuit to lobby lawmakers
Lawyers for more than 10,000 children in Texas’ much-criticized system of long-term foster care have used part of their taxpayer-paid fees to hire lobbyists to advocate for increased state funding of foster care. On Wednesday, the unusual move drew sharp rebukes from the House and Senate’s top two child-welfare policy writers. The Republican leaders’ hostile reaction raised doubts about whether the novel tactic actually would work — and result in increased state investment.
1b. Foster children’s lawyers halt lobbying push amid blowback by key Texas lawmakers
After two leading Republican lawmakers blasted the effort and a federal judge signaled surprise, plaintiffs’ lawyers in the long-running Texas foster care lawsuit on Thursday suspended a lobbying effort to persuade the Legislature to boost funding for foster children.
Most reports of child abuse or neglect turn out to be unfounded. But while under investigation, parents with little understanding of their rights or the process often make decisions that could impact the fate of their families. A bill filed by state Rep. James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, aims to increase due-process protections for parents involved in CPS cases. He wants to cut down on children being unnecessarily placed in an overburdened foster care system already under fire for failing the children in its care.
The Refuge Ranch outside Bastrop, Texas, was the focus of special legislative hearings and multiple law enforcement investigations. Eleven girls were removed in March, and the organization’s license was suspended. In the end, despite two girls telling law enforcement they had allowed staff member Iesha Greene to take photos of them nude with her phone so the girls could sell them for money to purchase drugs, Greene was never indicted. The nonprofit sex-trafficking treatment center reached a settlement with the state that allowed it to reopen Friday.
NewsWest9 caught up with our own Matt Waller to talk about the state of our foster crisis in West Texas. Waller shared that while we are seeing a reduction in the number of children and youth going into foster care we are still seeing the same percentage of children and youth leaving their county and West Texas. Check out our blog to see the numbers. The foster system relies on community members and local families to support children and families in crisis. To start fostering you can go to FosterWestTexasKids.com to find an agency near you. If you have questions join our Foster/Adopt Q&A on February 28th, 6:30-8pm at Mid-Cities on 191. Check out the Facebook event for more details and updates.
Jasmine, 16, would describe herself as big hearted and a bit of a country girl at heart. She loves animals and one day hopes to be a veterinarian. Looking at her Heart Gallery profile, we learn even more; she likes makeup, has an interest in fashion, and enjoys riding her bike. In her CBS7 Interview we caught up with her at A to Z Veterinary Clinic in Midland and saw her come alive. Her forever family will need to be adventurous and active to keep up with her as she finds her palace.
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