Foster Care and Child Welfare Week in Review – November 27, 2023
Here are some news items from last week related to foster care, adoption, and child welfare that caught our eye:
This Dallas Morning News editorial discusses the urgent need for Texas to address its dysfunctional foster care system. The article highlights a long-standing lawsuit against the state for its inadequate care of foster children and the recent push to hold state officials accountable, including Governor Greg Abbott, for their failures in this regard. It emphasizes the critical importance of reforming the foster care system to ensure the safety and well-being of vulnerable children. The editorial urges Texas to take swift action to rectify these systemic issues before further harm is done to the children in its care.
Lawyers representing Texas foster children are seeking to impose large fines and place parts of the state’s foster care system under receivership due to delayed improvements and issues such as housing children in hotels. The move is deemed an “extreme remedy” to address problems in the system. Private lawyers defending the state argue that Texas has mostly complied with remedial orders. The receivership idea will be discussed at a hearing on December 4, where U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack will consider whether to hold the state in contempt of court. A receivership involves a court-appointed administrator taking control of an organization.
A report claims that the Texas Child Protective Services (CPS) agency is experiencing high turnover rates due to issues like low pay and burnout among its employees. This turnover has implications for the safety and well-being of both CPS workers and the children they serve. The report highlights concerns about retaining experienced staff and maintaining consistent casework for vulnerable children in the region. Low pay and the demanding nature of the job contribute to these workforce challenges within CPS, the report alleges.
A 2-year-old Fort Worth girl was attacked by a pit bull while in CPS custody. Her parents visit her daily, as she remains in the hospital. The parents had entrusted her care to family friends after struggling with drug addiction, following a temporary safety plan. Child Protective Services (CPS) got involved and offered to place the child with a relative, but two weeks later, the relative’s pit bull attacked her. The parents are fighting to regain custody and raise awareness about the dangers of having a child around an aggressive dog.
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