The Texas foster care system serves more than 30,000 children and is at risk of collapsing. On a regular basis, hundreds of children don’t have foster care, and safe care and shelter are not always guaranteed.
Many factors have led to this crisis.
Since 2011, the Texas foster care system has been the subject of a lawsuit, alleging violations of children’s rights. U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack ruled that Texas had, in fact, been historically violating the rights of children in foster care by subjecting them to abuse, overmedication and repeated placements.
The system needed reform, and although her ruling was well-intentioned, many unintended consequences have resulted from Judge Jack’s orders, including:
- Increased citations for infractions including minor issues.
- Increased costs, with the expectation that the state will continue to pick up the ever-increasing tab.
- Shifting the attention of foster care providers to compliance over quality care.
In addition, several poor-quality providers were rightfully shut down. But that also means we are also losing many of the stronger foster care programs that were limited to begin with.
At the same time, the Texas Legislature is moving ahead with community-based foster care, in which the state pays private community organizations to manage foster care instead of the state. These organizations, however, will likely not receive enough reimbursement to cover the costs of caring for children in a safe, comfortable environment. We are exploring alternate strategies if this model is not successful.
- The shift to community-based care began in 2017. Private foster care providers are now empowered to be innovative and flexible in pursuing solutions that work best for the children and families in their own communities. With flexibility comes greater responsibility and accountability for providers to improve the safety and well-being for children in their care.
- Removing children from their homes, even when abuse occurs, is a traumatic event for them. Often, foster care placements with relatives or close family friends can lessen this trauma. Relative or “kinship” placements provide significant capacity to accommodate children in foster care, making up approximately 40 percent of placements for children in care.
Texas by the Numbers
400+
The number of Texas foster children placed in unlicensed facilities, such as motels, churches and offices.
30,000
Average number of children in the foster care system at any given time.
2 out of 5
Children in foster care who are ages 1-5.
TexProtects’ Strategic Priorities
Increase transparency and accessibility of current data.
Develop a performance management system that accurately reflects desired outcomes for children and families.
Create appropriate benchmarks for assessment of progress, failures, and success of the child protection system.
Empower robust partnerships between state agencies and public, private, faith-based, and community organizations.
The TexProtects Impact
Secured $32 million during the 85th Legislative session to increase support for relative caregivers via House Bill 4.
Interviews
January 12, 2022
Children’s advocacy group discusses Texas foster care crisis
The Texas foster care system has too many problems to detail in just a short TV interview. But for a taste of how bad it...
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News
August 28, 2021
The critical foster care reforms in Texas are having unintended consequences
Recently, we have been reading about foster children sleeping in Child Protective Services offices as if sleeping in offices is our child welfare crisis. Sleeping...
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Articles
May 18, 2021
New Developments on the Texas Foster Care Lawsuit Crisis
Earlier in the month, Judge Janis Jack conducted a hearing to follow up on the progress made on the thirteen remedial orders. The Department of...
View MoreChild Abuse Prevention, Child Protective Services, Foster Care, Legislative
News
March 7, 2021
Texas Must Make a Transformative Change in Child Protection and Foster Care
The Texas winter freeze and power outages are once-in-a-lifetime events that qualify as collective trauma for all of us. However, for Texans who were already...
View MoreChild Protective Services, Foster Care
Articles
February 24, 2021
TexProtects Public Testimony on Article II Budget for FY 2022-2023
The best way to get policymakers to make the changes we need to protect children and families is to provide them with evidence that proves...
View MoreChild Abuse Prevention, Child Protective Services, Foster Care, Legislative
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