The death of a teen on the run from the state’s foster care system stirs deeper questions: Why aren’t these programs working, and who will be held to account for that?
Child Protective Services
Posted in
Health care
Houston foster child death spurs concerns over placement shortages
The death of a 15-year-old girl who ran away from a Houston Child Protective Services office on Sunday has advocates and legislators grappling with the worst-case scenario of the state’s shortage of homes for abused and neglected children.
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Health care
House panel hears testimony on child welfare religious liberty bill
House State Affairs Committee members heard testimony Wednesday afternoon on House Bill 3859, which would allow faith-based organizations to exercise their “sincerely held religious beliefs” when participating as providers in Texas’ child welfare system.
Posted inState Government
Texas’ next religious liberty fight could be over foster care
Texas legislators are considering sharpening religious protections for faith-based groups the state hires to place children in foster homes. Critics say that could give religious groups license to discriminate.
Posted inState Government
Texas House, Senate unanimously pass measures overhauling child welfare system
After months of calls from advocates to take drastic measures, both chambers unanimously passed bills on Wednesday that would change how the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services cares for vulnerable children.
Posted inState Government
Watch the Texas Senate debate child welfare overhaul
Texas Senate lawmakers are debating legislation Wednesday that seeks to overhaul Texas’ child welfare system.
Posted in
Health care
Watch the Texas House debate child welfare overhaul
The Texas House is in the middle of an intense debate over a proposal that would bar undocumented Texans taking care of abused or neglected children in their families from receiving state funds that would be available to other families.
Posted in
State Government
Analysis: On child protection, the money might be the hardest part
The safety net for Texas children has some big holes in it, and most lawmakers want that fixed. But it’s going to cost money — a harder sell in a conservative Texas Legislature.
Posted in
Health care
Child welfare bill heads to Senate floor
Senate Health and Human Services Committee members voted unanimously Wednesday morning to send a bill aimed at overhauling the state’s child welfare system to the full Senate for a vote.
Posted in
State Government
Analysis: Sex trafficking series shows Texas vexed by long-term challenges
State officials have done a lot of work to stop sex trafficking in Texas, but the results revealed by the Tribune’s Sold Out series are demoralizing. The state’s own safety net is part of the pipeline for victims of trafficking.