CPS Is Failing Our Children

 

 

Texas’ Child Protection System is Failing our Children
Vicki Spriggs, Texas CASA CEO

Texas is in the midst of a crisis that, if not addressed with the highest urgency, will create lasting damage for generations to come. Children removed from their homes are placed in a structurally an unsound system that is meant to protect them, but in reality often subjects them to further trauma, abuse, and neglect.

News articles continue to expose the failings of our state’s child protection system—and the system shows little indication of improvement. From excessive caseworker turnover and
management flaws, to a shortage of placements due to increased removals, the system has reached a breaking point that is already resulting in more harm to children, and more tragic child
fatalities.

In December, a federal judge ruled that the Texas foster care system violates the constitutional rights of many children in its care by failing to protect them from harm. Whether you agree with this ruling or not, the poor conditions described in the opinion are undeniable and heartbreaking.

As if this is not enough, the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), which oversees the child protection system, has experienced wholesale turnover among its top leadership. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has appointed a new team to lead DFPS in the hope that they can begin to address the system’s failings. Texas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) welcomes this new leadership, but we also recognize they face a difficult job as many problems are seemingly intractable.

We understand the issues are not all clear-cut, but want to underscore several key shortcomings, urging the new DFPS leadership team and state leaders to concentrate on these areas which have not been successfully addressed through previous reforms:
 Targeted Prevention – We must use data more effectively to predict which families may need help, and provide intervention and services to these children and families.
 Additional Resources – Repairing the system will require additional resources to better enhance recruitment, training, manageable caseloads and adequate compensation for caseworkers in order to decrease the devastating turnover.
 Trauma-informed Approach – Understanding the needs and challenges of children in the system requires an understanding about how the trauma they have experienced impacts their behaviors and outcomes. We believe, based on years of research, that a system based on trauma-informed care is the best way to improve outcomes for children.
 Increased Capacity – In addition to the well-documented shortage of foster care homes, we face a critical problem of placing many children far from their home communities and schools, away from their families and friends, creating unnecessary trauma for children and decreasing the likelihood of restoring families.
 Equal Accountability – Abuse or neglect allegations in state-licensed foster care homes and facilities receive inferior investigations compared with similar allegations made outside of the system.

A well-trained CPS investigation is necessary for ALL such allegations, not regulatory personnel. Paid caregiver’s standards should be the same standards as biological families.

In the midst of this turmoil, Texas CASA will continue to work with DFPS and state leadership as well as partner organizations to advocate for policies in the best interest of Texas’ children.

During any crisis, it is natural to wonder, “What can I possibly do to make a difference?” You can help the vulnerable children caught in the middle of this catastrophe by becoming a CASA volunteer. CASA volunteers get to know a specific child or sibling group in the foster care
system and speak up for their best interests in court and other settings, helping move them out of the system and into a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible.

East Texas CASA recruits and trains CASA volunteers to serve children in Gregg, Rusk & Upshur Counties. Take the first step in becoming a volunteer in your community by visiting
www.EastTexasCASA.org or calling (903) 753-8093.

About Texas CASA
Vicki Spriggs is CEO of Texas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). CASA is the statewide organization that advocates for effective public policy for children in the child protection system and provides funding, training and technical assistance to program staff, board and volunteers of the 72 local CASA programs that serve abused and neglected children in the foster care system. Last year, 8,476 well-trained volunteers served 25,947 children in 207 of the 254 Texas counties.

CASA volunteers are everyday people who have chosen to speak up for abused and neglected children in their communities. They are screened and trained before being appointed by the court to advocate for the best interests of children in the foster care system. CASA volunteers work to move the children through foster care and into safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible.