House: Foster Kids Must Get Records Faster
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Responding to a Texas Tribune article about young adults who age out of foster care being denied their records, House lawmakers passed a bill today to require the prompt release of case files following a child's discharge from foster care.
Houston Democratic Rep. Ana Hernandez Luna's bill would give the Department of Family and Protective Services 30 days to release case files and other information to a foster child once he or she ages out of care.
The bill follows reports from child welfare advocates, chronicled in The Texas Tribune, that young adults who age out of foster care are routinely denied their records. In many cases, youth report, the state either ignores their requests, tells them they can’t be found or says compiling the paperwork will take anywhere from months to years.
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