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Bill Would Give Foster Kids a Say in Medication Use

Texas lawmakers are weighing a bill that would allow some teenagers in foster care to refuse medication. The legislation comes amid reports that despite recent reforms, rates of psychotropic drug use among Texas foster children remains high.

by Veronica Zaragovia, KUT News

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Texas lawmakers are weighing a bill that would allow some teenagers in foster care to refuse medication. The legislation comes amid reports that despite recent reforms, rates of psychotropic drug use among Texas foster children remains high.

Clarification: This audio report says the use of psychotropic medication among foster care children has dropped almost 30 percent from 2004 to 2010. The number fell by 9.4 percentage points, reflecting a 32 percent reduction in the rate of foster children being medicated.

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Information about the authors

Veronica Zaragovia

KUT NEWS