The latest Department of Family and Protective Services news from The Texas Tribune.
It was also revealed at a special Texas Senate committee meeting that the Texas foster care worker who allegedly sold nude pictures of girls is also accused of dating a child trafficker. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e89dcd2aff7a24d585dade9bee4753a0/Refuge%20Ranch%20TT%2004.jpg)
An attorney representing foster care children in a suit against Texas said Department of Public Safety director Steve McCraw’s conclusion that there was no evidence of sexual abuse despite the investigation into the photos was “both surprising and extremely troubling.” Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/dfd510d21aca93ad8dda58e970faf785/Refuge%20Ranch%20TT%2001.jpg)
The Refuge, which closed Friday, said it fired an employee accused of coercing the victims to sell nude photos as soon as it found out. The Bastrop-based shelter has not addressed the other eight staff members also accused of causing harm to the girls. Full Story
The Department of Family and Protective Services has been under federal court monitoring for over a decade for violating the civil rights of kids in foster care. Now, the short-staffed agency has to investigate parents who provide their children with gender-affirming care. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/13c6dc2bbe8b291854587da4d0048960/Texas%20DFPS%20EG%20TT%2012.jpg)
The children were sexually abused and neglected while at The Refuge, a facility located in Bastrop contracted by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, according to a report from a current employee. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/39d52dc56083afac3802394368e2a321/Texas%20DFPS%20EG%20TT%2015.jpg)
Citing potential criminal penalties, Texas Children’s Hospital will no longer provide hormone therapy to transgender patients. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7ff635bf774f050a58869b92c7ca1a37/Trans%20Rights%20Rally%20LW%20TT%2003.jpg)
Around 40% of the foster children in the state’s care who are ages 5 and older have not received a COVID-19 vaccine despite being eligible. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/30749e2e80da4209ba1727e5f9998e5c/Moderna%20Vaccine%20JV%20TT%2005.jpg)
As Texas’ long-running struggle to find enough placements for foster care children persists, more than 100 kids were sent out of state last year. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a563f8e339e4a73376e98cfde6145043/Texas%20DFPS%20EG%20TT%2016.jpg)
The state’s foster care system has been dangerous to children and embarrassing to the state for years. But with state officials constantly chasing other issues, it’s still suffering from neglect. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c095b9dfcf9b40a5ee2c10e4cd40e3ae/Texas%20DFPS%20EG%20TT%2017.jpg)
The federal judge overseeing the decadelong lawsuit against Texas for conditions in its foster care system cut this week’s hearing short. She proposed all parties involved, including the governor, “cut to the chase” to identify solutions. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6071e97358b3026d938db3b9840fc87b/Texas%20DFPS%20EG%20TT%2014.jpg)
Medical experts say gender affirming care for transgender children rarely, if ever, includes use of the surgeries Abbott cited in his letter to the head of the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. Full Story
State officials knew children were being illegally housed in an unlicensed facility but did not notify the court, despite a mandate from a federal court judge that came as part of a decade-long class action lawsuit against the state on the behalf of foster children. Full Story
A federal judge in 2015 found that Texas violates foster children's constitutional rights. At a hearing this week, court monitors found some progress in reforming the foster care system — but also noted several concerns. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/23e69ecb75c1598d57aed8d63c865b21/Texas%20DFPS%20EG%20TT%2023.jpg)
U.S. District Judge Janis Jack says she will give state officials until May to make progress on her orders to overhaul the state's foster care system, or face hefty fines. Full Story
Two independent experts appointed to scrutinize the system described “a disjointed and dangerous child protection system ... where harm to children is at times overlooked, ignored or forgotten.” Full Story
Texas state government is run by top leaders who promised to model their operations on business. They didn't say it would be an error-prone business. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7ae2e71cbab874a107780ab1e276d981/02%20Safety%20Commission%20roundtable%20MKC.jpg)
An exasperated U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack found the state in contempt of court for failing to comply with some of her earlier orders in the wide-ranging lawsuit filed on behalf of Texas foster children. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/715e5cccc37e3402a52d8bf2a21c38ff/Holding%20Hands%20Family%20IS%20TT.jpg)
He championed staff pay raises in the three years he spent at the helm of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/f7e8740f14970af21ce245e3b75187b6/Hank%20Whitman%20MKC%20TT.jpg)
Amid uncertainty about the federal health law, state legislators will tackle a variety of issues during the session, from abortion to mental health to opioids to funding for Medicaid. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/04/04/Capitol-Health.jpg)
Most of what the state government does is spelled out in the budget Texas lawmakers write every two years. Lucky for them, most voters don't pay close attention to what's in that big stack of numbers. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/06/14/Hegar_bullion_MKC_TT.jpg)