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.
Department of Family and Protective Services
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2019
Analysis: To the relief of Texas lawmakers, voters just aren’t into state budgets
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.
Posted in
Health care
Texas workers caring for elderly feel “treated like a stepchild” as caseload increases, pay stays the same
Staffers are leaving Adult Protective Services because of increased workloads, lack of attention from the Legislature and a significant pay gap between them and their Child Protective Services counterparts.
Posted in
Health care
For girls in the Texas foster care system, teen pregnancy is 5 times more likely
A new report says current and former Texas foster youth face greater pregnancy risks and calls on the state to provide health care and education to at-risk teens.
Posted in
Health care
Report: Drugs or alcohol factor into half of Texas child abuse and neglect deaths
The number of Texas children dying from abuse and neglect decreased by 22.5 percent in fiscal year 2017, according to a state report, but drug and alcohol use among caregivers is still leading to deaths from trauma, accidental smothering while sleeping and auto accidents, among other causes.
Posted inState Government
Federal judge says Texas still needs oversight to fix its “broken” foster care system
In a 116-page order, U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack said Texas has dragged its heels on foster care reform and continues to need oversight as it tries to find fixes.
Posted in
2017 Year in Review
Child welfare, health insurance and abortion dominate Texas news in 2017
Texas tackled a child welfare crisis, sought to address the opioid epidemic and looked at how to help more people in the state access mental health care. Here’s a look at this year’s top Texas health and human services stories.
Posted in
Now on the Books
New law aims to help elderly Texans fooled by scammers
A new Texas law gives financial institutions greater authority to stop transactions that they suspect are aimed at defrauding elderly or disabled clients.
Posted in
Guides
Hey, Texplainer: What did the Texas Legislature do to improve Child Protective Services?
During the five-month session, lawmakers expressed determination to change how abused and neglected children are cared for.
Posted in
Demographics
Senate passes bill to ease licensing for immigration detention centers
The Texas Senate on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to legislation that would make it easier for the state to license privately-run detention centers as “family residential centers” in order to hold immigrant families in detention centers longer.
