child welfare & legislative

Child Welfare News

Budget woes could end kinship stipends.

"Editorial: Kinship benefits to relatives better choice than foster care."

"The Dallas Morning News: Budget would kill stipends that keep kids with family, not in foster care."

Texas ranks first in child deaths from abuse.

Op-Ed piece by Beverly Levy and Paul Coggins, read more in this op-ed piece in "The Dallas Morning News: Texas' most at-risk children need your help."


Permanent Judicial Commission on Children, Youth and Families

The Commission is currently working on reducing the numbers of children in long-term foster care, reducing the disproportionality of children of color in the foster care system, and improving the system’s educational services to children.
Learn more.

Legislative News

In the 2009 legislative session, lawmakers approved measures that will help CASA programs recruit, train and supervise additional volunteers. They also passed significant improvements to the child protection system.

The Legislature appropriated an additional $7 million dollars to CASA programs to maintain the current level of service to Texas children—more than 20,000 children served statewide each year—and to serve an additional 4,000 children in fiscal year 2011. The Legislature also passed a law that allows state agencies to give their employees up to five hours of paid leave per month to train or volunteer with CASA. So far, the Texas A&M and Texas Tech University Systems, as well as Texas State University and the Texas Youth Commission have given their employees this option.

A variety of Senate and House bills were designed to help foster youth find permanent homes and to put them on the path toward becoming healthy adult citizens through such initiatives as extending the eligibility period for tuition waivers and speeding up the adoption process after parental rights are terminated. The bills also help ensure that youth aging out of the system have the documents, training and assistance they need to transition more smoothly to adulthood and extend court jurisdiction for children ages 18-21 who want additional support from the courts or CASA.

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CASA volunteers are highly effective in getting their recommendations accepted in court. In 4 out of 5 cases, all or almost all CASA volunteer recommendations are accepted.