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CAI Holds Congressional Briefing to Unveil New Report:

Shame on U.S.
Failings by All Three Branches of Our Federal Government Leave
Abused and Neglected Children Vulnerable to Further Harm
January 27, 2015

The federal government's dereliction allows states to fall short on meeting minimum child welfare standards. Below is information specific to Texas:

CFSR Results Summary: In its Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) process, HHS determines whether each state is in substantial conformity with 7 specific outcomes (pertaining to the areas of safety, permanency and family and child well-being) and 7 systemic factors (relating to the quality of services delivered to children and families and the outcomes they experience).  In the first two rounds of the CFSR, HHS has concluded that Texas was:

Round 1 (2002)

  • NOT in substantial conformity with 6 of the 7 Outcomes
  • in substantial conformity with 7 of the 7 Systemic Factors

Round 2 (2009)   

  • NOT in substantial conformity with 6 of the 7 Outcomes
  • NOT in substantial conformity with 2 of the 7 Systemic Factors

Although federal law mandates that any state found not to be operating in substantial conformity during an initial or subequent review must begin a full review within two years after approval of the state's program improvement plan, HHS has announced that Texas will not undergo Round 3 of the CFSR until FY 2017 (see CFSR Technical Bulletin #7 (March 2014)).


Documents from the U.S. Health & Human Services Children's Bureau

Child Welfare Litigation*

  • M.D. v. Perry
    Children’s Rights, along with co-counsel Haynes & Boone, Yetter Coleman and Canales & Simonson, filed this case against Rick Perry, in his official capacity as Governor of Texas; Kyle Janek, in his official capacity as the Executive Commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission of Texas (HHSC); and Howard Baldwin, in his official capacity as the Commissioner of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). The current structure of Texas’s child welfare system gives caseworkers approximately one year, or a maximum of 18 months, to either successfully reunify children with their birth families or find them adoptive homes before they enter “permanent managing conservatorship” or PMC. After entering PMC, many children have little hope for stable, permanent families. Children’s Rights brought suit on behalf of all children in Texas PMC. The Amended Complaint alleged violations of the plaintiff children’s constitutional rights, including their right not to be harmed while in state custody and their right to familial association. Among the issues described in the complaint: For more information, visit the website of Children's Rights.

*litigation summary taken from information provided by the website of Children's Rights

Child Welfare In the News**

**news summaries taken from daily newsfeed service of HHS' Child Welfare Information Gateway

 

 

 
 
     
 
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Children's Advocacy Institute
University of San Diego School of Law
5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA 92110
Telephone: 619.260.4806
Fax: 619.260.4753