Public Policy

Improving the Child Welfare System

Texas CASA’s central purpose is to support our local CASA programs in empowering volunteers to advocate for children in the child welfare system. It is well-established that our volunteers are effective advocates for the best interests of these children in court and that we assist judges in making better informed decisions.

But more and more, our CASA network of local programs believe that we should also advocate for improvements to the child welfare system itself, especially in areas that affect CASA’s ability to help children find a safe, loving and permanent home.

Policy Positions – 81st Legislation Session (2009)

1. INCREASE NUMBER OF FAMILIES WILLING TO ADOPT
   When adoption is the only option for a child, we want to improve adoption incentives and processes to encourage timely adoptions.
2. SUPPORT KINSHIP CARE
   increase need-based support for relative caregivers to enable more children to find homes with relatives rather than resorting to foster care;
3. SUPPORT TRANSITIONAL YOUTH
   improve services and support for children aging out of the child protection system so that they have a better chance of becoming healthy adult citizens; and
4. MORE FUNDING
   an increase of 7.8 million in state funding to build capacity in local CASA programs to sustain the current level of CASA service (over 20,000 children a year) and to provide an additional 4,000 children in CPS care with volunteer advocates. Currently, CASA volunteers serve 1 of 2 children in the foster care system. The goal of CASA is to provide every foster child with a CASA volunteer. This funding request will work past that goal.

Please contact Andrea Sparks, Director of Public Policy and Outreach, at asparks@texascasa.org for more information.