Last year, the 88th Legislature consolidated all existing ombudsman programs, including the Foster Care Ombudsman, administered by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), which was established to provide information and investigate complaints regarding the agency’s programs and services. In December, HHSC released the first annual report for the Texas Health and Human Services Office of the Ombudsman (HHS Ombudsman). In FY23, the HHS Ombudsman received 102,081 total contacts, of which 39,396 were complaints.
In FY23, the Foster Care Ombudsman (FCO) received a total of 1,361 contacts, including inquiries and complaints. Among those, the FCO resolved 455 complaints from youth, a decrease of 123 from FY22. Of the 455 complaints in FY23, 147 were substantiated, 259 were unsubstantiated, and 49 were unable to be substantiated. The two primary types of complaints were related to court and case recording. The FCO met with DFPS in June 2023 to discuss concerns regarding case recording and recommended that CPS include the most common reporting issues in the new caseworker training. CPS agreed to share information with its internal and contracted staff. CPS also agreed to have the FCO assist with developing training that explains the role of the FCO and common reasons foster youth contact the FCO.
Throughout FY23, the FCO participated in 21 virtual and in-person outreach events, reaching 208 youth in foster care and 140 foster parents and caregivers. The FCO plans to continue outreach and education both virtually and in-person during FY24 to increase awareness of the FCO and ensure the safety of children and youth in care.