In November, the plaintiffs representing Texas children filed this motion asking the court to hold the state in contempt, sanction officials, and consider putting parts of the foster-care system under federal receivership. Last week, Judge Janis Jack heard three days of witness testimony and arguments regarding whether the State of Texas has made progress in protecting and caring for children in care and whether the state should be held in contempt for a third time. During this hearing, Judge Jack heard witness testimony from a young adult who previously experienced CWOP, former DFPS supervisors and caseworkers, DFPS and HHSC leadership, medical professionals, and child welfare experts.

During this hearing, the plaintiffs presented witness testimony regarding continued concerns about:

  • How the state monitors, prescribes, and regulates psychotropic medications.
  • Staffing issues within the Department of Family and Protective Services including high caseloads, mandatory CWOP shifts on top of full caseloads, and the inability to maintain consistent care of and control over some of the most medically and behaviorally complex children in the system.
  • The continued use of unlicensed and unregulated placements, also known as Children Without Placement (CWOP)
    • The department testified that there are currently 29 children in CWOP locations.
  • The Health and Human Services Commission’s backlog and the poor quality of investigations into allegations of sexual abuse reported by children in state care who have intellectual or developmental disabilities.
    • Additionally, according to the court monitors, children in the state’s care are not informed how to report sexual abuse.

The Associate Commissioner of Child Protective Services testified that DFPS has been actively working on supporting more Qualified Residential Treatment Programs, expanding foster care capacity, addressing behavioral and staffing difficulties in CWOP locations, and working to create intensive psychiatric treatment programs.

Judge Jack has not yet issued a ruling on the plaintiff’s contempt motion; however, she did issue a preliminary ruling that she will not order a federal receivership. Additionally, the court monitors are expected to release their 7th report in early 2024 ahead of the next hearing, which will likely be held at the end of January.

The Public Policy Team will continue to closely monitor this lawsuit and provide updates to the CASA network as promptly as possible.

BACK TO CASA VOICE HOMEPAGE

Federal Lawsuit Updates and Next Hearing Information

In November, the plaintiffs representing Texas children filed this motion asking the court to hold the state in contempt, sanction officials, and consider putting parts of the foster-care system under federal receivership. Last week, Judge Janis Jack heard three days of witness testimony and arguments regarding whether the State of Texas has made progress in protecting and caring for children … Read More

Rainbow Room Donations

Texas CASA was full of holiday cheer last week after donating items to the DFPS Rainbow Rooms in Austin/Travis County! Rainbow Rooms are 24/7 resource centers usually located within local Child Protective Services (CPS) offices. In the Rainbow Room, CPS caseworkers can get supplies for children who are victims of abuse or neglect – clothing, school supplies, diapers, and much more. Thank you to … Read More

Public Policy Tour of Texas Recap

The Public Policy Team has officially wrapped up their Post Session Tour of Texas! From August to November, the Public Policy Team traveled across the state to conduct eight in-person training sessions at local CASA programs in Conroe, Tyler, Dallas, Abilene, San Marcos, Lubbock, El Paso and Corpus Christi. In addition to these in-person trainings, the Public Policy Team hosted … Read More

A Year in Review with Texas CASA Staff

We asked our extraordinary staff: What are you most proud of accomplishing with Texas CASA in 2023? Benita Pekkattil, Community Engagement Specialist: I am extremely proud of how far the Social Impact department has come since Collin Acock, Social Impact Director, joined our team. We have been able to redefine processes and provide clarity in our grant and fundraising processes. … Read More

Your Dedication Inspires Us to Achieve Great Things

Dear friends, During this holiday and giving season I want you to know how deeply grateful everyone at Texas CASA is for your steadfast support. You inspire us to achieve great things. I am excited to share some of our achievements in 2023 and assure you that we plan to keep the CASA momentum going for our 35th Anniversary in 2024. … Read More