Texas lawmakers are working on a makeover for the state's beleaguered Child Protective Services. Lawmakers want the state to be able to respond to children's needs earlier before things get out of hand and they're now looking at an out-of-state model of service they might want to try here.
Texas Child Protective Services has been in the news lately with state leaders debating care for transgender youth or problems at group foster homes. But Monday's hearing wasn't about current events. State senators gathered to talk about issues dogging the state's foster care system for ages.
Lawmakers have heard the complaints for years that CPS caseworkers spend too much of their time on paperwork. State Senator Lois Kolkhorst chairs the senate’s special committee for Child Protective Services. She notes, “There have been some consistent suggestions made to the system, some of which were implemented, some not."
On Monday consultant John Stephen was invited to address the committee about a report he wrote for the state eight years ago. He says Texas has too many kids spending too long a time in foster care adding, “Those kids are languishing in your system where the time spent in foster care in this state is so much higher in other states.”
This panel is looking at following Florida's lead in farming out some CPS functions to local non-profits and having them provide the services. And there was something else Florida did to address the problem. Sen. Kolkhorst says, “They rolled it out. They stayed nose to the grindstone and did it. Ours is still languishing. I think we finish in 2030 or something like that or later."
One more piece of advice from Monday's visiting consultant. He says, don't take the low bid. Consider the children ahead of the cost.