Reyna Mondragon grips her hands together as she speaks into the microphone. The dimple on her left cheek shows up as she punctuates her words. It is a Wednesday morning in mid-March and she’s sitting at one of the Texas Capitol’s oak tables on the floor of the Senate chamber, where the Committee on Health and Human Services meets when the Senate isn’t in session. Lobbyists, reporters, legislative staffers and those here to testify stand against the brass railing or sit at senators’ desks.
Read MoreTexas Observer: Lawmakers Try to Bring Order to Disastrously Lax Foster Care Training System
This session, lawmakers are trying to fix one of the biggest gaps in the troubled foster care system: The training requirements for the majority of foster parents, kinship caregivers and adoptive parents are minimal, and the state doesn’t know how closely private placement agencies are adhering to the standards.
Read MoreTexas Observer: The State Considers Pausing Controversial Foster Care Reforms
Back in 2011, when Texas legislators announced their plan to improve the child welfare system through privatization, advocates expressed alarm. In 2013, after partial implementation of the plan, an even larger chorus begged lawmakers to slow the rollout until it became clear whether it would work. Now, as the Texas legislature convenes again, a new voice is calling for a halt: the House and Human Services Committee.
Read MoreTexas Observer: Texas Kids Living With Relatives Aren’t Getting State Support They’re Due
A quarter-million Texas children are living with family members other than their parents, and many aren’t getting the state and federal benefits they’re due, according to a report released Tuesday.
Read MoreTexas Observer: Foster Care Reforms Will Cost More Money
Texas is pushing ahead with controversial reforms to the scandal-plagued foster care system despite a recent report that the overhaul is over budget.
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