In February 2017, Texans Care for Children released a policy brief, “Highlights of the Texas Foster Care Lawsuit, State Action During the Interim, and Next Steps.” The following new policy brief provides an update on steps taken during the 2017 Texas legislative session that were consistent or conflicted with the most recent federal court order regarding children in long-term foster care in Texas. The most significant actions by the Legislature to address the concerns raised by the court were stabilizing the CPS workforce with additional hiring and pay raises, improving services for youth aging out of foster care, expanding Community-Based Foster Care in a measured manner, and strengthening oversight of foster care facilities. More modest progress was made on legal representation and health care for children in foster care. All areas need additional work, though increasing the number of high-quality foster homes and services for children in foster care is most critical.
