Texans currently have important opportunities to weigh in regarding the future of Child Protective Services, foster care, child abuse prevention, and other functions of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).
The agency is seeking public comments on its draft five-year strategic plan by Wednesday, May 27th at 5:00 pm. The agency’s draft plan, and more information on the opportunity to comment, is available here.
DFPS is also seeking input on its Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR), which will outline the agency’s funding needs for fiscal years 2022-23. Recommendations should be sent to [email protected] by May 31.
These are great opportunities to urge DFPS and state leaders to leverage the Family First Prevention Services Act that reformed federal funding for child welfare last year.
By taking key steps, state leaders can leverage the Family First Act to:
help get Texas through the current pandemic and recession;
invest in prevention efforts to keep kids safe, with their families, and out of foster care; and
improve residential treatment centers and other foster care facilities.
Coronavirus has made it particularly important for Texas leaders to seize the opportunity presented by the Family First Act. The pandemic is:
putting greater stress and strain on parents;
increasing the risk of child abuse and neglect going unreported;
forcing substance use providers for parents to scale back or close down their services;
worsening the shortage of high-quality foster care homes; and
forcing state budget writers to work harder to keep programs for kids and families fully funded.
In fact, yesterday Texas leaders directed state agencies to propose five percent cuts to their current budgets. As we mentioned in the Austin American-Statesman, we were glad to see that state leaders exempted CPS and many other services for kids and families, a recognition that these services will be particularly important to Texans during the pandemic and recession. However, the exemptions do not protect child abuse prevention services, underscoring the need for state leaders to aggressively pursue Family First Act funds.
If you would like to further discuss these opportunities to comment on the DFPS strategic plan, provide input on the DFPS LAR, and leverage the Family First Act, please contact me anytime at [email protected].