Foster care, services for kids with disabilities, mental health, next steps for the new pre-k grants, women's health, 17-year-olds in the adult criminal justice system, & more.
Update on Kids and the Texas Legislature
In the News: Keep Preteens Out of Juvenile System, Texas House Panel Told
Ensuring the Success of Youth Dually Involved with CPS & Justice Systems
Testimony to the House Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee
The abuse and neglect that leads to children’s involvement with Child Protective Services leads to involvement with the juvenile justice system. However, there is little coordination and data sharing between the juvenile justice and child welfare systems, resulting in costly, and sometimes counterproductive, duplication of services and worse outcomes for youth. Local efforts in Texas show that improved coordination can lead to better results. Texas policymakers should study the current population of “dually involved youth,” establish a data collection and information sharing system, and create a taskforce to improve coordination.
In The News: Juvenile Justice Agency Making Case to Escape Budget Cuts
If state leaders insist, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department has identified ways to cut its budget by $16.8 million, or 2.8 percent, for the 2018-2019 biennium. But the agency really wants a $170 million bump so it can comply with state and federal laws, fix up some of its battered facilities and bolster behavioral programs.
In the News: Abbott Asked to Study Texas School Policing
Nine Groups Call for Gov. Abbott to Appoint Task Force to Address School Policing
Launching our Children's Policy Series on June 23
Smart Approach to Juvenile Probation Would Keep Communities Safe
We should be proud that juvenile crime continues at historic lows and that we're holding more youth accountable in a way that increasingly helps them stay safe and on a path to success. As policymakers and others seek to build on this success, one of the key issues to start working on is confinement of youth on county probation.
Upcoming Legislative Hearings on Texas Kids' Issues
Several upcoming House and Senate hearings offer a great opportunity for lawmakers, policy experts, families, and others to discuss key children’s policy issues facing the next Legislature. Texans Care for Children will use these as an opportunity to advocate for policies that improve children’s lives and the future of our state.