Texas Fined $50,000 A Day For Ignoring Court Orders On Overnight Supervision of Foster Kids in Group Settings

On November 5, 2019 – Eight years after a class action lawsuit was filed against the Texas foster care system and four years since U.S. District Judge Janis Jack of Corpus Christi first ruled treatment of children in the Texas foster care system unconstitutional – the state of Texas continues its battle in court. On […]

OP-ED: Healthy Childhoods One of Many Ways to Prevent Violence

This op-ed was published in the Houston Chronicle, Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Longview News-Journal and Alice Echo News-Journal. By Sophie Phillips, TexProtects CEO Yet again, more mass shootings have our nation desperately searching for answers to difficult questions. How could they have been prevented? Some question whether prevention is within our reach. This question sparks […]

How Did Behavioral Health & Trauma Fare in the 86th Texas Legislature?

DID YOU KNOW? Behavioral health is a term used to refer to the connection between physical and mental health and a person’s behavior At least 25% of Texas children have experienced multiple adversities that are likely affecting their ability to succeed at school. Half of all mental health conditions have presented before age 14. 68% […]

Op-Ed: Mistreatment of migrant children by our government is intolerable

This op-ed was distributed to and published by newspapers statewide in Texas, including the Dallas Morning News, Longview News-Journal and Stephenville Empire-Tribune. Permission to reprint is freely granted under these conditions: The text may not be edited in any way. Authorship must be properly credited. Online reprints must link back to this blog post; paper […]

How Did Child Protection Systems Fare in the 86th Texas Legislature?

DID YOU KNOW? In 2018, there were 280,874 reports of suspected child abuse/neglect to Statewide Intake. 66,370 or 24% of those reports were confirmed. Child maltreatment will cost Texas an estimated $1.75 billion in CPS expenditures in FY 2019 and over $55 billion in total costs across the victims’ lifetimes. 43% of children who complete […]

How Did Prevention and Early Intervention Fare in the 86th Texas Legislature?

DID YOU KNOW? Four children die from abuse/neglect each week, and 80 percent of victims are 3 years of age and younger. 181 children are confirmed as abused/neglected every day, and the highest rates occur in children under age 5. Evidence-based home visiting programs can reduce child maltreatment by up to 48 percent and have […]

‘Be There’ – A Father’s Day Conversation With Rep. James Frank

Happy Father’s Day! Today is that day when all over the nation, we salute the men who guided and nurtured us – and perhaps are still doing so. We salute all the dads. Maybe he’s the one who has been with you since birth; maybe he’s a stepdad, uncle or grandfather who has stepped into […]