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

The 86th Texas Legislative Session is now history – lawmakers gaveled out to finish the session on May 27. While this session did not see child protection take center stage the way it did two years ago (when Governor Greg Abbott named it an emergency priority), there was nonetheless important work to be done. At […]

The Perfect Mother’s Day Gift: Home Visiting

By Sophie Phillips, CEO, TexProtects Six Mother’s Days have passed since I’ve been with TexProtects, the Texas chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America. All were meaningful, because mothers are central to our mission, but this one deepened my perspective – it’s my first as a mother. In our efforts to prevent trauma from abuse and […]

‘What happened to you?’ – Rep. Tan Parker on Adverse Childhood Experiences

State Rep. Tan Parker has been a champion at the Texas Legislature this session in the drive to help prevent and mitigate the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences, including authoring this op-ed, which was published in the Houston Chronicle and Galveston County Daily News. His House Bill 4183 is key to this effort, as he explains below. […]

Reasons I’m HOPEful…

Why are you hopeful for Texas children and families? That’s the question we’re asking as we launch our #TexProtectsHOPEful social media campaign during Child Abuse Prevention Month – and continuing well beyond April! This campaign celebrates the efforts of good people all over the state working to prevent and protect children from abuse and neglect! […]

86th Texas Legislature Update: Mid-April

The 86th Texas Legislature is almost two-thirds complete. Here is the status of the major bills TexProtects is supporting: The Fiscal Years 2020-21 Budget (House Bill 1) Our major goal for the 86th Legislature is to secure increased investments in family support home visiting programs – specifically an additional $12 million for Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) […]

April Is Child Abuse Prevention Month!

April is here, and that means it’s national Child Abuse Prevention Month (CAPM)! In 2017, TexProtects | Champions for Children also became Prevent Child Abuse Texas – the Texas chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA). This year, PCAA and all of its state chapters are spreading the message: Preventing child abuse and neglect can […]

The 86th Texas Legislature is heating up

The Texas Legislature has a rule: Bills may not be considered for floor debate in either the House or Senate during the first 60 days of the 140-day session unless designated an emergency by the Governor. This allows members to spend adequate time in committee meetings vetting them. That 60 days is up! We have […]

Megan’s Story: Nurse-Family Partnership Parent Ambassador

One of the main purposes of the “Champions” blog is to highlight success stories from family support home visiting programs that illustrate how vital they are in building family resiliency. TexProtects advocated for the legislative funding that helped bring Nurse-Family Partnership to Texas, and has been a strong supporter of NFP ever since. During the 86th Texas […]

2018 Child Abuse Data Shows Deaths on the Rise

This past week, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services made two important releases: An update of Fiscal Year 2018 Data Book information and its Child Maltreatment Fatalities and Near Fatalities Annual Report. Below are some of the most significant numbers and trends that will be useful to you as a child protection advocate. DFPS Data Book […]

The State Budget: Building Upon Success

By Pamela McPeters TexProtects Vice President of Public Affairs The budget is one of the most significant responsibilities of the Texas Legislature. The Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees of the 86th Legislature will soon be underway crafting the fiscal years 2020-2021 General Appropriations Act. As these committees work on competing interests, including school finance, […]