Foster care lawsuit filing: State says one thing in court, another in public

State officials are being two-faced when they continue to insist that chronic flaws in the Texas' foster-care system are not as serious as they have been portrayed in a federal court case, advocacy groups alleged in a new court filing Friday.

More >> Foster care lawsuit filing: State says one thing in court, another in public

High staff turnover, burnout puts child welfare system in crisis

After spending eight years “putting out fires” as a child welfare caseworker, Leslie Bassler became another casualty of burnout in a field known for its long hours, punishing caseloads and frustrating outcomes.

More >> High staff turnover, burnout puts child welfare system in crisis

U.S. Kids Far Less Likely To Out-Earn Their Parents, As Inequality Grows

The widening gap between rich and poor Americans has pushed the chances of children earning more money than their parents down to around 50 percent, economic researchers say. That's a sharp fall from 1940, when 90 percent of kids were destined to move up the income ladder.

More >> U.S. Kids Far Less Likely To Out-Earn Their Parents, As Inequality Grows

Foster brother of murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer applies for bail

Trent Jordan Thorburn, 19, is charged with incest, perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice over Tiahleigh's suspected murder.

More >> Foster brother of murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer applies for bail

• Tia Palmer's foster brother makes bail bid

Former DCF worker arrested, accused of filing false reports of child abuse

A former employee with the Department of Children and Families has been arrested, accused of submitting false reports of child abuse.

More >> Former DCF worker arrested, accused of filing false reports of child abuse

• Former DCF employee from Boynton cites ‘issues’ for falsifying records

Foster children’s lawyers hit Texas leaders as two-faced on need for improvements

Texas' top elected leaders and social services program administrators are two-faced about the state's troubled foster-care system, plaintiffs' lawyers in a long-running class-action lawsuit said late Thursday.

More >> Foster children’s lawyers hit Texas leaders as two-faced on need for improvements

• More than raises needed to fix CPS
• Court filing: State lawyers turn ‘blind eye’ to foster care crisis
• SCHWERTNER ANNOUNCES MAJOR REFORMS TO TEXAS FOSTER CARE SYSTEM; CALLS ON ABBOTT TO MAKE EMERGENCY ITEM

Data theft investigation after recordings of child protection meetings go missing

Children’s social services are facing a sensitive data breach just months after the launch of a move to improve transparency and restore confidence.

More >> Data theft investigation after recordings of child protection meetings go missing

‘I could have been Serenity’: former Alberta foster child haunted by past in care

Kane Blacque is a successful and happy 40-year-old Edmonton man but you would never guess that knowing how cruel his childhood was.

More >> ‘I could have been Serenity’: former Alberta foster child haunted by past in care

DCF worker arrested, accused of falsifying records

An Inverness woman who was an investigator with the Florida Department of Children and Families was arrested Wednesday, accused of lying in several of her case reports.

More >> DCF worker arrested, accused of falsifying records

Bill filed to address major reforms to state foster care system

Today, Senator Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) filed Senate Bill 11, a legislative package outlining substantial reforms to the way the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) cares for the state's foster children.  In announcing the legislation, Schwertner also called on Governor Greg Abbott to add issues of child protection and foster care to a list of emergency priorities that can be considered within the first 60 days of the 85th Legislative Session, which begins on January 10.

More >> Bill filed to address major reforms to state foster care system

• Child Advocates Say Texas Contradicts Itself On Foster Care

Nobody Suspected Wealthy Foster Mom of Abusing 7 Children Until Police Discovered “Deplorable” Room

Paula Sinclair and Allen Richardson lived together in the an upscale Houston suburb called Long Meadow Farms.

More >> Nobody Suspected Wealthy Foster Mom of Abusing 7 Children Until Police Discovered “Deplorable” Room

• Fort Bend deputy previously visited home where CPS removed 7 children
• 7 special-needs teens removed from Texas home

Ontario to overhaul its Child, Youth and Family Services Act

Ontario is looking to revise the current Child and Family Services Act in the hopes of more efficiently resolving interventions in crisis situations.

More >> Ontario to overhaul its Child, Youth and Family Services Act

DCF plans foster care reform

Kansas welfare officials plan to have agency staffers perform all annual foster home inspections by midway through next year.

More >> DCF plans foster care reform

Kansas to make changes to foster home inspections

Kansas welfare officials plan to have agency staffers perform all annual foster home inspections by midway through next year.

More >> Kansas to make changes to foster home inspections

The Huffington Post Reported That I'm Sabotaging Foster Care Reform. Here's My Side Of The Story.

This week, the Huffington Post published a false report that the foster care system across the country will be denied new reforms as a result of just one man – me.

More >> The Huffington Post Reported That I'm Sabotaging Foster Care Reform. Here's My Side Of The Story.

BY SENATOR RICHARD BURR

Social workers fleeing troubled foster care system

Tanya Copenhaver followed in her father’s and grandmother’s footsteps by becoming a social worker for Washington state’s Children’s Administration, a difficult but fulfilling calling she never expected to give up.

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Teen says foster parents locked him in basement for months, poured salt on his open wounds

“It gets to that point where you’re like an animal. You feel like an animal.”


More >> Teen says foster parents locked him in basement for months, poured salt on his open wounds

• ‘You feel like an animal’: Boys allege torture in foster parent’s house of horror

Foster parent arrested after toddler drowns in front of him

The foster parent of 2-year-old Za’Marion Wilcox has been arrested, after Wilcox drowned over Labor Day Weekend at their community pool.

More >> Foster parent arrested after toddler drowns in front of him

• Man charged in drowning death of his 2-year-old foster child held without bond

A Single Senator Is Blocking Reform Of The Foster Care System

The Families First Prevention Services Act, a sweeping reform of the broken foster care system, passed the House by a unanimous vote. In order to move it through the Senate, it was initially included in the Cures Act, but it was stripped at the request of Sen. Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican. Young people who’d been through the foster system rushed to the Capitol on Monday to try to save the bill and get it attached to the CR, but, sources said, Burr continued to object, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) agreed to keep it out.

More >> A Single Senator Is Blocking Reform Of The Foster Care System

Canada's record on First Nations child welfare to face scrutiny in Washington

The Assembly of First Nations regional chief in Manitoba is warning the state of First Nations child welfare system is in such a sorry state that is akin to subjecting kids to genocide.

More >> Canada's record on First Nations child welfare to face scrutiny in Washington

The Forgotten Children: CPS says hands are tied after adoptions

After seven children with special needs were removed from horrific conditions in a Richmond home, we wondered why no one knew what was going on behind closed doors.

More >> The Forgotten Children: CPS says hands are tied after adoptions

Advocates Say ACS Is 'Running Scared' In The Wake Of Horrifying Child Abuse Cases

Administration for Children's Services filings to remove children from their homes leapt more than 50 percent from September to October, the first full month after the death of a six-year-old child drew harsh scrutiny for the agency's handling of child abuse investigations.

More >> Advocates Say ACS Is 'Running Scared' In The Wake Of Horrifying Child Abuse Cases

Abbott asks CPS to begin moving very troubled foster kids out of institutions, using federal money

Texas, under fire to improve its system of long-term foster care, is using federal crime-victim grant money to test whether it can get the worst-off foster children in state custody out of institutions.

More >> Abbott asks CPS to begin moving very troubled foster kids out of institutions, using federal money

• Texas Launches New Effort to Support High-Risk Foster Kids
• Mental health pilot program for Texas foster kids underway
• Texas Gov. Abbott gives $8 million for 1,000 neediest foster children

Foster parent arrested after toddler drowns in front of him

The foster parent of 2-year-old Za’Marion Wilcox has been arrested, after Wilcox drowned over Labor Day Weekend at their community pool.

More >> Foster parent arrested after toddler drowns in front of him

Boy found handcuffed with dead chicken around his neck sues former foster mother

A North Carolina boy who was found with a dead chicken around his neck while handcuffed to a porch is suing his former foster parent, Wanda Larson, the Union County Department of Social Services and Union County.

More >> Boy found handcuffed with dead chicken around his neck sues former foster mother

• In November 2013 Wanda Larson was arrested after her 11yearold foster son
• Boy chained with dead chicken around neck sues ex-foster mother, social services officials
• Boy chained with dead chicken around neck files lawsuit
• Boy chained with dead chicken around neck sues adults