Problems:
coming soon…
Solutions:
- Close corporate loopholes in the state sales tax
- Pay caseworkers more reducing turnover after 6 months
- Reallocate some of the $800 million wasted on border security
- Maintain up-to-date policies and funding for foster care for youth beyond the age of 18 (similar to 18 states)
- Explore the possibility of monthly visits for at least 80% of foster youth (similar to 12 states)
- Explore the possibility of a 24-hour rapid response to investigate claims of abuse or neglect (similar to 11 states)
- Raise the gas tax to allocate proper funding for child welfare services
- Create a state public bank similar to North Dakota to fund child welfare services
- Reform the Texas rainy day fund similar to other states
- Explore the possibility of creating a state job creation tax credit that includes former foster youth
Texas Constitution
Code – Family Code
Chapter – 261 Investigation of of Report of Child Abuse or Neglect
NCSL – Extending Foster Care Beyond 18
Texas Observer – Austin Can Find the Money To Fix Child Protective Services, If It Wants To
My Statesman – Despite reforms, Texas child abuse deaths rise, investigations lagging
Houston Press – Is the New Head of Texas’s Broken Foster Care System Really Interested in Reform?
Houston Press – Foster Care, Dead Children and Greg Abbott’s Cognitive Dissonance
Houston Press – There’s Little Outrage for 12,000 Kids Suffering in the Texas Foster Care System
Texas Tribune – Texas Fights Back Against Judge’s Foster Care Reforms
Texas Tribune – Texas Caseworkers Call For Foster Care Reforms
Huffington Post – The Truth About Foster Parents and Foster Children
LA Times – Reform the private foster care system, right now
Pew – Commission on Children in Foster Care
Texas Standard – Foster Care Overhaul Would More Than Triple the State’s Returns
joemcelligott.com 