foster children

 

 

Wed
08
Mar

House, Senate approve bills to protect children in foster system

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AUSTIN — Both houses of the Texas Legislature last week passed bills to improve the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in response to Gov. Greg Abbott's call for emergency action to improve child protection programs.

Tasked with protecting children, elders and people with disabilities from abuse, neglect and exploitation, the DFPS, part of the Texas Health and Human Commission, has attracted attention in recent years for inadequate funding and staffing to meet obligations. 

Senate Bill 11, whose primary author is Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, was approved by the Senate on March 1. The bill would shift to private contractors the DFPS’s foster care management mission, but the state would remain the ultimate guardian over foster children, Schwertner said. The bill also contains oversight and accountability provisions to enable close monitoring by the DFPS and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

Fri
11
Mar

SWE helps foster kids

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Emily Hilley-Sierzchula/The Highlander
Spicewood Elementary teachers Casey Marquez, Judie Jenkins and Kelsy Hickingbottom join Leadership Club students Hunter Cozby, Micah Bridges, Aleks Ludlum, Samuel Sugeno, Brooke Vestel, Addison Dehorty, Rylan Kent, Zoey Wider, Patience Gottschalk, Jared Smith, Reaghan Brown, Canon Cochran, Lucy Netzer, Cooper Cochran, Micah Netzer, Cameron Ivey, Landon Fletcher, Abbey Kinzel, Ava Beltran, Eli Webb, Hudson Dehorty, Alice Sorrell, Tanner Hannusch, Quincy Jett, Bree Herrera, Morgan Rockwood, Ava Carter, Madison Hardaway, Sophia Mills, Jake Carter, Elijah Blackington, Zy Kent, Payden Quinn, David Bertino, Maddox Rodriguez and Bailey Newberg. (Not pictured is teacher sponsor, Audrey Beltr

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

The Highlander

Children in foster care often have to move from home to home, toting their personal items in plastic bags along the way. Sometimes they don’t even sleep on the same pillow as they did the night before.

Children in the newly-0formed Leadership Club at Spicewood Elementary helped fellow youngsters by holding a donation drive for personal care items, ranging from socks to shampoo, as part of the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for the Highland Lakes Area project known as the CASA Case Project, a partnership with the First Baptist Church of Marble Falls.

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