General · Texas behavioral health news
Court filings: Unsafe homes and a child death still dog Texas’ foster care system amid improvement
Texas Tribune – Health · By Terri Langford · June 23, 2026
In plain language
Recent court reports show that while the Texas foster care system is making some progress, serious safety concerns remain. Monitors found that the state has improved hotline wait times and handled caseworker workloads better, but some children are still being placed in dangerous homes. Reports detailed several instances of neglect, improper supervision, and even the death of a child, highlighting the ongoing risks for those in the system.
AI-generated summary of the source article. Not medical advice.
Key takeaways
- Caseworkers are meeting standards for manageable workloads in most state offices.
- Wait times for the abuse reporting hotline have decreased across Texas.
- Some foster homes remained open despite histories of abuse and neglect allegations.
- Private foster care contractors in some regions are struggling to keep caseloads at safe levels.
- Monitors reported incidents involving child escapes, inadequate supervision, and physical violence.
- A federal judge who previously held the state in contempt was removed from the case.
Heart Galleries — portraits of adoptable children — on display at the Child Protective Services office at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in Austin on Nov. 14, 2019. " data-image-caption="The Child Protective Services office at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in Austin on Nov. 14, 2019. " data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.texastribune.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Texas20DFPS20EG20TT2015-1-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C521&ssl=1" /> The reports note that in recent years, the troubled child welfare system improved caseworker training and caseloads, but unsafe conditions for children persisted. The post Court filings: Unsafe homes and a child death still dog Texas’ foster care system amid improvement appeared first on The Texas Tribune.
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