The Texas Legislature is gathered in Austin yet again for 140-days of policymaking. Big ticket issues are on the docket for the conservative-majority Legislature such as school finance, property taxes, and Texas’ much-discussed power grid. And with the filing deadline a long way off on March 14, 2,508 bills have already been introduced.
TACFS’ network of providers from across the child and family wellbeing continuum have their own set of priorities. Poised for a trip to Austin on January 28 for TACFS Advocacy Day at the Capitol, TACFS members are riding the momentum of the last session’s wins.
The 88th Legislature continued implementation of Community Based Care (CBC) and the introduction of Texas Child-Center Care (aka T3C) modernizes the methodology that goes into calculating the cost of foster care. Legislators also funded a broad expansion of the Heart Galleries program, mental health innovation grants, continued child sex trafficking prevention and support programs, and more.
Our Top Priorities
- Establish a full continuum of family preservation services
- Support sustainability of foster homes and community organizations through targeted liability support and regulatory streamlining
- Improve mental health supports for children and families
- Strengthen the statewide rollout of CBC and T3C, allowing for greater flexibility and creativity to serve high acuity kids
Dive into the details on these issues: tacfs.org/89th