About This Priority
Safety is caregivers’ top priority, but punitive regulations that fail to recognize the realities of caring for children who have experienced trauma currently provide a disincentive to work with children and youth who have high needs. The trauma that children experience before they are placed in foster care can result in self-harm, aggression, and other challenging behaviors. The Legislature’s guidance will be needed to focus on core health and safety so that true safety risks are prioritized and addressed.
PROVIDE
Provide direction on oversight of care for children with complex needs and behaviors such as runaway, self-harm, or aggressive behavior to keep kids more stable and offer therapeutic care. Needs include, guidance on reviewing cases related to trauma-induced behaviors, review processes for documenting behaviors, and improved technical assistance.
DIRECT
Direct HHSC to contract with a third-party national expert to review and re-envision residential child-care licensing standards to improve the process while maintaining safety and accountability.
DIRECT
Direct DFPS to create a tiered or weighted system for findings of abuse and neglect to better identify and respond to intentionally harmful or neglectful behavior
HB 1517 / SB 593
Relating to licensing and oversight of certain facilities and homes providing substitute care for children in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services. View below or click here for our one pager of bill support for SB 593.
HB 3933
Relating to the liability of entities contracted with the Department of Family and Protective Services to provide community-based care or child welfare services. View below or click here for our one pager of bill support for HB 3933.
Liability Insurance
Click to view our brief and recommendations on Liability Insurance for Child Welfare Providers.
