Texas must reform CPS in New Year

A long list of pressing issues awaits the Texas Legislature when it convenes less than two weeks from now.

Funding the state’s education system, financing its exploding transportation and infrastructure needs, dealing with the southern border and mitigating future immigration concerns are just a few that top the list.

None of them have fast or easy solutions.

Nor does another of Texas’ top priorities for the looming session: addressing the state’s beleaguered Child Protective Services agency.

For years, CPS has been plagued with problems, many stemming from overworked employees, outdated technology and low retention rates.

Despite its many troubles, the number of abuse or neglect-related child deaths has been declining for years — that’s the good news.

CPS records show there were 156 deaths of abused or neglected children in 2013, the lowest number since 2000.

That’s where the bad news begins.

In 2013, nearly half of those young victims had a history with the agency. And a third of the children were connected to an open CPS investigation when they died.

Last year, more children died while in foster and kinship care than died in the previous five years combined — news that was understandably met with shock.

If the number of children dying from abuse is decreasing, but the likelihood of dying while in the state’s care is increasing, the system is most certainly to blame.

Oddly enough, the spike in fatalities while in the foster care system occurred as the agency has worked to increase staff and reduce caseloads.

Lack of funding isn’t entirely to blame, since the Legislature has increased funding for CPS in every budget since 2001.

Yet the problems persist.

According to preliminary state data, there were 149 preventable child deaths in Texas in 2014, fewer than the previous year, but still alarmingly high. And many of those victims were already in the system that was supposed to have protected them.

It’s clear that CPS’ problems have reached critical mass and more drastic solutions are needed.

To their credit, policy leaders in Austin on both sides of the aisle have given every indication that they plan to aggressively tackle this problem in the coming session.

In May, House Speaker Joe Straus appointed nine members to the Select House Committee on Child Protection.

Chaired by Rep. Dawnna Dukes (D-Pflugerville), the committee was charged with studying the high incidence of abuse and neglect deaths and providing the Legislature with recommendations to improve the system responsible for protecting vulnerable Texas children.

Over the last several months, the group of legislators has held numerous hearings, collected witness testimony and conducted other research, and in December, the committee released its interim report.

According to KXAN in Austin, which obtained a copy of the 54-page document, the committee recommends:

▪ Increasing accountability within CPS (not punishing staff).

▪ Improving staff retention efforts to include merit-based promotions, salary based on location and reduced workloads.

▪ Strengthening tracking and location efforts of alleged child victims.

▪ Emphasizing the importance of abuse prevention and intervention programs.

▪ Expanding community-based programs for high-risk populations.

The proposals are largely consistent with others made by the Sunset Advisory Commission and a private consultant, both of which reviewed CPS’ internal workings and issued their own reports this year. The Senate Health and Human Services Committee has already agreed to support many of the proposed solutions, including technology updates.

All three reviews identify addressing the high turnover rates among caseworkers as one of the highest priorities.

The Sunset Commission also recommended the Department of Family and Protective Services — the agency that oversees CPS — drastically change its operations by merging with four other state health agencies to improve management.

Determining what actions to take will be a Herculean task, even if there is widespread agreement on the nature of the problems. None of the solutions will be fast or easy.

Still, it’s encouraging to see the Legislature committed to tackling an issue that can’t go another year without action.

This story was originally published December 31, 2014 at 7:38 PM with the headline "Texas must reform CPS in New Year."