On June 24, 2006 the Houston Chronicle had an article written by Polly Hughes. It stated that "a child is four times more likely to die in the Texas foster care system than outside it." "Many children are in more abusive situations now than they were before the state intervened." The article states that in 2004 in Texas "63 foster children that year received medical treatment for rape occurring while in the foster system and 142 children gave birth while in foster care." Various articles on the internet discuss the number of deaths of children in foster care and of some children just disappearing in the system. In an article written by Dave Mann for the Texas Observer (March 09, 2007) regarding the foster care system in Texas he reports that the Child Protection Services "removes children from dangerous homes more frequently, but the kids potentially face new harm once under the care of the state." The answer for Texas has been privatization of the foster care system. But privatization in Texas seems to have met with more tragedies in the death of several children in late 2006. Texas's foster care system has also been so overwhelmed that foster children were sleeping in their caseworkers offices.
So in Texas, the belief seems to be that since the government makes a mess of the system, they must call in the private companies to make a profit from it. And see how well they are doing? They put over 400 children into the foster care system in one swoop. Hm....does more children in the system mean some people are going to make more money?
Welcome to Texas....where child protection puts a child at greater risk for abuse.
Copyright 2008 Valerie W. McClain
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