Dear John,
We're glad to see the Senate Health and Human Services Committee is meeting tomorrow to address, among other issues, the way that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected child abuse.
The fact is, while Texas has made progress on child protection over the last three years, we still had a lot of work to do before the pandemic started — and now the pandemic has exacerbated many of those problems.
During the pandemic, more families are at risk of becoming involved with Child Protection Services (CPS), foster care placements are more limited, and young adults leaving the system are facing bigger hurdles than ever.
That's why, as the Legislature tackles urgent COVID-19 issues during the upcoming session, it will be important to ensure more children can stay safely with their families, address the CPS and foster care system, and make sure families have adequate support.
