Systems Improvement

Members: Hon. Rob Hofmann, Chair; Hon. Rosie Alvarado, Chantel Bedlington, Dr. Gary Blau, Hon. Julie Countiss, Sarah Crockett, Adrianna Cuellar Rojas, Anna Saldana Ford, Hon. Leigh Matthews Rodriguez, Gabriella McDonald, Emily Miller, Hon. Robin Sage, Hon. Ian Spechler, Sarah Worthington

Staff: Jamie Bernstein, Aimee Corbin

For more information about current Systems Improvement Committee projects, please link below:

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

The Children’s Commission partners with many key stakeholders with a goal of preventing and addressing commercial sexual exploitation of children and youth in foster care. In addition to serving on the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force, the Commission also works with the Office of the Texas Governor’s Child Sex Trafficking Team, the DFPS Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation team, and the Office of Court Administration to develop strategies to improve judicial handling of child welfare cases where children or youth are at high risk of becoming trafficking victims. The Commission is focused primarily on providing information to judges and attorneys responsible for child welfare cases to raise awareness about human trafficking as it impacts children involved with the child welfare system. The Commission also participates in state and national trainings on human trafficking to stay informed about successful strategies to combat trafficking and develop expertise to relay information to judges and attorneys.

Dual Status

The Children’s Commission has worked since its inception to strengthen courts for children and families in the Texas child welfare system. Federal Court Improvement Program funds require a focus on child abuse and neglect, but children involved in the juvenile justice system present with many of the same challenges and needs. The Texas Judicial Council recommended to the Supreme Court of Texas in 2018 that the Children’s Commission should convene a task force to study and report on issues relating to youth with involvement in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. The task force was formed to establish a common, statewide definition(s) for the population, identify resources needed to meet the needs of youth who are dually involved, and make other recommendations as may be necessary to improve outcomes for dually involved youth. The task force was directed also to address training needs for judges and other necessary parties on handling cases involving youth involved in both systems.

Foster Care & Education

Using The Texas Blueprint as a roadmap, the Foster Care & Education Committee focuses on strategies to improve educational experiences and outcomes for children and youth experiencing foster care in Texas. Foster Care & Education Committee Hon. Randy Shelton, Chair; Hon. Susan Brown, Chris Cabellero, Sarah Crockett, Lori Duke, Kristi Duck, Dr. Monica Faulkner, Dr. Tanya Goldbeck, Kelly Kravitz, Katherine Martinez, Hon. Selina Mireles, Wanda Peña, Felicia Penn, Hon. Ian Spechler, Jasmine Wightman

Prevention

The Children’s Commission collaborates closely with child welfare stakeholders on prevention efforts. The Commission and DFPS collaborate on the implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), as required by the federal Administration for Children and Families. FFPSA restructures federal child welfare funding, particularly Title IV-E and Title IV-B of the Social Security Act, which Texas uses to pay for services for children in foster care and their families. FFPSA seeks to reduce entry in foster care, to limit the use of congregate care, and to increase access to substance abuse and mental health services. There are certain training provisions directly impacting the courts and Court Improvement Programs, but beyond that, FFPSA mandates that states seeking Title IV-E funding create and provide more robust prevention services for families in the state’s child welfare system. The Children’s Commission collaborates with Casey Family Programs, DFPS Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) division, and other state and national groups on best practices for implementation of all FFPSA provisions, including the development of IV-E prevention programs and court involvement in encouraging a primary prevention approach

Statewide Collaborative on Trauma-Informed Care

Youth Voice & Normalcy 

Engaging in normal, age-appropriate activities and experiences is a critical component of healthy child development. However, experiencing abuse or neglect and being removed from a family to foster care is not “normal.” Although foster care may be safer for a child or youth, cultivating normal childhood experiences while in foster care is a challenge. Providing normalcy in foster care includes managing risk, giving children the opportunity to act like children, and encouraging the development of a child’s interests and strengths. Normalcy is just one of many considerations for children in care. It is important that normalcy is viewed through a holistic lens, in tandem with education, medical, mental health, and other considerations.