Putting Families on the Chopping Block

Texas legislators are faced with a budget shortfall of up to $27 billion. To solve this problem, legislators have proposed bills cutting funds in many sectors of the budget, particularly in social services. An article entitled “Upside Down Child Protection,” released on February 2, 2011, by the Center for Public Priorities,[1] details one such cut that could possibly be made to Child Protective Services (CPS). The budget bill would chop 30% or $51 million, the equivalent of more than 24,000 children, from family-based protective services.

Family-based protective services provides an array of services in order to keep children in their homes and out of the foster system. This can include subsidized daycare, funding to kinship caregivers, and/or treatment and educational services for parents. Keeping the child in the home offers stability and the opportunity for continuance in relationships with siblings, friends, and other family members.

A shift from family-based services to increased foster care does not make fiscal sense. In 2009, the average amount spent on a child in-home was a mere 3% of what is spent annually on a child in foster care. Blocked from receiving vital services, many of the children who would otherwise remain in-home or with relatives will be placed into foster care. Assuming a low estimate of 30%, this will cost the state of Texas an additional $14 million dollars on top of the funds that would have been spent on family-based protective services.

With a looming budget shortfall, there is no argument that cuts must be made. However, these cuts should be made in a manner that will not undermine the purpose of the agency being affected, nor create a future burden of larger debt and an increased demand for costly services within the state.

Jennifer Copeland

MSSW Candidate

University of Texas at Austin
3/18/2011

---

[1] http://www.cppp.org/research.php?aid=1035&cid=4