A February 3, 2011 , testimony from the Center for Public Priorities (CPP)[1] succinctly outlines the major effects of SB1. Already ranked third for the lowest rate of child abuse and neglect prevention in the nation, decreased funding will allow for fewer than 3,000 families in the state of Texas
Although payments to foster families currently only cover 83% of costs, SB1 proposes an additional 5% cut. As an intern in the foster and adoption program at The Settlement Home for Children in Austin Texas
The report also states that the positions of 112 family-based protective service caseworkers will be terminated. DFPS estimates that this would raise the caseloads of the remaining workers by 33%. As with all cuts to vital services, this will create a domino effect of increased turnover which will raise the number of cases assigned to each worker, necessitating longer work weeks and causing more turnover.
As a participant in the Child Welfare Education Collaboration (CWEC) Title IV-E program, I am slated to begin work at CPS in the spring of 2012. Because of this, I am taking this data particularly personally. However, the idea that CPS would be forced to return to the “…days when children were regularly sleeping in caseworker offices because no foster homes were available” (CPP, 2011) should horrify everyone. Even the cold-hearted can realize that this will surely have negative effects on the health of these children and the functioning of the agency, again costing the state more in the long-run.
Jennifer Copeland
MSSW Candidate
3/18/2011
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