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Virginia lawmakers have released their proposed budget amendments, which advocates say make some positive commitments toward foster children and their families but still come up short. (Photo: Crixell Matthews/VPM News) Clara Haizlett reported this story
The Virginia House and Senate have released their proposed amendments to the two-year state budget. That includes their suggested funding for child welfare, which advocates say contains both good and bad news for children and families in foster care.
The House and Senate kept all of the funding the governor proposed, about $16 million for positions in the Department of Social Services and $14 million for prevention services, which help keep children out of foster care entirely. But Allison Gilbreath with Voices of Virginia’s Children says they were hoping for more support.
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<figcaption> The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services offices in Austin on Nov. 14, 2019. <cite>Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune</cite>
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Last year, Jack found state officials in contempt of court on two separate occasions for not making enough progress on her orders. Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune
Two years after U.S. District Judge Janis Jack ordered a long list of reforms for the Texas foster care system, state health and human services officials have made some improvements. But on Tuesday, Jack again decided they haven’t done enough.
In a quick morning hearing, Jack said she will give state officials until May to make progress on all of her orders, which resulted from a now decade-long lawsuit against the state filed by representatives for the more than 15,000 children in foster care in Texas. If the state fails to make the changes in time, Jack said she would not only sanction the state with hefty fines but also call another hearing for every new example of noncompliance.