Gov. Greg Abbott vows Texas will do ‘exactly’ what federal judge requires on foster care
The Republican governor said he and lawmakers will provide needed funding “to live up to” edicts for improvement by U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack.
Gov. Greg Abbott for the first time has pledged that Texas will do exactly what a federal judge presiding over a foster care lawsuit has ordered. He s also promised to try to win additional state funds for improvements. In 2017 file photo, a therapist at a respected Austin foster care facility works with a young girl.
AUSTIN Gov. Greg Abbott for the first time has pledged that Texas will do “exactly” what a federal judge presiding over a foster care lawsuit has ordered and that he and lawmakers will provide the funding “to live up to” her edicts.
Commentary: COVID raises the risk of child exploitation
Katie Olse, For the Express-News
Jan. 28, 2021
FacebookTwitterEmail
Children and youth are also spending more time online, which can make them more accessible to traffickers who target them there.Eva Marie Uzcategui /Bloomberg
The COVID-19 pandemic has produced too many tragedies to tally, but here is one that does not get talked about enough: It has worsened conditions that leave children and youth especially vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation, a human trafficking crime.
Human trafficking happens when a trafficker uses force, fraud or coercion to compel a person into providing labor, services or commercial sexual acts against his or her will. When a minor is trafficked for commercial sex, it is considered a human trafficking crime, regardless of the presence of force, fraud or coercion. When a trafficker receives anything of monetary value in exchange for sexual contact with a minor, that minor has been traffic
By Katie Olse
The COVID-19 pandemic has produced too many tragedies to tally, but here is one that does not get talked about enough: It has worsened conditions that leave children and youth especially vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation, a human trafficking crime.
Human trafficking happens when a trafficker uses force, fraud or coercion to compel a person to provide labor, services, or commercial sexual acts against his or her will. When a minor is trafficked for commercial sex, it is considered a human trafficking crime, regardless of the presence of force, fraud or coercion. When a trafficker receives anything of monetary value in exchange for sexual contact with a minor, that minor has been trafficked. The majority of minors are trafficked by people they know.
Abused, neglected children again sleeping in CPS offices in repeat of Texas foster care crisis
Higher costs because of COVID-19, low state reimbursements and lawsuit-inspired enforcement crackdown plunge Texas again into a shortage of foster care beds, provider group leader says.
Abused and neglected children, such as this 7-year-old, shown at an emergency shelter in Garland in 2016, often linger for years in Texas foster care. Last month, 126 kids removed from their birth families spent at least two consecutive nights with CPS workers, either at state offices or hotels, the highest number in several years, as Texas again experiences a capacity crunch.(G.J. McCarthy / Staff)