House budget boots CPS

Help for child welfare system promised since start of session.

The budget approved last week by the Texas House includes a major boost for the state’s troubled child welfare system, a move that has been promised by state leaders since the beginning of the legislative session.

Some of the extra money comes from an approved amendment by state Rep. Sergio Muñoz Jr., D-Palmview, that would take $43 million out of an economic development fund controlled by Gov. Greg Abbott and split it evenly between Child Protective Services and Medicaid therapy services.

Money for the latter was cut severely in the 2015 legislative session.

The Texas Enterprise Fund is intended to encourage investment in Texas but has been widely criticized for alleged misuse.

The House also approved $1.53 billion for CPS in part to hire more full-time staff members, including caseworkers, and to increase salaries.

The potential salary increase comes as the state last year approved a $12,000 raise for employees at the request of Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner Hank Whitman.

Problems plaguing CPS haven’t abated, and state officials are scrambling to address high caseworker turnover and problems with seeing potentially abused children in a timely manner.

The House wants to appropriate $87.9 million to increase payments to providers in areas where redesign of foster care has occurred.

Foster care redesign has been tested for the past few years in the Fort Worth area, meting out such services as child placement and health care to a nonprofit. Supporters of the effort say localiz-

The House approved $1.53 billion for Child Protective Services in part to hire more full-time staff members, including caseworkers, and to increase salaries.