Texas’ shortage of foster care spots worsens

A chronic shortage of foster care placements in Texas has grown markedly worse, in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One sign of the crisis: In growing numbers, children are having to sleep in offices of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services because appropriate placements cannot be found.

Across Texas last month, 186 children spent at least two nights in the state agency’s offices under staff supervision — more than in any other month in at least five years, state officials said.

During the same month last year, there were just 34 children without placement.

The number of children lacking placement has exceeded 100 each month since October. In January, it reached 148.

The monthly average of children without placement has climbed steadily since 2017, when it was 36. In 2019, the monthly average was 56, and in 2020 it reached 70, according to the family services department.

Often, those who lack placements are teenagers with complex psychological or emotional needs. It takes longer to find appropriate settings for them, said Melissa Lanford, spokeswoman for the department.

The agency tries to provide beds when possible for those sleeping in state offices, but children may end up sleeping on cots or air mattresses if there is no alternative, Lanford said.

“Certainly, staying temporarily in an office building isn’t ideal, which is why the protective services agency has expanded efforts to work with community agencies and churches to find alternatives that provide more of a homelike feel,” Lanford said.

Mary Walker, spokeswoman in Bexar County for the state agency, said finding suitable placements is a challenge across Texas.

“Building high-quality, appropriate capacity — particularly for older youth — has been a statewide struggle for years, but has been especially impacted in the last year by COVID, court oversight and other factors,” Walker said. “Providers have been immensely affected by COVID-19, court orders and the historic winter storm. They have faced challenges with recruiting, training and retaining new foster homes and appropriate staff.”

Katie Olse, CEO of the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services, called the number of children lacking placement “incredibly high.”

In Bexar County, an organization called Family Tapestry is under contract to find placements for children who are in state custody either temporarily or permanently.

Under that contract, children cannot be allowed to sleep in state offices. But if no foster care placement can be found, children are housed at Family Tapestry’s intake center in San Antonio.

In February, 25 young people were staying in individual rooms at the center. Anais Miracle, spokeswoman for Family Tapestry, said their average age was 15 and their average length of stay was 13 days.

“Children who are without paid placements usually have a very long history of behaviors,” Miracle said. “These are teenagers. We’re talking about young people who were potentially removed (from their families) when they were small children, and they have very specialized needs.”

The children who stay at the center have beds, eat meals in a small cafeteria and have access to a family room, where they can watch TV.

“The best option for youth is to have them placed in a paid placement that can serve their therapeutic needs, reunified with a parent and/or with a relative caregiver, who is provided wrap-around service to ensure the youth can safely remain in their care,” Miracle said.

Walker said the family services department “is working to streamline its placement practices to quickly identify available beds for youth awaiting placement.” She added: “DFPS is also working closely with community and faith-based organizations to find temporary placements that provide a homelike setting.”

Beyond a bed, children who have been neglected or abused in their homes require support, clinical services and therapy, as well as typical needs such as schooling and play time with friends.

In the state office spaces, children are under the supervision of state caseworkers, not trained caregivers, said Olse of the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services.

“They’re not homes — they’re offices,” Olse said. “It’s what you would imagine it to be like, as a child without a home living in an office.”

The number of children removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect has declined in the last two years, Olse said. The number fell to about 16,500 in fiscal year 2020, after hitting a peak of more than 20,600 in 2018, according to the alliance.

But a reduction in children entering the system does not translate into greater access to placements. That’s because kids removed from their homes are staying longer in foster care and typically have greater needs, Olse said. About half the children removed from their homes in 2019 are still in foster care.

“It’s really not just about the number of kids and the number of beds,” Olse said. “We do not have enough foster care placement and services for the highest-needs children in care.”

The pandemic has created new challenges. Olse said foster care workers often are coping with their own personal problems related to the pandemic, and caretakers in group homes can find it difficult to persuade children to wear masks, socially distance or quarantine.

Some foster care homes went offline as caretakers in high-risk groups declined to accept more children, but Olse said most caretakers are “doing everything they can.”

The pandemic also has disrupted the courts, slowing juvenile and child protection cases.

The state is responsible for instituting foster care reforms demanded by U.S. District Judge Janis Jack in response to a 2011 classaction lawsuit.

In February, Jack said she would give state officials until May to make progress on her orders before she imposes sanctions. Last year, the judge held Texas officials in contempt of court for failing to comply with her orders.