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The 2012-13 Budget for Child Protection in Texas

This article discusses the 2012-13 budget for child protection in Texas and the proposed cuts that will have significant consequences for child abuse prevention, caseworkers, and overall support for families and children.

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The 2012-13 Budget for Child Protection in Texas

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  1. The 2012-13 Budget for Child Protection in Texas April 19, 2011

  2. Budget Process • House and Senate each file their own budget • Each budget is considered and changed by respective committees • Goes to floor for full vote • Members can change and add to it • Conference committee from both houses appointed to resolve differences • Conference committee budget goes back to each chamber for a vote • Only vote yes or no, cannot make any changes • Sent to Governor to sign or veto

  3. Budget as Filed Cut Virtually Every Aspect of Child Protection • Cut statewide intake, making it more difficult to process reports of child abuse and neglect • Cut prevention and family services, driving more children into foster care • Cut support for adoption, making it more difficult to get kids out of foster care • Cut support for foster homes, making it difficult for kids to get care they need • Cut caseworkers working with families and children, adding to an already overwhelming workload

  4. Child Protection Budget as Filed Short by 20% Overall and 50% for Prevention

  5. Advocacy Community Created Unified Message to Fight Cuts • Organizations that work on CPS policy and child abuse prevention, many who provide direct services to families and children organized into coalition called Child Protection Roundtable • Create unified message about the child protection budget and the impact of the proposed cuts • Made some progress, more so in the senate than the house • House budget has passed thru committee and been voted on • Senate Finance amended child protection budget but still in committee • Even with more generous budget in the senate, not enough funding to support families and achieve optimal outcomes

  6. Even after Committee Process, Caseworkers Not Fully Funded • Partial funding for CPS direct delivery staff • Requested $73 million for 749.5 FTEs • House funds $40 million for 462 FTEs • Senate restores $48 million for 565 FTEs • Direct delivery staff are currently carrying unmanageable caseloads • Caseloads will continue to increase

  7. Proposed Cuts Will Drive Caseloads Even Higher

  8. Proposed Cuts Will Exacerbate Caseworker Turnover

  9. Lack of IT Funding Will Make Caseworker’s Job Harder • Requested $3.7 million for casework management automated systems • HB eliminates funding for operational changes to these systems • IT funding supports IMPACT and CLASS programs • Provides more efficiency for caseworkers. • Necessary to support legislative, policy, and external systems changes

  10. Proposed Cuts to Statewide Intake Means Longer Hold Times and More Abandoned Calls • LBB Projects Increase in SWI (reports)+11,668 = +5% to 250,075 FY 13 • Average Hold Time: 8.9 min. FY11 • DFPS request: $3.1 mil. FY12 $3.7 mil FY13 • Revised down to $1.6 mil. FY12 and FY13 • HB1 and SB1 don’t fund a dime more • LBB Projects Average Hold Time: 8.7 min.? • Hold times will be longer and more calls abandoned

  11. Prevention Investment-Inverse Ratio and Proposed Prevention Cuts The Graduate College of Social Work University of Houston analysis of the costs of child abuse concluded that Texas spent $6,279,204,373 in 2007 on direct and indirect costs dealing with the after-affects of child abuse and neglect. (2009) Cache Seitz Steinberg, Ph.D. Kelli Connell-Carrick, Ph.D. Patrick Leung, Ph. D. Joe Papick, MSW Katherine Barillas, MSW, ABD (August, 2009). REPORT TO THE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR BUILDING HEALTHY FAMILIES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES: Evaluation Elements 1-6 Final Report. (2007) TDFPS Costs projected for 08-09: LAR budget for CPS costs including foster/ adopt costs. Excludes other DFPS functions (APS, CCL, PEI). Total PEI costs 2007 LAR Prevention budget for 08-09

  12. Child Abuse Prevention Services: Texas vs. US average* But we invest less in prevention than any other state in the nation: In Texas only 5 of every 1,000 children receive prevention services compared to a national average of 44 of every 1,000 children. *US Dept. HHS, Administration for Children & Families, Child Maltreatment 2007; retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm07/ US Dept. HHS, Administration for Children & Families, Child Maltreatment 2008; retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm08/

  13. PEI (Prevention) Budget Impact Overall: PEI

  14. SB1 vs. HB1 Prevention • SB 1 as amended by Senate Finance restores STAR and CYD funding close to 2010-11 levels and provides a little more funding for child abuse prevention • HB 1 as passed restores STAR funding close to 2010-11 levels but leaves original cuts to all other programs • Child abuse prevention programs facing a 55% cut

  15. Home Visitation Programs • Most Successful Child Abuse Prevention and early intervention strategy • Offer parenting support interventions in the home for families with young children • Risk assessment, information, guidance • Services delivered by professionals or trained community workers • Common Outcomes: • Improved pregnancy outcomes • Improved parenting practices • Safe home environments • Improved child health and development • Improved School readiness • Enhanced Family economic self-sufficiency

  16. Home Visitation Programs: National • Healthy Families • Parents as Teachers (PAT) • Home-Based Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) • Avance • Family Connections • Triple P • Nurse Family Partnership

  17. Top Prevention Priority NFP Legislation • SB 156 (80-R) currently serving 2,000 TX Families • $17.8 million for FY 2010-11 • Proposed budget cut of 50% to $8.9 mil. 2012-13-HB 1- Full restoration in SB1 • 1,000 currently served pregnant or post-partum mothers, babies and families will abruptly end services if cuts go forward.

  18. Services to Help Keep Kids at Home • Protective day care – helps relieve stress in homes with young children and gets a third party watching to make sure child is safe • Services to help parents address their underlying problems • Includes substance abuse and mental health assessment and treatment, parenting classes and in-home help when family cannot otherwise get services (e.g., not eligible for Medicaid)

  19. Services to Help Keep Kids with a Relative When Can’t Be at Home • Up to $1,000 upfront, one-time payment to help get home ready and up to $500/year in reimbursement for child related expenses • Relative’s income can be no more than 300% of federal poverty limit • Day care for relatives who work full time

  20. As Funding for Family Services Has Increased, More Children Have Stayed at Home or with a Relative and Out of Foster Care Source: LARs and Operating Budgets and DFPS data

  21. Keeping Kids Out of Foster Care Saves Money Source: CPPP Report: Upside Down Child Protection, Feb. 2011

  22. Current House and Senate Budgets for Family Services Still Not Enough • House and Senate Budgets as filed funded family services below 2010-11 levels • House Budget as passed and Senate Budget as amended by Senate Finance for family services: • Funding close to 2010-11 funding levels • But still about 20% less than what DFPS needs • DFPS estimates that more children and families will need services in 2012-13 as compared to 2010-11

  23. Adoption Subsidies Help Get Kids Adopted and Are Far Cheaper than Foster Care • To encourage adoption, DFPS offers a monthly payment to help offset the costs of caring for kids • Usually continues until the child is 18 • Available for older children, minorities, children with disabilities and sibling groups • About 92% of all adoptions have a subsidy • The avg monthly adoption subsidy is about $420 vs. avg monthly foster care payment of $1,900

  24. Current Senate Budget is Better than Current House Budget for Adoption Subsidies • Neither budget as filed funded any adoption subsidies for 2012-13 • House Budget as passed still does not fund adoption subsidies for 2012-13 • Senate Budget as amended by Senate Finance Committee funds adoption subsidies in 2012-13

  25. Foster Care Is Currently Fully Funded • House and Senate budgets as filed funded foster care below 2010-11 levels • Cut payments to foster families • No funding to cover additional children coming into foster care • House budget as passed and Senate budget as amended by Senate Finance restore payment cut and provide funding to cover caseload growth

  26. Contact Information • Jane Burstain, CPPP Burstain@CPPP.org • Ashley Harris, TCFC aharris@txchildren.org • Madeline McClure, TexProtects Madeline@TexProtects.org • Audrey Deckinga, TDFPS Audrey.Decking@dfps.state.tx.us

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