Blue Ribbon Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect
Background: On August 31, 2004, Texas State
Representative Carol Uresti, District 118, held a press
conference announcing the formation of a Blue Ribbon
Task Force to examine the many issues surrounding child
abuse and neglect and the systems charged with
addressing them.On September 24th, a luncheon meeting
was convened with over a hundred stakeholders in
attendance. Rep. Uresti agreed to serve as chair and the
group elected Mark Carmona, Executive Director of Alamo
Children’s Advocacy Center (now ChildSafe) and Jack
Downey, President and CEO of the Children’s Shelter, as
co-vice-chairs and Cam Messina of Voices for Children,
as secretary.
Eight committees [link to BRTF committee
descriptions, attached] were formed and asked to
develop recommendations for consideration in the
upcoming legislative session in 2005.
A final report [link to BRTF final report, attached]
was submitted and many of the recommendations appeared
in Senate Bill 6,
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlo/79r/billtext/SB00006F.HTM
the Department of Family and Protective Services reform
legislation, signed by Governor Rick Perry at the Bexar
County Courthouse on June 7, 2005.
The CPS/Legislative Committee continues to meet and
monitor the implementation of SB6.
Related Links
Blue Ribbon Task Force on Child Abuse Prevention
http://www.blueribbontaskforce.org/index.htm
Texans Care for Children – Partners in CPS Reform
http://www.texanscareforchildren.org/innerpage.php?pageid=162&PHPSESSID=acb109c253476deec47d62241022cefe
Related Reports and Articles
CDC RELEASES STUDY ON ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN INFANTS
CDC released a study today entitled "Nonfatal
Maltreatment of Infants--United States, October
2005-September 2006." The study, published in
CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, found that
in the year studied, there were 91, 278 babies less than
1 year old who were documented victims of child abuse or
neglect. Of those, 29,881 were victims of abuse or
neglect before they were 1 week old.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5713a2.htm
THE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL (ICC) FOR
BUILDING HEALTHY FAMILIES: An Inventory Of State-Funded
Child Abuse And Neglect Prevention And Early
Intervention Programs - June 1, 2006
http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Documents/Prevention_and_Early_Intervention/pdf/2006-06-01_ICC-Inventory.pdf
STATEWIDE TRANSITION PLAN: Outsourcing DFPS Substitute
Care And Case Management Services – March 1, 2006
http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Documents/about/
Outsourcing/Statewide_Transition_Plan.pdf
SENATE BILL 6 - 180 Day Progress Report from The
Texas Health and Human Services Commission and The
Department of Family and Protective Services - March 1,
2006
http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/documents/about/pdf/2006-03-01_180_Day_Progess_Report.pdf
2007-2011 Coordinated Strategic Plan-Draft
http://www.hhs.state.tx.us/StrategicPlans/HHS07-11/HHS_StPlan.shtml
Texas' five health and human services agencies conducted
public hearings in eight Texas cities for input on the
plan.
Judicial Review in response to order issued on June
11, 2004, “In the Interest of Diamond
Alexander-Washington, A Child.”
This report, submitted by David J. Reilly and Lynne
Wilkerson in August of 2004, reviews the system in place
in Bexar County to protect children from abuse and
neglect.
http://www2.mysanantonio.com/news/graphics/cpsreport.pdf
Forgotten Children: A Special Report on the Texas
Foster Care System
Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Texas Comptroller of Public
Accounts, released this report in April 2004. It is the
result of an investigation launched late in 2003. Her
preface ends, “It has been said that any society can be
judged by how it treats its weakest members. My
investigation shows that Texas can and must be judged
harshly. We are not doing all that is necessary to
protect our children. Texas is great, but we can do
better.”
http://www.window.state.tx.us/forgottenchildren/
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