AUSTIN – Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation took issue with a new ruling from U.S. District Judge Janis Jack that says the state’s foster care system must remain under the supervision of court-appointed special masters for at least three more years.
In the 85th Legislature, Texas lawmakers passed broad, community-based reforms to the system. Today’s ruling undermines these reforms by keeping power in Austin, instead of in communities.
“The Governor and the Legislature worked hard in the 85th legislative session to correct the deficiencies uncovered in the state’s foster care system, passing sweeping legislation that set Texas on the right path,” said Brandon J. Logan, director of TPPF’s Center for Families & Children. “The federal court order issued today reverses the progress that Texas has made for foster children and subjects the state to endless monitoring based on the whims of the court. Texas foster children do not need nor can they afford the uncertainty created by the years (even decades) of federal oversight experienced by foster children in other states. Texas stepped up for foster children. Now it is time for the federal court to step out of the way.”
The ruling in its entirety can be found here.
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/files/epress/Dkt_559_final_order_(002).pdf?cachebuster:8
For more information, please contact Alicia Pierce at [email protected] or 512-472-2700.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit free-market research institute based in Austin. The Texas Public Policy Foundation aims to advance a societal framework that effectively fosters human flourishing based upon cooperation and mutually beneficial exchange of ideas and speech.
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