AUSTIN – Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at strengthening the American child welfare system.
“President Trump’s executive order is a major step forward in creating a more compassionate child welfare system that preserves and strengthens families,” said Andrew Brown, distinguished senior fellow of child and family policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “It recognizes that separating children from their parents should always be the last resort by working to strengthen requirements that states take all reasonable efforts to prevent removals of children into foster care and advancing high-quality legal representation that protects the rights of parents.
“The order also looks toward the future of child welfare by strengthening public-private partnerships and promoting the leadership of community and faith-based organizations in serving the most vulnerable.”
The order seeks to improve the child welfare system by:
- Encouraging robust partnerships between state agencies and public, private, faith-based, and community organizations.
- Improving access to adequate resources for caregivers and youth.
- Ensuring equality of treatment and access for all families.
- Improving processes to prevent unnecessary removal and secure permanency for children.