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The numbers show a child welfare revolution in Texas

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The numbers show a child welfare revolution in Texas


In 2015, U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack declared that the conditions for children in the Texas foster care system were so bad that it represented a violation of the children’s constitutional rights. Texas children, she wrote, had been “shuttled throughout a system where rape, abuse, psychotropic medication, and instability are the norm,” and where children “often age out of care more damaged than when they entered.”

Ten years later, dramatic changes have shaken the child welfare system in Texas. Much work remains, but the outcomes are nothing short of shocking. Texas now removes fewer children, keeps more children out of foster care, and protects more children from abuse and neglect than ever before. Accomplishing all three of these goals at the same time is something few people thought was possible.

Many Texans may not realize how quickly a child can be removed from their home if Child Protective Services believes there is an immediate risk. Even today, after years of reforms, a court has the authority to take a parent’s child even when the parent, CPS, and the judge all agree that the parent is most likely innocent of abuse and neglect.

Nationally, 1 out of every 3 children will experience a CPS investigation by age 18, according to a study published by the American Journal on Public Health. For Black and Native American children, it’s more than 1 out of every 2.

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Once a child is removed, he or she will stay in foster care for an average of 14 months. In Texas, only a third of them will ever return home. Reform advocates often point out that a stranger who is accused of abusing a child is entitled to a litany of due process protections in a criminal trial that a parent is never afforded in a civil trial — even when the parent is accused of the same conduct. Yet, it is the parents who face the prospect of losing their child completely.

Termination of parental rights is often referred to as the “death penalty” of civil law. It’s not hard to see why. Most parents would sooner go to jail than lose their children.

In 2018, Texas removed 20,685 children from their homes. That same year, 211 children died from abuse and neglect in Texas. But since that time, the system has been shocked by a barrage of reforms. In 2024, Texas removed 9,220 children — a 55% drop in just six years. Furthermore, 99 children died from abuse and neglect in 2024 — a 53% drop.

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Also in 2018, a new set of CPS reforms began taking effect, reforms that would set the tone for nearly eight years of earthshaking changes to the child welfare system in Texas.

State Reps. Gene Wu, D-Houston, James Frank, R-Wichita Falls, and Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, who is now the speaker of the Texas House, worked together in 2017 to craft and pass HB 7 with the help of Sen. Bryan Hughes. The bill included a long list of due process reforms to Texas CPS law. Among other reforms, the bill prohibited child removals based on a family being low-income, required CPS to end its practice of suing parents in multiple courts at the same time (one court for each child), and prohibited CPS from terminating the rights of both parents when they only had evidence against one. The bill passed the Legislature with near unanimous support. Due process in CPS cases had gotten the Legislature’s attention.

In the years following, due process reforms in Texas sped up. In 2020, the Texas Supreme Court ended a practice whereby a jury could terminate parental rights even when jurors could not agree on what the parent had done wrong — a rule change specifically set in motion by HB 7.

In 2021, HB 567 dramatically reformed the definition of child neglect. In 2023, HB 730 required CPS caseworkers to inform parents of their rights before questioning them, like police officers do with criminal suspects. Both bills included numerous other reforms as well, and they were accompanied by a slew of other bills each making additional “pro-family” reforms to the system — reforms ranging from narrowly targeted due process changes to broad new standards of training for CPS caseworkers. Almost all of the bills passed with broad bipartisan support.

In 2021, Rep. Wu put clear words to the problem when describing how HB 567 changed the definition of neglect to prohibit the removal of a child unless there was an immediate danger. “We’ve always looked at what we’re doing for kids, but we don’t consider often what we’re doing to kids. … We guarantee you, if you strip them from their family, they will be traumatized. The question that we’ve never asked is this: Is it worth it?”

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Because fewer children are being removed from their homes, the total number of children sitting in foster care has also plummeted, according to Texas Department of Family and Protective Services data. Altogether, the shift in the system since the 2018 reforms began has been dramatic:

  • Children removed by CPS each year: down 55%
  • Child deaths from abuse and neglect: down 53%
  • Number of children sitting in foster care: down 47%
  • Number of children waiting for adoption: down 43%
  • Six-month and one-year recidivism rates: both at the lowest levels ever recorded (five-year rates have been essentially flat since 2015).

The Texas Legislature is now well into the 2025 legislative session. More reforms to the system are already being proposed. There are many holes left to be filled. In his State of the Judiciary speech before the Texas House and Senate, Supreme Court Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock spoke for several minutes about the critical importance of ensuring due process for families in the CPS system. At the state’s highest court, due process for families is now a point of critical focus.

Doubtless, not all of the positive changes in the system are attributable to the due process reforms of the last seven years, but many of them clearly are.

One thing is apparent: Texas is embracing the theory of due process in the child welfare system, and seven years in, outcomes for families and children have dramatically improved.

Jeremy Newman is vice president of Family Freedom Project.



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Texas

Millions across two major Texas areas told to avoid drive-thru lanes

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Millions across two major Texas areas told to avoid drive-thru lanes


An air quality alert issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) for two of Texas’ most populous metro areas is advising residents against idling in drive-thru lanes due to elevated ozone levels.

Why It Matters

With a combined metropolitan population of over 10 million, the recommendation affects a significant portion of the state’s urban population.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that even short-term exposure to elevated ozone can lead to breathing difficulties, lung inflammation, and worsening of conditions such as asthma.

What To Know

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) issued Ozone Action Days for both the Dallas-Fort Worth and the San Antonio areas for Tuesday, an air quality alert published by the NWS said.

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According to officials, atmospheric conditions were forecast to be favorable for producing high levels of ozone pollution.

“You can help prevent ozone pollution by sharing a ride, walking or riding a bicycle, taking your lunch to work, avoiding drive through lanes, conserving energy, and keeping your vehicle properly tuned,” the alert read.

Elsewhere, air quality alerts were also in effect for the western two-thirds of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities Metro, following previous alerts issued for the day prior.

“Mostly sunny skies, warm temperatures and low humidity will provide a favorable environment for two types of pollutants (volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides) to react with sunlight in the air to produce ground-level ozone,” the alerts for the state said.

“Ozone will remain elevated on Wednesday as sunny skies, warm temperatures and dry conditions persist.”

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In the northeastern part of the state, an air quality alert had also been issued due to the ongoing Camp House, Jenkins Creek, and Munger Shaw fires, which had each burned over 1,000 acres as of Monday night. Smoke was expected to impact areas near and downwind of the blazes, with smoke being observed as far north as the Canadian border, the alert said.

What People Are Saying

AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham previously told Newsweek: “Ozone is a secondary pollutant, meaning it’s not emitted directly from sources but is formed through chemical reactions. These reactions require sunlight and higher temperatures, making warmer months more prone to ozone formation. When air is stagnant, pollutants don’t get dispersed, allowing ozone to build up to unhealthy levels.

“Ozone pollution is often more severe in urban areas where there are higher concentrations of pollutants from sources like cars, power plants, and industrial activities.”

Professor of pediatric respiratory and environmental medicine Jonathan Grigg, with Queen Mary, University of London, previously told Newsweek There are “very clear links” between inhaling particles and earlier death from both respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Additionally, he added that conditions such as asthma are also exacerbated by exposure to air pollution.

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What Happens Next

At the time of writing, Ozone Action Days for Texas were in effect through Tuesday. The next ozone action day, if required, would be issued by 3 p.m. Tuesday.



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Tuition for medic training through National EMS Academy in Texas discounted at $400

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Tuition for medic training through National EMS Academy in Texas discounted at 0


HOUSTON – If you’ve ever wanted to be on the front lines helping the community, why not consider a career as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)?

SEE ALSO: New, elegant shared office workspaces debut in Houston’s River Oaks

The National EMS Academy, a sister company of Acadian Ambulance, is cutting its training costs by a substantial amount.

Ordinarily, the tuition for its 12-week course is $1,600, but for a limited time is discounted to only $400 at all 5 Texas National EMS Academy’s campuses.

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These include its Austin, Beaumont, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio locations.

Medic training in Texas through National EMS discounted at $400 (Copyright 2025 by National EMS Academy – All rights reserved.)

After completing the course, Acadian Ambulance EMTS who train to become paramedics can get reimbursed for their training costs.

SEE ALSO: Texas has created more jobs than any other state in last year, data shows

And if you’re not looking to stay in one place, once you complete the course and pass the National Registry exam, you’re eligible to work at any of the Acadian Ambulance locations in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

Medic training in Texas through National EMS discounted at $400 (Copyright 2025 by National EMS Academy – All rights reserved.)

Registration is now open for classes starting on May 26.

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To learn more about the National EMS Academy’s Texas program, visit their website by clicking here.

Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.



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Aggies lead SEC-heavy top 8 in softball tourney

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Aggies lead SEC-heavy top 8 in softball tourney


OKLAHOMA CITY — Texas A&M earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division I softball tournament on Sunday, edging four-time defending national champion Oklahoma for the top spot and leading seven Southeastern Conference teams seeded in the top eight.

Oklahoma won the SEC regular-season title by a game over Texas A&M in its first season in the conference. Texas A&M and Oklahoma tied for the conference tournament title after the championship game was canceled because of bad weather.

No. 3 seed Florida, a national semifinalist last season, and No. 4-seeded Arkansas also represent the SEC. Oklahoma State, which has made five consecutive Women’s College World Series appearances, is in the regional with Arkansas.

The final eight teams in the 64-team field will play in the WCWS from May 29 to June 5 in Oklahoma City.

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No. 5 seed Florida State, the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season champion, is the top-seeded team from outside the SEC. The Seminoles won the national title in 2018 and were runners-up in 2021 and 2023.

Florida State is followed by three more SEC teams. Texas, the national runner-up two of the past three seasons, is the No. 6 seed. Tennessee, with hard-throwing Karlyn Pickens, is the No. 7 seed. South Carolina is the No. 8 seed after being picked 15th out of 15 teams in the preseason SEC poll.

No. 9 seed UCLA hosts a regional in its first season as a Big Ten member.

No. 10-seeded LSU could be challenged. Nebraska, led by former Oklahoma pitcher Jordyn Bahl, also will be in the Baton Rouge Regional. Bahl was the Most Outstanding Player of the World Series in 2023.

Clemson, the ACC tournament champion after knocking off Florida State in the title game, is the No. 11 seed.

No. 12 seed Texas Tech, the Big 12 regular-season and tournament champion, features reigning National Fastpitch Coaches Association Player of the Year NiJaree Canady. She did not allow a run in 16⅔ innings at the Big 12 Tournament and was named its Most Outstanding Player.

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Arizona, which lost to Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game, earned the No. 13 seed.

Duke reached the WCWS for the first time last season, and it will host a regional this year as the No. 14 seed.

Another SEC team, Alabama, is the No. 15 seed.

Oregon, the Big Ten regular-season champion, is seeded 16th.



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