Lawmaker proposes Bexar County find child welfare solutions for the rest of Texas
SAN ANTONIO – As the Texas Governor announces new leadership next year to oversee the broken child welfare system, child abuse remains a deeply-rooted, tragic problem in our community.
The Trouble Shooters show you a new way lawmakers hope to tackle the problem and how you at home have the power to help.
As we’ve reported, the number of kids being removed from homes is down. But advocates say the cases they are seeing are worse.
There was an outpouring of grief earlier this year when Danilo Coles and Mercedes Losoya died, allegedly at the hands of adults who were supposed to love and care for them.
Since then, we’re told more Bexar County children have died from abuse.
“Sadly, they don't make the news in the same way. But they’re happening,” say Angela White, head of Child Advocates San Antonio.
She describes the heartbreak of those who have seen the level of abuse this year and says overall, cases are more complicated.
“There's several things been going on at home. There may have been domestic violence. There may have been evictions and things like that,” White says. “We're also seeing more physical issues with the kids.”
Ahead of next year’s legislative session, State Senator Jose Menendez from San Antonio is filing new bills to address our broken child welfare system.
One would offer financial help to relatives willing to take in a child.
“If that child would go straight into the foster care system, we're going to be paying a foster family a monthly amount to take care of the child,” State Sen. Menendez says. “We should find a way to not cause a financial burden who want to take care of a child, or are maybe family members but maybe can't afford it."
Another proposed bill would create a pilot program right here in Bexar County. He envisions gathering advocates, judges, caseworkers and other stakeholders to identify potential new ways to improve the system and put them into action.
“We feel like the state hasn't done enough,” State Sen. Menendez explains. “The reason that we're looking at this as a pilot program is that so many times when you try to make a huge, a big change, there are people in other parts of the state who say: leave us alone, we're okay. And I don't want us to not have progress for the kids just because other people don't want to do it.”
One possible idea would be a digital system to track every single child from the moment they come into the state’s care.
“Whatever it costs, it's going to be an investment in the future,” State Sen. Menendez says.
As lawmakers crunch the numbers, White says CASA desperately needs volunteers to be a child’s voice in court and their friend in life.
(Click here to learn how to volunteer.)
“We have about 300 children on a waiting list for CASA right now,” White says. “Our advocates are there to really just nurture them and allow them to have choices and make decisions. Try and give them their power back.”
By EMILY BAUCUM