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The 2012-13 Budget for Child Protection in Texas
April 19, 2011
Budget Process
House and Senate each file their own budget Each budget is considered and changed by respective committees Goes to floor for full vote
– Members can change and add to it Conference committee from both houses appointed to resolve
differences Conference committee budget goes back to each chamber for a vote
– Only vote yes or no, cannot make any changes Sent to Governor to sign or veto
Budget as Filed Cut Virtually Every Aspect of Child Protection
Cut statewide intake, making it more difficult to process reports of child abuse and neglect
Cut prevention and family services, driving more children into foster care
Cut support for adoption, making it more difficult to get kids out of foster care
Cut support for foster homes, making it difficult for kids to get care they need
Cut caseworkers working with families and children, adding to an already overwhelming workload
Child Protection Budget as Filed Short by 20% Overall and 50% for Prevention
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Advocacy Community Created Unified Message to Fight Cuts
Organizations that work on CPS policy and child abuse prevention, many who provide direct services to families and children organized into coalition called Child Protection Roundtable
Create unified message about the child protection budget and the impact of the proposed cuts
Made some progress, more so in the senate than the house– House budget has passed thru committee and been voted on– Senate Finance amended child protection budget but still in committee
Even with more generous budget in the senate, not enough funding to support families and achieve optimal outcomes
Even after Committee Process, Caseworkers Not Fully Funded
Partial funding for CPS direct delivery staff– Requested $73 million for 749.5 FTEs– House funds $40 million for 462 FTEs– Senate restores $48 million for 565 FTEs
Direct delivery staff are currently carrying unmanageable caseloads
Caseloads will continue to increase
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Proposed Cuts Will Drive Caseloads Even Higher
Proposed Cuts Will Exacerbate Caseworker Turnover
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Lack of IT Funding Will Make Caseworker’s Job Harder
Requested $3.7 million for casework management automated systems
HB eliminates funding for operational changes to these systems
IT funding supports IMPACT and CLASS programs– Provides more efficiency for caseworkers.– Necessary to support legislative, policy, and external
systems changes
Proposed Cuts to Statewide Intake Means Longer Hold Times and More Abandoned Calls
LBB Projects Increase in SWI (reports)+11,668 = +5% to 250,075 FY 13
Average Hold Time: 8.9 min. FY11 DFPS request: $3.1 mil. FY12 $3.7 mil FY13 Revised down to $1.6 mil. FY12 and FY13 HB1 and SB1 don’t fund a dime more LBB Projects Average Hold Time: 8.7 min.? Hold times will be longer and more calls abandoned
The Graduate College of Social Work University of Houston analysis of the costs of child abuse concluded that Texas spent $6,279,204,373 in 2007 on direct and indirect costs dealing with the after-affects of child abuse and neglect.(2009) Cache Seitz Steinberg, Ph.D. Kelli Connell-Carrick, Ph.D. Patrick Leung, Ph. D. Joe Papick, MSW Katherine Barillas, MSW, ABD (August, 2009). REPORT TO THE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR BUILDING HEALTHY FAMILIES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES: Evaluation Elements 1-6 Final Report.
(2007) TDFPS Costs projected for 08-09: LAR budget for CPS costs including foster/ adopt costs. Excludes other DFPS functions (APS, CCL, PEI). Total PEI costs 2007 LAR Prevention budget for 08-09
Prevention Investment-Inverse Ratio and Proposed Prevention Cuts
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Child Abuse Prevention Services: Texas vs. US average*
*US Dept. HHS, Administration for Children & Families, Child Maltreatment 2007; retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm07/ US Dept. HHS, Administration for Children & Families, Child Maltreatment 2008; retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm08/
But we invest less in prevention than any other state in the nation: In Texas only 5 of every 1,000 children receive prevention services compared to a national average of 44 of every 1,000 children.
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PEI (Prevention) Budget Impact
Program Budgeted 2011
HB 1 SB 1 % Cut
STAR Program $21,000,862 $13,699,728 $13,699,728 -34.8%
CYD Program $7,847,599 $5,039,300 $5,039,300 -35.8%
Texas Families (TFTS)
$4,121,878 $2,610,039 $2,610,039 -36.7%
Child Abuse Prevention Grants
$1,813,365 $1,640,667 $1,640,667 -9.5%
Other At-Risk Prevention
$8,955,911 $0 $2,290,576 -100% (HB -
74.4% (SBOverall: PEI
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SB1 vs. HB1 Prevention
SB 1 as amended by Senate Finance restores STAR and CYD funding close to 2010-11 levels and provides a little more funding for child abuse prevention
HB 1 as passed restores STAR funding close to 2010-11 levels but leaves original cuts to all other programs– Child abuse prevention programs facing a 55% cut
Home Visitation Programs Most Successful Child Abuse Prevention and early
intervention strategy
Offer parenting support interventions in the home for families with young children
Risk assessment, information, guidance Services delivered by professionals or trained
community workers Common Outcomes:
– Improved pregnancy outcomes– Improved parenting practices– Safe home environments– Improved child health and development – Improved School readiness– Enhanced Family economic self-sufficiency
Home Visitation Programs: National
Healthy Families Parents as Teachers (PAT) Home-Based Instruction for Parents of
Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Avance Family Connections Triple P Nurse Family Partnership
NFP Legislation SB 156 (80-R) currently serving 2,000 TX
Families $17.8 million for FY 2010-11 Proposed budget cut of 50% to $8.9 mil.
2012-13-HB 1- Full restoration in SB1 1,000 currently served pregnant or post-
partum mothers, babies and families will abruptly end services if cuts go forward.
NFP Legislation SB 156 (80-R) currently serving 2,000 TX
Families $17.8 million for FY 2010-11 Proposed budget cut of 50% to $8.9 mil.
2012-13-HB 1- Full restoration in SB1 1,000 currently served pregnant or post-
partum mothers, babies and families will abruptly end services if cuts go forward.
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Top Prevention Priority
Services to Help Keep Kids at Home
Protective day care – helps relieve stress in homes with young children and gets a third party watching to make sure child is safe
Services to help parents address their underlying problems – Includes substance abuse and mental health
assessment and treatment, parenting classes and in-home help when family cannot otherwise get services (e.g., not eligible for Medicaid)
Services to Help Keep Kids with a Relative When Can’t Be at Home
Up to $1,000 upfront, one-time payment to help get home ready and up to $500/year in reimbursement for child related expenses– Relative’s income can be no more than 300% of
federal poverty limit
Day care for relatives who work full time
As Funding for Family Services Has Increased, More Children Have Stayed at Home or with a Relative and Out of Foster Care
Source: LARs and Operating Budgets and DFPS data
Keeping Kids Out of Foster Care Saves Money
Total Spent for Services per Child in 2009
In-Home Relative Foster care
Average spending per child in 2009 $407 $2,432 $14,558
Source: CPPP Report: Upside Down Child Protection, Feb. 2011
Current House and Senate Budgets for Family Services Still Not Enough
House and Senate Budgets as filed funded family services below 2010-11 levels
House Budget as passed and Senate Budget as amended by Senate Finance for family services:– Funding close to 2010-11 funding levels
– But still about 20% less than what DFPS needs DFPS estimates that more children and families will need
services in 2012-13 as compared to 2010-11
Adoption Subsidies Help Get Kids Adopted and Are Far Cheaper than Foster Care
To encourage adoption, DFPS offers a monthly payment to help offset the costs of caring for kids– Usually continues until the child is 18– Available for older children, minorities, children with
disabilities and sibling groups
About 92% of all adoptions have a subsidy
The avg monthly adoption subsidy is about $420 vs. avg monthly foster care payment of $1,900
Current Senate Budget is Better than Current House Budget for Adoption Subsidies
Neither budget as filed funded any adoption subsidies for 2012-13
House Budget as passed still does not fund adoption subsidies for 2012-13
Senate Budget as amended by Senate Finance Committee funds adoption subsidies in 2012-13
Foster Care Is Currently Fully Funded
House and Senate budgets as filed funded foster care below 2010-11 levels– Cut payments to foster families– No funding to cover additional children coming into
foster care
House budget as passed and Senate budget as amended by Senate Finance restore payment cut and provide funding to cover caseload growth
Contact Information
Jane Burstain, CPPP [email protected]
Ashley Harris, TCFC [email protected]
Madeline McClure, TexProtects
[email protected] Deckinga, TDFPS
