Foster girls who’d been victims of sex trafficking endured fresh abuse at a state shelter, report says

[BlueTex]

Rather than spending money on the Texas foster care system, you know, a legitimate state duty, our governor is pissing away millions on his foolish games on the border. THIS is a real crisis... Don't buy the GQP's bullshit that they are protecting children...

Employees of a Texas-contracted facility meant to care for female foster children who are victims of sex trafficking were discovered to be trafficking the same children, according to a federal judge.

Seven children, ages 11 to 17, were victimized by nine alleged perpetrators, according to discussions held during an emergency court hearing called by U.S. District Judge Janis Jack on Thursday. The children remained in the facility for over a month after the abuse was first reported before they were removed.

The children were sexually and physically abused and suffered from neglectful supervision and medical neglect while at The Refuge, a facility located in Bastrop contracted by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, a current Refuge employee reported to state authorities on Jan. 24. The court and the court monitors — watchdogs of the foster care system appointed by the judge — were not notified until Thursday.

That employee said a former staff member sold nude photos of two children in the facility’s care, using the proceeds to purchase illegal drugs and alcohol that were then supplied to the children, according to a letter from DFPS filed on Thursday notifying the court about the incident. Local law enforcement and the Texas Department of Public Safety were immediately notified, according to the letter.

“Has the governor seen it?” Jack asked, referring to the letter. No one answered.

In a statement Thursday evening, Gov. Greg Abbott said the Texas Rangers will investigate, arrest and pursue charges against any suspects related to the Refuge allegations.

Kids in foster care who’d been victims of sex trafficking endured fresh abuse at a state shelter, report says

The children were sexually abused and neglected while at The Refuge, a facility located in Bastrop contracted by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, according to a report from a current employee.

www.texastribune.org

For those not aware, Texas was sued over a decade ago over it's foster care system... This from January... Almost sounds like Trump's approach to immigrant children...

"Oh, for God's sake. I just don't understand this incompetence ... You don't know where the children are," Jack said. "Now we know today, 11 years into this lawsuit, that no one knows where these children are placed. I'm just - I'm speechless. You are the parent. I don't want to hear that IT is still working on it."

Several minutes later, Masters received an update that IT would go live with the system in July.

"Sorry I acted so angry," Jack said. "It's actually because I am angry."

Judge to Texas' foster care system: 'You don't know where the children are'

A U.S. district judge says she's heartbroken by the lack of improvements to Texas' foster care system, at times calling out the state's "incompetence."

abc13.com

 

[bluesmoke]

Texas is beyond the beyond.

 

[Irredentist]

Rather than spending money on the Texas foster care system, you know, a legitimate state duty, our governor is pissing away millions on his foolish games on the border. THIS is a real crisis... Don't buy the GQP's bullshit that they are protecting children...

Employees of a Texas-contracted facility meant to care for female foster children who are victims of sex trafficking were discovered to be trafficking the same children, according to a federal judge.

Seven children, ages 11 to 17, were victimized by nine alleged perpetrators, according to discussions held during an emergency court hearing called by U.S. District Judge Janis Jack on Thursday. The children remained in the facility for over a month after the abuse was first reported before they were removed.

The children were sexually and physically abused and suffered from neglectful supervision and medical neglect while at The Refuge, a facility located in Bastrop contracted by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, a current Refuge employee reported to state authorities on Jan. 24. The court and the court monitors — watchdogs of the foster care system appointed by the judge — were not notified until Thursday.

That employee said a former staff member sold nude photos of two children in the facility’s care, using the proceeds to purchase illegal drugs and alcohol that were then supplied to the children, according to a letter from DFPS filed on Thursday notifying the court about the incident. Local law enforcement and the Texas Department of Public Safety were immediately notified, according to the letter.

“Has the governor seen it?” Jack asked, referring to the letter. No one answered.

In a statement Thursday evening, Gov. Greg Abbott said the Texas Rangers will investigate, arrest and pursue charges against any suspects related to the Refuge allegations.

Kids in foster care who’d been victims of sex trafficking endured fresh abuse at a state shelter, report says

The children were sexually abused and neglected while at The Refuge, a facility located in Bastrop contracted by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, according to a report from a current employee.

www.texastribune.org

For those not aware, Texas was sued over a decade ago over it's foster care system... This from January... Almost sounds like Trump's approach to immigrant children...

"Oh, for God's sake. I just don't understand this incompetence ... You don't know where the children are," Jack said. "Now we know today, 11 years into this lawsuit, that no one knows where these children are placed. I'm just - I'm speechless. You are the parent. I don't want to hear that IT is still working on it."

Several minutes later, Masters received an update that IT would go live with the system in July.

"Sorry I acted so angry," Jack said. "It's actually because I am angry."

Judge to Texas' foster care system: 'You don't know where the children are'

A U.S. district judge says she's heartbroken by the lack of improvements to Texas' foster care system, at times calling out the state's "incompetence."

abc13.com

This is truly sickening. When you can't even trust the officials and employees whose job it is to protect these girls from sexual abuse, then who exactly are they supposed to turn to? There is a total systemic failure of child protective services in America and it needs to be addressed immediately.

 

[CaughtInThe]

That's one of the most disgusting things I've ever read.

 

[CaughtInThe]

So Texas contacted this out to a private company correct?

 

[tacomancer]

Thats like backwoods middle east village level abuse.

 

[BirdinHand]

Another failed "government" system.

And it isn't just TX...look into the "Kids for Cash" debacle in PA.

 

[BlueTex]

So Texas contacted this out to a private company correct?

Yes... The foster care system has been a disaster for over a decade...

Prince Hayward stuffed everything he owned into a black trash bag.

He was about seven years old when he spent the night sleeping on the floor of a Child Protective Services employee's office in southwest Houston with his lone bag of belongings beside him.

One night turned into another as he ended up spending two weeks living in an office because there weren't any foster families or homes that would take him -- not even temporarily. When Hayward returned to his biological family, the abuse and neglect continued, and he was forced to spend his nights sleeping in CPS offices across the state again and again. He aged out of the system without ever being adopted.

"You go to the restroom wherever the caseworker would normally go to the restroom. You would sleep on the floor. You'd be lucky if you had a pillow. You'd be lucky if you had a blanket," Hayward, now 26, recalled in an interview with 13 Investigates' Ted Oberg. "Most of the time you'd be by yourself, you know? You're there in your own traumatic thoughts as a kid with a person who, at five o'clock, is going to go home."

Two decades later, despite assurances from the state and court orders to stop other children from living in CPS offices like Hayward, the state is still shuffling kids from one unlicensed facility to the next. Some end up in CPS offices. Others stay in hotels, motels or government shelters, all under the watchful eye of what insiders tell us are overworked and at times undertrained and under equipped CPS staff.

Statewide, nearly 15,000 children are in CPS custody. Most of the children are in foster homes, but every year, hundreds of children, mostly older teens, are considered CWOP, or children without placement, and placed in unlicensed facilities. In May, 310 children spent at least two nights at CWOP locations across the state.

13 Investigates: Teen shot after sneaking out, another 'sleeping off a hangover' under CPS's care

Despite court orders to stop children from living in CPS offices, the state is still shuffling kids from one unlicensed facility to the next.

abc13.com

 

[BlueTex]

Another failed "government" system.

And it isn't just TX...look into the "Kids for Cash" debacle in PA.

If not the government, WHO should care for these kids? Rather than riding around with a bunch of entitled truckers, maybe Senator Cruz could spend a few minutes pressuring the governor and the state legislature to address this issue. They had NO PROBLEM spending millions on a fence and deploying the Texas National Guard. Why not protect Texas kids with that money?

 

[CaughtInThe]

If not the government, WHO should care for these kids?

Don't speak to her. She's anti-family while pretending to be pro family.

 

[BirdinHand]

If not the government, WHO should care for these kids?

I wish I had an answer. Unfortunately, universally, we (as a country) fail them.

 

[tacomancer]

If not the government, WHO should care for these kids? Rather than riding around with a bunch of entitled truckers, maybe Senator Cruz could spend a few minutes pressuring the governor and the state legislature to address this issue. They had NO PROBLEM spending millions on a fence and deploying the Texas National Guard. Why not protect Texas kids with that money?

Before the government got involved, many of these people would simply be condemned to die due to social stigma.

 

[BirdinHand]

Don't speak to her. She's anti-family while pretending to be pro family.

Another brilliant contribution to the conversation. Bravo.

 

[BlueTex]

I wish I had an answer. Unfortunately, universally, we (as a country) fail them.

Wishing doesn't help these kids... Our governor and the two before him have failed a basic responsibility of the state...

 

[CaughtInThe]

Here's the thing about contracting things out to private companies and I know about this first hand.

They will tell you whatever you want to hear. They will manipulate the contract to make as much money as possible. I'll give you an example…

One contractor figured out, according to the contract, that if they ran a full staff when they didn't need a full staff that they could make extra money on health benefits that they then funneled into another bank account which then went to the owners of the company. And it happened for 20 years until they got busted.

 

[BirdinHand]

Wishing doesn't help these kids... Our governor and the two before him have failed a basic responsibility of the state...

Can you point to any state where you would consider the foster care system a "success"?

 

[BlueTex]

Can you point to any state where you would consider the foster care system a "success"?

Are you suggesting we just throw our hands up and do nothing?

 

[99percenter]

What happen to abbots arrest rapists before they rape program?

 

[BirdinHand]

Are you suggesting we just throw our hands up and do nothing?

No, I asked a direct question as to where you think the system is a success. Is this diversion your way of saying that you don't know?

 

[tacomancer]

No, I asked a direct question as to where you think the system is a success. Is this diversion your way of saying that you don't know?

It has its failures, but its better than nothing, at least with this system, some kids come out ok, which is better than doing nothing and having no kids come out ok.

 

[bluesmoke]

Privatization is a disaster. It has rarely if ever made anything better in quality or cost to the public.

 

[ElChupacabra]

Can you point to any state where you would consider the foster care system a "success"?

It's not a complete failure either. Incidents like these are horrifying, but they don't represent the entirety of efforts made by state governments to handle these types of situations. What's been clear for a long time is this type of care requires a lot of oversight and due diligence to ensure any bad actors are quickly identified. Social programs like these tend not to get the kind of resources needed, and as a result you end up with oversight gaps that lead to these scenarios. I don't think abandoning the foster care system is a solution either, because this isn't a problem that solves itself.