AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas is still failing to check on thousands of children who are the highest risk for abuse or neglect in the latest sign of trouble for an understaffed child protection agency that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has pledged to overhaul, according to state data released Tuesday.On any given day alone around big cities such as Houston and Dallas, more than 200 children who are allegedly maltreated never get a face-to-face visit by a welfare investigator within 24 hours as the state requires, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.The agency has struggled to retain low-paid caseworkers, whose starting salaries are about $37,000 annually, and the turnover rate last year was about 33 percent, agency spokesman Patrick Crimmins said.

Source: Texas not checking on thousands of kids at risk for abuse – KVIA

Leave a comment