Texas officials testified before a federal judge Tuesday that the state has spent more than $320 million on court-ordered foster care reforms since 2019 and should be released from seven years of federal monitoring. Attorneys for about 6,800 children in foster care argued the system remains unstable and oversight should continue.
The sources don't state an effect on taxes. They do state these figures.
Court-ordered foster care system improvements$320 million12Who pays or receives it: State of Texas
Federal court monitors overseeing foster care system$66 million12Who pays or receives it: State of Texas
Court-appointed monitors (alternative figure)more than $70 million3Who pays or receives it: State of Texas
Foster care worker training, recruitment, retention, staffing and data compilation$254 million12Who pays or receives it: State of Texas
Who's involved
Audrey O'NeillCommissioner of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Stephanie MuthTexas Health and Human Services Commission Commissioner
Randy CraneU.S. District Judge
Paul YetterLead plaintiff attorney for children in foster care
Texas Department of Family and Protective ServicesState agency defending its foster care system
Texas Health and Human Services CommissionState agency regulating foster care facilities
The facts
A 2018 injunction ordered DFPS and HHSC to overhaul their foster care system.12Stated by 2 sources
About 61% of Texas foster care children are in the care of private companies.12Stated by 2 sources
In July, DFPS terminated EMPOWER, its largest private foster care contractor, after it failed to improve managing cases in Dallas and seven other counties.12Stated by 2 sources
DFPS first noticed EMPOWER had retention problems with former state caseworkers in 2024.12Stated by 2 sources
The original 2011 lawsuit was filed on behalf of about 6,800 Texas children in long-term foster care.12Stated by 2 sources
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals eliminated core remedial orders, finding the state had achieved substantial compliance.3
Judge Janis Graham Jack was removed from the case over allegations of bias more than a year ago.3
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Audrey O'Neill, DFPS Commissioner The remedial orders gave important direction; reforms are substantial and permanent.12
Texas state officials Federal court monitors micromanage the system and impose costly surveillance; it is time to return the system to Texas.3
Attorneys for children in foster care Texas has not met all the benchmarks; now is not the time to release the state from remedial orders that keep children safe.3
Children's attorneys The state is using the wrong legal standard to escape federal oversight; the state has not reached full compliance.3
Where the sources disagree
Total spending on federal court monitors since 2019 $66 million per [1,2]; more than $70 million per [3]
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
Texas foster care fight: Should federal court oversight continue?
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
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Ada E. Brown, U.S. District Judge in Dallas; Judicial Council of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, issued order and decision
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Charles Brownlee, defendant seeking to overturn conviction; Brownlee's legal team, arguing the conviction should be overturned; 5th Circuit Court, court reviewing Brownlee's challenge and 1 more
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Megan Deterling, former major accounts manager at Flock Safety, plaintiff; Flock Safety, defendant
A 40-year-old man incarcerated in a Texas prison was extradited to Mecosta County, Michigan to face a first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge stemming from a 2021 investigation. He was arraigned and held without bond.
Freddie Patterson, 40-year-old man extradited from Texas prison to face first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge; Big Rapids Department of Public Safety, led investigation and arranged extradition; U.S. Marshals Service, transported Patterson to Michigan and 2 more
Gov. Greg Abbott announced that Texas employers added 154,300 nonfarm jobs over the past 12 months, with an annual job growth rate of 1.1%, exceeding the national rate by 0.8 percentage points.
$more than $20 million for jobs and Education for Texans career training grants
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$31 cents for drought surcharge exemption fee
Chloe Torres, Coastal Bend regional coordinator, Texas Campaign for the Environment; Roland Barrera, Corpus Christi City Council member at-large; Texas Campaign for the Environment, organization that worked to place measure on ballot
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