Texas CPS workers miss key deadline in 14,000 child abuse cases
Despite efforts to overhaul Child Protective Services through new leadership and increased scrutiny, state investigators are still failing to quickly check on potentially abused and neglected children.
In mid-September, more than 14,000 kids across the state — one-third of those with open CPS cases — had not been seen by child abuse investigators between 24 and 72 hours after a report of abuse, the state-mandated timeframe in which caseworkers must see children. Of those, nearly 2,000 were considered urgent cases, meaning the kids could have been in immediate danger.
In Travis County, 42 percent of about 2,900 children had not been seen by the deadline.
“We have to do a better job of seeing children more quickly,” said Patrick Crimmins, spokesman for the Department of Family and Protective Services, which oversees Child Protective Services. “It is unacceptable for these children to remain unseen.”
Read more: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/texas-cps-workers-miss-key-deadline-in-14000-child/nskch/