April 7, 2003
Senator sees faith-based solution
to shortage of Texas foster-care families
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___AUSTIN--Texas needs to double the number of licensed foster families statewide, and a state senator from Bryan believes churches are the place to recruit them.
___About 15,000 Texas children need foster care, and the state has only 7,000 eligible foster families. To address that inequity, Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, introduced a bill to recruit foster families from the faith communities that, in turn, would provide support networks for them.
"There is no entanglement of state funds with houses of worship in this bill, but rather a healthy cooperation with faith communities."
___ --Suzii Paynter
___SB 1489 requires the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services to develop a statewide program to recruit and retain foster families from "faith-based organizations."
___If the bill passes, the state agency would deploy employees throughout Texas to recruit foster families in churches and provide local training sessions for the families.
___Churches would be asked to provide support to foster families in their congregations by offering free day care, respite care or occasional supplemental financial assistance for foster families.
___The proposed legislation would provide liability protection for churches that provide this kind of sponsorship to foster families.
___"There is no entanglement of state funds with houses of worship in this bill, but rather a healthy cooperation with faith communities," said Suzii Paynter, director of citizenship and public policy with the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission.
___SB 1489 was referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee March 20.
___In a related matter, lawmakers continue to struggle with balancing the state budget. Paynter noted that the House Appropriations Committee restored some projected cuts in the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, citing foster care, adoption and caseloads as the top three priorities.
___Facing "difficult choices," legislators have tried to preserve services and treatment as much as possible, but prevention programs have suffered as casualties. Programs likely to be seriously cut or eliminated include at-risk mentoring, family outreach and home instruction.
___"That said, Child Protective Services is still over 400 caseworkers short just to equal 2001 levels," Paynter said. "To reinstate the number of needed caseworkers would require an additional $15 million."
___
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