Dallas

Dallas State Senator: CPS System Needs a Fix

State Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, says North Texas' child protective service system is a crisis that needs a solution.

NBC 5's media partner, The Dallas Morning News, reported a large number of turnover of Texas Child Protective Services investigators in Dallas County, and that a federal judge called Texas' long-term foster care system broken.

“The leadership of the state of Texas is going to have to, in conjunction with the legislative body, come up with what they believe the solution is, and then all of us work together on trying to deal with it,” said West.

The legislature does not convene until January, so NBC 5 Political Reporter Julie Fine asked West what should be done now.

“That’s why I said that the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker need to make a decision about what needs to happen like right now, not tomorrow,” West said.

Abbott was in Dallas on Wednesday, giving opening remarks at the Global Summit. He didn’t talk to reporters, but his spokesman released a statement about the situation:

"Protecting Texas’ children has been a priority for Governor Abbott. Our commitment remains steadfast, and is bolstered by the tens of millions of dollars in additional funding for DFPS and our demand that additional measures be taken to reduce and eliminate child abuse, neglect and death. The Governor will continue to work aggressively with the legislature and DFPS toward his stated goal of no more child deaths in Texas."

Contact Us