Rep. Hull aims to reform child welfare system From the cover
A closer look
In a nutshell
impact as she feels its measures are already being practiced. “I would really hope, at the very least, Repre- sentative Hull would know that ‘active efforts’ are definitely happening by the case workers, especially in Harris County,” she said. Overall, foster care numbers have declined over the past few years locally and statewide. Family Freedom Project, a statewide non- profit focused on defending parental rights and protecting families, reported Texas removed 55% fewer children from their homes in 2024 compared to 2018. Officials attributed this decline to state reforms.
Inconsistent standards and poor communi- cation often lead to unnecessary separations, Duran said. By adopting ICWA’s family-first principles, he said the bill would give all Texas families the same legal protections. “Many times, kids were removed a little too quickly based solely on the testimony of an angry 12-year-old or based on family members who were going to make false allegations because there was a divorce or some type of legal action,” Duran said. On the other side, Johnson, who started Entrusted Houston to support foster and adop- tive families, said HB 2216 may not have much
The Indian Child Welfare Act, passed in 1978, protects Native American children by requiring strong evidence before removal and prioritizing placement with family or tribal communities to preserve cultural identity. HB 2216 would extend these protections to all Texas families by requiring the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to make “active efforts,” rather than the current “reasonable efforts,” to reunite children with their families. The bill also raises the standard for terminating parental rights from “clear and convincing evidence” to “beyond a reasonable doubt” and prioritizes placing children with relatives. “My bill, as in ICWA, requires an appropriate— albeit limited—service plan providing resources that can help the parent protect their due process rights while still ensuring safety and welfare of the child,” Hull said during a March 25 hearing. “That plan could be limited to counseling or parenting classes and would in no way include visitation due to safety concerns.”
Children in substitute care*
Foster care students in Cy-Fair ISD
Texas Harris County
500
48,889
50,000
331
400
40,000
27,405
300
30,000
159
200
Foster care reform efforts
20,000
5,640
2,389
100
December 2015: A federal judge declares the Texas foster care system “broken.” May 2017: Senate Bill 11 creates the Child Protective Services Legislative Oversight Committee; House Bill 871 makes it easier for state agencies to work with faith-based organizations. January 2020-December 2021: Statewide, 21 facilities housing 13 or more children are shut down or have their licenses revoked. September 2021: The Texas Legislature funds $83.1 million in SB 1 to hire 312 caseworkers; HB 5 allots an additional $90 million to the DFPS. October 2021: Gov. Greg Abbott approves a new panel to analyze the rising number of foster care children without a placement. Jan. 29: Hull files HB 2216. June 2: Lawmakers convene for the final day of the regular session.
10,000
0
0
*WHEN A CHILD IS REMOVED FROM THEIR HOME, SUBSTITUTE CARE CAN INCLUDE FOSTER CARE, GROUP HOMES OR PLACEMENTS WITH RELATIVES. SOURCES: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Who it affects
Duran said Boys and Girls Country plans to pilot a program supporting single mothers and their children in 2026. The nonprofit, which houses children from families in crisis, also helps guardians strengthen their parenting skills and trains local teachers on supporting children from traumatic backgrounds. Between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024, 85 children lived at Boys and Girls Country. During that time, the organization received more than 500 calls for help and reunited 14 children with their caregivers. Entrusted Houston supports children awaiting foster care placement during this transitional period. The nonprofit also assists caregivers through its resource center and hosts a yearly holiday drive, which served more than 2,800 children in 2024.
Former Cypress Christian School student William Swan said he spent several years in the foster care system growing up because his biological family was “very dangerous.” He was separated from his brother for over a year before their case worker ultimately helped get them adopted into the same family. “It was very hard for me because I didn’t get to reach out to my brother sometimes, and we lost contact for a little while,” he said. “I believe [HB 2216] could do some good. I believe it could potentially help with keeping a family together, [but] I think it just depends on the case.” Agencies in Cy-Fair are supporting families in alignment with the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018, which focuses on helping children stay safely with their families, reduc- ing the need for foster care placements.
In 2025: 41.8% of DFPS-involved children are in kinship settings 90.5% of emergency reports get a face-to-face response within 24 hours
31.3% is the turnover rate for Child Protective Investigations employees 91.8% of nonemergency reports get a face-to- face response within 72 hours
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