BY EMILY LINCKE, DANICA LLOYD & RYAN REYNOLDS
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Arrow Child and Family Ministries www.arrow.org
Alongside local agencies, state leaders are working to address challenges in the system. House Bill 2216, filed this session by Rep. Lacey Hull, R-Houston, would raise the threshold for removing children from their birth families. The bill aims to extend the provisions under the federal Indian Child Welfare Act to all Texans. The ICWA requires strong evidence before Native American children are removed and prioritizes placement with family or tribal communities. HB 2216 would raise the standard for terminat- ing parental rights and emphasize placing children with relatives whenever possible. The bill passed 140-4 in the Texas House on April 23 and was moving through the Texas Senate as of press time. While the bill has received support, some have said it raises safety concerns. “As a parent of adopted children, I’m especially aware of the potential risks and consequences my children could have faced if reunification were enforced by the courts,” Anderchuk said.
Arrow officials said every city and county across the state has an “urgent need” for foster care families, particularly for those willing to welcome children with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as children over age 8. But fostering and adoption aren’t the only ways locals can support children in the welfare system and the organizations serving them. “I love to see a community rally around their kids, and there’s always something that every person can do to help in the child welfare system,” Lundy said. James said Operation Achieve Independence educates volunteers about supporting children who have lived through trauma. “The kids you work with with that foster care history—a lot of them were very angry, very frustrated, very guarded. ... But you’ve got to just give them grace and develop that relationship,” James said.
• Adoption facilitation; foster parent support • Behavioral health help and in-home therapy • Residential community for women ages 13-21 • In-school support Hope’s Path www.hopespath.org • Residential program for young men who have aged out of foster care • Life skills and financial literacy classes • Job placement and college assistance Operation Achieve Independence www.oaicares.org • Transitional living support • Education, career prep, guidance and mentorship for those in and who have aged out of foster care Passion for Families www.passionforfamilies.org • Temporary and permanent homes for children in need • Resources and training for foster parents • Medical, therapy and educational services
SOURCES: ARROW CHILD AND FAMILY MINISTRIES, HOPE’S PATH, OPERATION ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE, PASSION FOR FAMILIES/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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