Texas Center for Child and Family Studies

Vulnerable children and families: the Center provides support to Texas Child, youth, and Family service agencies with the knowledge, skills, and ability they need to provide high-quality services in their communities for vulnerable children and families. Major accomplishments in 2022 include: awarded grants to 72 organizations totaling $6,090,713 to provide covid-19 disaster relief services for children involved with the Child welfare system. Partnered with the university of Texas at austin's Texas institute for Child and Family well being, to build a new practice approach with flexible tools for public and private Child welfare agencies across Texas to connect children to their birth families regardless of their permanency outcome. Launched Family support network in partnership with Texas department of protective service's prevention and early intervention program.

Training, education and research: the Center undertakes targeted and strategic initiatives to address the most pressing issues facing the care and services for at-risk children, youth, and families in Texas through trainings, consultations, education, and academic research. Major accomplishments in 2022 include: trained over 1,300 Child welfare professionals by hosting and organizing its annual Texas Child care administrators conference. Offered 108 trainings to over 3000 Child welfare professionals on a variety of interventions and tools to better support the needs of children and strengthen organizational operations and practice. In partnership with other community stakeholders, is working to improve the readiness efforts for the adoption of the community based care (cbc) foster care service model in multiple regions of Texas. The cbc model is a new service model for Texas that is a better way to provide services than the traditional foster care because it gives local communities the flexibility to draw on local strengths and resources and find innovative ways to meet the unique and individual needs of children and their families. Supported the judiciary's efforts at improving permanency outcomes for children and youth in foster care. Build sustainable capacity and improve the quality of care at emergency and long-term residential placements identifying and responding to commercially sexually exploited youth (csey), or youth at-risk of cse through trauma-responsive training and technical assistance, clinical support, and program evaluation efforts. In partnership with the university of Texas steve hicks school of social work's institute for Child and Family wellbeing, to bring together Child welfare and adolescent health systems to design innovative strategies that promote optimal health for Child welfare-involved youth. Provided technical assistance and consulting services for several Child welfare organizations.