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Kidjacked | Jacked Up
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Over half a million children are in foster care or some other kind of out of home placement today. Do these children all really need to be there? Texas CPS News Archive
Texas News Coverage
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Texas woman charged with felony for posting police officer's photo on Facebook
When a Texas woman discovered the true identity of a local undercover cop, she outted the officer by posting a photograph of the man on Facebook. Now she's awaiting trial for a felony charge after authorities arrested her on a count of retaliation.
Melissa Walthall, 30, tells police in Mesquite, Texas that she first saw a photograph of a man revealed to be an undercover officer after a friend of hers drafted up a poster he intended on plastering around town. She acquired a copy of the image, uploaded it to her Facebook and captioned it with the warning: "Undercover Mesquite Narcotics . . . Anyone know this bitch?"
rt.com
October 16, 2012
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Patti Hart: Foster kids tossed into mean world
by Patricia Kilday Hart
At 18 months, his mother scalded his hands so severely that they would be permanently deformed. Years of horrific abuse, including daily beatings by his father, followed before Child Protective Services stepped in.
His childhood became a blur of dozens of foster home placements, which ended only when he turned 18. Then he was on his own. At one point, he ended up living under the Gulf Freeway overpass next to the Greyhound station in downtown Houston.
chron.com
October 15, 2012
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"Schubert, Former Olympic Team Coach, Sued for Protecting Swim Coach from Sex Abuse Charges"
Longtime USA Swimming Coach and Benefactor Dia Rianda sues Mark Schubert after she is fired for purportedly trying to keep Coach William "Bill" Jewell from having access to children while under investigation by USA Swimming for alleged sex abuse charges.
USA Swimming coach Dia Rianda has hired the sexual abuse law firm of Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard to file a wrongful termination lawsuit (Orange County Superior Court, Case # ) against former USA Swimming Olympic Team Coach Mark Schubert and his swim club, Golden West Swim Club (GWSC).
swimswam.com
October 9, 2012
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Foster home crisis in Johnson County
by Paul Gnadt
Johnson County is in critical need of foster homes, according to the director of the Children's Advocacy Center. "We are short 120 foster homes," Tammy King said Thursday. "We rank first in the state in terms of need."
To address the need, King and the CAC board of directors are asking Johnson County churches to form community groups to support and nurture those who become foster parents.
keenestar.net
October 5, 2012
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Buckner to Host Foster Care and Adoption Seminar
LONGVIEW - Buckner Children and Family Services will present a free foster care and adoption information meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9 at Buckner's offices, 110 E. Cotton.
A Buckner representative will give an overview of foster care and adoption options in Texas, including foster-to-adopt, Waiting Texas Children and domestic infant adoption programs. International adoption options, through Buckner's affiliate Dillon International, will also be discussed.
news-journal.com
October 5, 2012
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Man sentenced to 50 years for causing death of 5-month-old son
by Travis Hudson
A Euless man has plead guilty and been sentenced to 50 years in prison for causing a head injury to his infant son that resulted in the child's death in November of last year.
In November of 2011, Williams shook or struck five-month-old Demetrie Reeves causing the child's death. At the time, Williams was prohibited by Child Protective Services from have unsupervised contact with Reeves after breaking the child's arm month prior.
crimeblog.dallasnews.com
October 4, 2012
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Local Group Helps To Update Child Protective Services Building
CORPUS CHRISTI -- The local Junior League chapter held their own Extreme Makeover: Child Protective Services edition right here in Corpus Christi. The volunteers spent today and last night updating the visitation rooms at CPS.
They painted the white walls into different themes including an outer-space room and an outdoor room. Around 50 people helped to make the transformation. They also brought in toys for the children who visit their families here.
kristv.com
September 29, 2012
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Mom Sues After Being Arrested For Allowing Kids To Play Outside
by Bryan Nash
In July 2011, a Texas mom spent the night in jail after a neighbor called and told police that children were playing outside unsupervised. Tammy Cooper was arrested on child endangerment charges. Now, she's suing.
Cooper's children, age 6 and 9, were playing outside when a neighbor called 911 and claimed the children had been abandoned. When police arrived, Cooper told them she had been sitting outside the entire time. Nonetheless, she spent 18 hours in jail. Cooper, who says she routinely allows her children to play outside while she keeps on an eye on them from inside the house, was handcuffed in front of her children. "The incident also led to an investigation by Child Protective Services, requiring Cooper to take her children to the CPS office in Houston," reads the complaint. "Her children were separated from her and interrogated by child abuse investigators. CPS found no cause for concern regarding the well being of Cooper's children and dropped the investigation."
Personal Liberty Alerts
September 27, 2012
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School district failed to protect student from sexual assault, federal lawsuit alleges | The Gonzales Cannon
LOCKHART - The parents of a high school student filed a federal lawsuit against Lockhart Independent School District, two officials and a teacher alleging that administrators' indifference led to the girl's sexual assault by the educator.
The lawsuit, filed by parents "John and Jane Doe" on behalf of minor daughter "Sarah Doe," alleges that the two district officials, Assistant Superintendent Larry Ramirez and Interim Principal Monica Guillory, on two occasions were informed of concerns about the teacher's improper behavior with students but failed to take action or report the allegations to proper authorities.
gonzalescannon.com
September 20, 2012
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Mom sues police over arrest
by Jennifer Bauer
LA PORTE, Texas - A stay-at-home mom from La Porte has filed a lawsuit against the city's police department, an unknown officer and one of her neighbors.
Mom sues police department, officer A stay-at-home mom from La Porte has filed a lawsuit against the city's police department, an unknown officer and one of her neighbors. Tammy Cooper said she was wrongly accused of endangering her children and was even forced to spend the night in jail, all because she let her kids play outside.
click2houston.com
September 15, 2012
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Feds Can Sue for Social Workers' Texas Overtime
by David Lee
(CN) - Texas does not have immunity from a complaint seeking $1 million in unpaid overtime for Child Protective Service workers, the 5th Circuit ruled.
The U.S. Department of Labor brought the lawsuit in 2011 on behalf of employees of Texas Child Protective Services. Texas moved to dismiss the lawsuit on sovereign immunity grounds, arguing that the Department of Labor was acting as a "nominal party" in place of the employees.
courthousenews.com
September 14, 2012
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Rural Homeschooling on the Rise
by Pamela Price
More rural parents are choosing to teach their children at home, especially in the West. Their reasons for homeschooling include educational excellence, practical training, religious convictions, and many other motivations.
Abraham Lincoln did it. And he did it very well. That is to say the 16th president of the United States pursued his early studies at home on the family farm, later applying his home-based learning in entrepreneurial pursuits and, most famously, in leadership.
dailyyonder.com
September 10, 2012
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Odessa Termination of Parental Rights Lawyer
When a child has been abused or neglected by a parent, Texas Child Protective Services (CPS) may intervene and remove the child from the parent's care. Usually this removal is involuntarily.
At the Plummer Law Firm, in Odessa, Texas, we defend the rights of parents and children in termination of parental rights cases. Our attorney, Lilly Plummer, has more than 20 years of experience as a family lawyer. She thoroughly understands CPS and how child protection laws are implemented in courts throughout the Permian Basin and West Texas.
plummerlawfirm.com
September 1, 2012
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East Texas parents say religion, environment and curriculum among chief reasons for home schooling
by Richard Yeakley
In the past 20 years, homeschooling has transitioned from a fringe to a mainstream education method. Each homeschool family focuses on different perceived advantages when they choose to home school.
East Texas homeschool families are on par with national families in their rationale for this alternative education. A survey from the National Center for Education Statistics showed that most homeschool parents focus on "a concern about the school environment, a desire to provide religious or moral instruction and a dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools."
news-journal.com
September 1, 2012
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Hogg Foundation Awards $2 Million in Grants to Benefit Mental Health Services
AUSTIN - The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health has awarded about $2,056,000 in grants to continue developing and strengthening mental health services and supports for children, youth and families in Houston and Harris County.
Eight mental health providers will receive one-year of additional funding through a continuation of the 2009 Ima Hogg Children's Mental Health Grants program. The original grants were based on recommendations from a two-year, community-wide strategic planning process conducted by the City of Houston and Harris County Joint City/County Commission on Children.
utexas.edu
August 29, 2012
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Waco: Local Woman Charged With Abandoning A Child
by Paul J. Gately
A Waco woman was jailed Tuesday, charged with two counts of abandoning a child.
Lucresha Ann Boney, 22, was ordered held in lieu of bonds totaling $20,000. Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said just after midnight on March 5, police were sent to a home in the 1000 block of Delano Street where officers found two young children alone inside the residence.
kwtx.com
August 21, 2012
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Police find pot, unsuitable conditions at Pharr home
by Naxiely Lopez
PHARR - Police seized more than 650 pounds of pot from a home and called Child Protective Services after officers say they found children living in deplorable conditions.
Officers responded to a call of shots fired along a canal bank in the 400 block of Darlene Avenue about 8:30 a.m. Friday, said Pharr police Sgt. Mirabelle Garza. Police say Jesus Treviño, 29, fled the scene in a green Jeep and evaded officers on foot after a traffic stop.
themonitor.com
August 17, 2012
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CPS visit leads to large bust in Caldwell County
UHLAND - On Friday, August 3, Caldwell County Sheriff Daniel C. Law announced Child Protective Services had requested assistance in a home visit at 114 Everett Drive, in Uhland.
The investigator was concerned for the safety of a juvenile at the residence and for her own safety while contacting the father of the juvenile. The father was identified to be Marcelino Aguirre, age 39. Aguirre was a convicted felon and reportedly in possession of firearms in the residence. Aguirre and the Everett Drive location have been the subject of a long term investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement for a period of time.
gonzalescannon.com
August 9, 2012
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Child Protective Services investigates claims boy lived in box
Court documents obtained by Local 2 indicate David Wieseckel, 42, used a wooden box as a room for his 9-year-old son.
Investigators with the Galveston Police Department indicate they first learned of this when the boy was reported missing on July 22. According to court documents, when police found the boy, he told them he had run away from home because he didn't want to be locked in his room.
kcentv.com
August 5, 2012
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Boy in foster care after alleged abuse
Child Protective Services have placed a 9-year-old Galveston boy in foster care, believing his father may have locked him in a small wooden box and photographed him nude.
Police became aware of the situation on July 22 when the boy ran away and was returned home by police, CPS spokeswoman Estella Olguin told the Houston Chronicle . "We got the call once the police found him and took him back home and discovered his living conditions," Olguin said. "We took emergency custody that same day."
kxan.com
August 5, 2012
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Single mom one of two arrested in Johnson County child porn case
by Domingo Ramirez Jr.
One of the suspects accused in the horrific sexual abuse of children in Johnson is a single mother with kids, according to her Facebook page and authorities.
Rosalyn E. Burdett, 40, also is a medical eligibility specialist with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, an agency official said late Wednesday. Burdett and Jay Thomas Morgan, 49, of Arlington, remained in custody Thursday in connection with what authorities say is "some of the worst child pornography" that has been seized in Johnson County in at least 35 years.
star-telegram.com
August 2, 2012
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New statewide child abuse ads aim for prevention
by Dan Robertson
The ads are dark and dramatic, but so is the topic of child abuse. Thousands of Texas children were removed from abusive environments last year.
It's a stark statistic that sparked the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to launch a new campaign called "Help and Hope." It's one of the biggest child abuse and prevention campaigns ever in Texas, paid for by a federal grant of more than $2.5 million and coordinating dozens of public and private agencies.
austin.ynn.com
July 31, 2012
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CASA volunteers sought for foster kids
by Angela Ward
East Texas CASA - Court Appointed Special Advocates - is seeking more volunteers to help children in the foster care system, said Michelle Heflin, the agency's new director.
The agency needs volunteer advocates for 40 percent of the area's foster children. The next volunteer training session will begin Aug. 20, but people interested in becoming a CASA volunteer must be interviewed and have a background check before classes begin, she said.
news-journal.com
July 28, 2012
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County offers counseling to help keep families together
by Anita Hassan
The last straw for Jennifer Bartholomew was the fight that began over a CD player. On an evening last October, the 33-year-old single mother of five heard her two eldest daughters begin one of their squabbles.
Within a few moments, the bickering turned into a full-blown physical fight. It's unclear who threw the first shove, 17-year-old Desiree or 15-year-old Celeste, but it came shortly after cries of "I hate you." These fights between her daughters had become commonplace since Bartholomew's mother died a year before.
chron.com
July 16, 2012
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Department of Child Protective Services to report on foster care system
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas lawmakers are expected to hear testimony on the redesign of the state's foster care system.
In 2010 the Department of Child Protective Services began revamping the way the state contracts with organizations that care for children. The department has tentatively awarded new contracts to non-profit organizations to offer complete foster services.
lubbockonline.com
July 16, 2012
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