Texas CPS making progress in reducing number of unplaced youth
AUSTIN, Texas - At the Texas Department of Family Protective Services council meeting in Austin on Friday, members got an update from CPS regarding the ongoing problem with unplaced youth.
"These are the youth that you read about in the paper these are the youth in the hotels under 24-hour supervision with DFPS staff. It's difficult for staff, it's difficult for the youth," Brock Boudreau, the Associate Deputy Commissioner of Texas CPS.
It's a short-term solution, with kids staying in hotels for days at a time.
It's considered unlicensed placement, and it hit crisis levels in 2021.
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In June of that year alone, Boudreau said CPS has custody of 400 youth without placement. By last month, the number dropped to half.
"These are generally older youth, they have some aggressive behaviors. They've generally been out of psychiatric hospitals," he said.
In an effort to find appropriate, long-term solutions for these high-risk minors, Boudreau says CPS has awarded 22 grants to community partners to come up with Qualified Residential Treatment Programs, which are federally accredited.
Two contracts have been signed, one is pending.
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Once all are up and running, Boudreau says 93 additional beds will be available.
"That's a big time addition to our service array," he said. "We admitted our very first kid into one of those Monday."