As you are aware, an unprecedented move was made and achieved toward equity in the state of Texas when the Children’s Rights Advocacy group sued Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) in federal court and won resulting in the declaration of foster care in Texas, unconstitutional! This is a landmark victory for the equity movement! “We The People” are declaring war on systemic discrimination against poverty, race/ethnicity, and single female parent households. Too much government, oppress common people, ruins families and can’t raise children to become productive citizens.
We are asking our elected leaders to move with a swift sword to protect the most vulnerable amongst us. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Texas and I provide contracted services to children and families involved in Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). I also fearlessly lead the social welfare organization, Citizens Advocating for Social Equity (C.A.S.E.) founded in Texas. We know first-hand the double standards of this system that works against the preservation of poor families and in favor of the money grubbing state’s foster care system. Money begets corruption and our state’s foster care system is none other than corrupt when millions of dollars are allocated to this “children for purchase” enterprise that exploits and abuse our nation’s most vulnerable over placing a higher funded priority towards strengthening and preserving families.
We are asking that you mandate DFPS to right its wrongs through the hire of investigators and outreach teams to reunify children at risk of adoption with their family of origin or next of kin. From the beginning of time the greatest amongst us was birthed into poverty and rose to lead nations. This system and the district attorneys that support it exercise prejudice against poor people and people of color and engage in socio-economic and race discrimination at every turn resulting in the destruction of families and the flooding of black and brown children into our state’s foster care system.
We are asking that you mandate kinship social programs (day care, rental assistance, income support, etc.) that preserve and strengthen families involved in DFPS. Shift the budget to reflect Texans values which is to preserve and strengthen families. DFPS budget sends a disturbing message to fellow Texans. The budget overwhelming supports and enables the unlawful and abusive practices of this foster care system.
Remove the barriers that restrict children from placement with relatives. I am involved with this system enough to know that children are better off with loved ones and the requirements imposed were not good enough to stop the inhumane treatment of strangers toward these innocent children involved in this unlawful foster care system so it is absurd that blood kin are subjected to such meaningless standards.

Strip DFPS of its conservatorship power. DFPS abuses conservatorship power over children. They bully, sabotage, and manipulate children and families involved in the system resulting in the destruction of families.
Conservatorship power should first be given to kinship, nonprofit organizations, city agencies, and county agencies. This change would require DFPS to operate like a true case management/social services agency versus government bullies. DFPS’s irreversible harm to children leaves cities, counties, families, and nonprofits to clean up their mess. This system’s recklessness has caused life-long negative emotional, mental, and physical impact on residents in my local community.
Enact a check and balance system that involve city and county agencies and the hire of equity advocates (high level professionals such as social workers) similar to the system in New York to challenge DFPS at every step of their involvement with children and families. Court Appointed Special Advocated (CASA) lacks the clinical skills and training to effectively ensure children and families’ best interest and hold DFPS accountable to application of policies. Often times, CASA lack the professional boundaries to manage their personal bias and prejudice and feed into the power of the system resulting in civil rights violations of children and families at every turn.
Increase the pay of caseworkers by $15,000. The education and experience level of caseworkers hired by DFPS is insufficient to meet the complex needs of children and families. Turnover is high because of the demands of the job. Many of them become paper pushers and lack the skills to successfully connect and engage children and families in resources and services available through the system as well as in communities. They lack the sophistication and aptitude to appropriately understand clinical language and engage in interdisciplinary team conversations to set the road map of success for children and families.
Of course, we want earlier legal intervention. Children and families received untimely access to lawyers which hinders their ability to receive competent and timely legal representation. This delay has serious implications to the high removal rates of children involved in DFPS at the inception of the case.
Thanks for your public service and servant leadership! “We the People” need you to fix this broken and unlawful foster care system. There is a national war against systemic discrimination and big government bullies. Texas is a battle ground state to improve foster care. We fight to win!
Vanesia R. Johnson, LCSW
Citizens Advocating for Social Equity (C.A.S.E.)