SAN ANTONIO – Since Dec. 2021, three civil court judges have been tackling the docket for children without placement or CWOP.
Last month, a teen in foster care who had been placed at a hotel was shot. It was an incident that did not sit well with the courts.
“This is a problem that has been existing for months, if not years,” 45th Civil District Judge Mary Lou Alvarez said.
The problem, according to Alvarez, is the lack of attention that Child Protective Services is giving to these children.
“Unfortunately, what we’re seeing is that the department has been less than responsive on some of the needs of these children,” Alvarez said.
These children without placement in foster care are usually teens that are highly traumatized with excessive needs.
The Clarity Child Guidance Center is the only nonprofit in South Texas that provides mental health care for children ages 3 to 17. Still, with other limited options, these kids are being placed in hotels.
“What we are denying these foster children by using hotel rooms as a quote unquote placement, is we’re denying them an ability to go home. We’re denying them a place to call home,” Alvarez said.
For the past four months Alvarado and two other judges have been hearing CWOP cases and are trying to get these children the support they need.
For Alvarez, that means making stricter guidelines for CPS to follow.
“They’re getting at least minimal needs. Obviously minimal is not ideal, but a daily therapist, a daily tutor, a mentor, a CASA advocate, someone that has a hand in their life so they don’t feel so isolated,” Alvarez said.
While the courts have seen some success, it is still not enough.
“I do think the department is making it a priority, but I think they have a lot of work to do and they still have to get that sense of urgency,” Alvarez said.