Houston: Hearing Opens on Ending Federal Oversight of Texas Foster Care
Houston — In Houston, Harris County, Texas, a multiday hearing opened on October 20 before U.S. District Judge Randy Crane on Texas's request to end 15 years of federal court oversight of the state's foster care system. It is the first public hearing in the case in two years. The system has a reported budget of $4.9 billion, with about 6,800 children in long-term foster care.
The class-action lawsuit was filed in 2011, when about 12,000 children were in long-term care. A federal court later found that Texas exposed those children to an unreasonable risk of harm, ordered sweeping reforms and appointed monitors. Since 2018, monitors have inspected placements statewide and reported publicly on child safety, abuse investigations and staffing.
State attorneys argue the core systems the court required are built and working: shorter waits on the abuse hotline, improved investigations and more manageable caseloads. Recent monitoring reports found that more than 82% of long-term caseloads stayed within a benchmark of 14 to 17 children per worker, and the number of children in long-term care has fallen from about 12,000 in 2011 to roughly 6,800 in 2025. Lawyers for the children say the progress is real but not yet durable: a June monitoring report still described children placed in homes with histories of abuse, neglect or exploitation, and some contractors carrying caseloads above recommended levels.
The case's original judge, Janis Jack, issued a contempt ruling carrying a $100,000-a-day fine; the Fifth Circuit later reversed that ruling and removed her from the case, and Judge Crane took over in March 2025. The hearing will help decide the future of one of the nation's most closely watched foster care reform cases. (GSM, based on The Texas Tribune)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons 公有领域 / WhisperToMe
