Christine Gendron, Public Policy Coordinator, Texas Network of Youth Services
Testimony to the Senate Finance Committee
February 7, 2011
Good afternoon,
My name is Christine Gendron, and I am the Public Policy Coordinator for Texas Network of Youth Services. We’re a nonprofit association of organizations serving youth in at‐risk situations and their families.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
Like many who spoke to you last week, I’m here to impress on you the importance of the prevention and
early intervention (PEI) programs at DFPS.
I know that you know these are crucial programs designed to prevent child abuse & neglect and juvenile
delinquency, so I am going to be brief and just hit a few key points.
First, the prevention of juvenile delinquency and the prevention of child abuse & neglect are linked. The
family and community factors that make a child at risk for delinquency are the same factors that present
risk for abuse & neglect. Last year, more than 1/3 of youth incarcerated at TYC had a documented
history of abuse or neglect. 72% came from chaotic homes. These are the worst of our state’s young
offenders, yet it’s clear that most of them are not “bad” kids, they just need stability and support. We
hope you will prioritize funding for programs that prevent both delinquency and child abuse & neglect.
Second, the STAR program is unique among PEI programs in that it is a safety net for youth and families
who have already reached a crisis point. There is no other program or service in Texas like STAR. Given
other proposed budget cuts, STAR services may become more crucial than ever; cuts to mental health
services will mean more youth and families will be in crisis; cuts to public education will mean fewer
counselors and other administrators available to help students cope.
Third, this is not about funding for a few specific programs, it’s bigger than that. It’s about sustaining an
invaluable social services infrastructure in your districts and our state. PEI services are provided by
organizations, mostly nonprofits, contracted by DFPS. They use state dollars to leverage other funds,
and tenaciously piece together budgets to provide quality services. Many are already facing serious
financial struggles. Grant revenue and donations are down, and demand for services is up. The
maintenance of PEI funding may be crucial to keeping agencies afloat. Several of you mentioned the
importance of community volunteerism and faith‐based organizations last week. These are precisely
the organizations that engage volunteers and faith communities in their work.
Last, the PEI division at DFPS represents an investment in prevention that took roughly twenty years,
and the leadership efforts of several of you on this committee, to create. It would be a real shame to
wipe out much of that investment in one budget cycle when there are alternative options available. We
know you have hard decision to make, and the decision to prioritize prevention is made even harder
when the Department’s other services are so essential. But the fact is, the Department is going to have
fires to put out until the end of time, unless we are serious about preventing child abuse & neglect
before it starts. Cutting the investment that you have already made in PEI will result in even more
caseload growth over the next 2 years, making it even harder to prioritize prevention the next time
around. For this reason, we support taking a balanced approach to the budget rather than addressing
the shortfall with cuts alone.
Thank you.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
TNOYS Testifies before Senate Finance Committee reagrding Substitute Care
Feb. 3, 2011
Chairman Ogden, Finance Committee Members;
My name is Theresa Tod; I'm the Executive Director of Texas Network of Youth Services, a
statewide association of youth service providers. I also serve as a Co‐Chair of the Substitute Care
Workgroup of the Child Protection Roundtable, so I'm speaking today on behalf of that group's
priorities related to substitute care, which basically mirror those of my own organization. With one
exception, these priorities fall within the DFPS budget.
The Child Protection Roundtable's top priority for Substitute Care is to enhance services that will
achieve placement stability for children who are in conservatorship of the Department; because we
know that this one factor has a huge impact on the long term success of these children.
• We are therefore concerned that any reduction in funds for foster care reimbursements
would further impede placement stability for children in care. As Commissioner
Heiligenstein described on Tuesday, foster care rates would actually be cut 12%, and service
providers are already reimbursed at rates that are far below actual costs. Under SB1,
Residential Treatment centers would be reimbursed at 76% of costs, Basic Care at 81% of
costs, and Emergency Shelters at only 59% of costs. (See attached fact sheet).
• Furthermore, any funding cuts in this area jeopardize implementation of the changes
envisioned by the “Foster Care Redesign” initiative, which also support placement stability.
This set of recommendations, developed collaboratively by key stakeholders and DFPS,
would accomplish important improvements to the foster care system; such as keeping
children within their communities and with sibling groups, increasing the focus on
maintaining family connections, and rewarding providers for successful work, rather than
the built‐in financial disincentives that currently exist.
• Funding for relative care payment programs (both Upfront and Permanency Care
Assistance) is another vital component for achieving placement stability. These funds
provide minimal financial support to relatives who would not be able to provide care
otherwise, and costs for less per child than foster care; so this program represents a
significant savings to the state.
• Cuts to day care for relative caregivers, as well as cuts to adoption subsidies, would create
further barriers to placing children in permanent settings.
You will hear from others who will speak on both Prevention and CPS priorities, for the Child
Protection Roundtable as well as for TNOYS. In closing, I hope that you will use everything at your
disposal – including the Rainy Day Fund and other revenue options – to take a balanced approach
to balancing our budget!
Chairman Ogden, Finance Committee Members;
My name is Theresa Tod; I'm the Executive Director of Texas Network of Youth Services, a
statewide association of youth service providers. I also serve as a Co‐Chair of the Substitute Care
Workgroup of the Child Protection Roundtable, so I'm speaking today on behalf of that group's
priorities related to substitute care, which basically mirror those of my own organization. With one
exception, these priorities fall within the DFPS budget.
The Child Protection Roundtable's top priority for Substitute Care is to enhance services that will
achieve placement stability for children who are in conservatorship of the Department; because we
know that this one factor has a huge impact on the long term success of these children.
• We are therefore concerned that any reduction in funds for foster care reimbursements
would further impede placement stability for children in care. As Commissioner
Heiligenstein described on Tuesday, foster care rates would actually be cut 12%, and service
providers are already reimbursed at rates that are far below actual costs. Under SB1,
Residential Treatment centers would be reimbursed at 76% of costs, Basic Care at 81% of
costs, and Emergency Shelters at only 59% of costs. (See attached fact sheet).
• Furthermore, any funding cuts in this area jeopardize implementation of the changes
envisioned by the “Foster Care Redesign” initiative, which also support placement stability.
This set of recommendations, developed collaboratively by key stakeholders and DFPS,
would accomplish important improvements to the foster care system; such as keeping
children within their communities and with sibling groups, increasing the focus on
maintaining family connections, and rewarding providers for successful work, rather than
the built‐in financial disincentives that currently exist.
• Funding for relative care payment programs (both Upfront and Permanency Care
Assistance) is another vital component for achieving placement stability. These funds
provide minimal financial support to relatives who would not be able to provide care
otherwise, and costs for less per child than foster care; so this program represents a
significant savings to the state.
• Cuts to day care for relative caregivers, as well as cuts to adoption subsidies, would create
further barriers to placing children in permanent settings.
You will hear from others who will speak on both Prevention and CPS priorities, for the Child
Protection Roundtable as well as for TNOYS. In closing, I hope that you will use everything at your
disposal – including the Rainy Day Fund and other revenue options – to take a balanced approach
to balancing our budget!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Roy Maas Youth Alternatives Awarded in San Antonio 2010 Top Workplaces
TNOYS member agency Roy Maas' Youth Alternatives, Inc. (RMYA) was named as one of San Antonio's Top Workplaces in 2010. Top Workplaces are organizations that provide their employees with a great place to work. The cool part is that the company employees get to decide. Top Workplaces surveys the employees - and only those companies that employees rate as the best companies to work for are selected. The workplace surveys are conducted by WorkplaceDynamics LLC, and the programs are run in conjunction with the major newspaper in the regional area. Congratulations, Roy Mass'. You deserve it!
About RMYA
Roy Maas' Youth Alternatives has provided safety for children in crisis since 1976 with residential & counseling services to end the cycle of abuse & violence: Bridge Emergency Shelter, TurningPoint Independent Living Program for youth leaving foster care, Counseling Center with free Master's level services , MeadowLand Campus, our long-term residential programs, including a residential treatment center for children with emotional/behavioral needs from past abuse, & MeadowLand Charter School for at-risk students. Roy Maas once said "People need three things to be happy: someone to love, something constructive to do with their time & something to look forward to." As key people in the lives of the youth we serve RMYA works to provide an environment for these things to happen. Our children have many obstacles to overcome & we provide the help & tools they need to understand they can lead a positive life & become productive citizens in our community.
What the employees say
What excites you about the direction this organization is taking?
The positive recognition and involvement it gets from important people and companies.
It excites me that this organization continues to grow and continues to offer the help that the children we serve need.
I love my job because...
Our team gets along well and works well with each other. We trust each other and I can easily say we all work really hard.
Interesting facts
The Bridge has won the Runaway & Homeless Youth Grant since 1976. Since 1984 the Counseling Center has received the Services to At-Risk Youth Grant & STAR provider for San Antonio/Bexar County, offering free Master's level counseling/crisis intervention for 2,000+ children & families a year. TurningPoint has received the federal Transitional Living Program Grant since 1999. All grants are highly competitive. RMYA programs have about 160 employees who are experienced with at-risk youth: 14 senior staff members have been at RMYA for 20+ years; one-third of our staff for 5+ years; 37% have undergraduate degrees & 12% have Master's degrees; 40 are seeking undergraduate degrees & 7 are in graduate school; 10 are Licensed Child Care Administrators. RMYA therapists have Master's degrees & 10 are Licensed Professional Counselors; one is a Licensed Master of Social Work; one is a Licensed Sexual Offender Treatment Provider & one is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist.
About RMYA
Roy Maas' Youth Alternatives has provided safety for children in crisis since 1976 with residential & counseling services to end the cycle of abuse & violence: Bridge Emergency Shelter, TurningPoint Independent Living Program for youth leaving foster care, Counseling Center with free Master's level services , MeadowLand Campus, our long-term residential programs, including a residential treatment center for children with emotional/behavioral needs from past abuse, & MeadowLand Charter School for at-risk students. Roy Maas once said "People need three things to be happy: someone to love, something constructive to do with their time & something to look forward to." As key people in the lives of the youth we serve RMYA works to provide an environment for these things to happen. Our children have many obstacles to overcome & we provide the help & tools they need to understand they can lead a positive life & become productive citizens in our community.
What the employees say
What excites you about the direction this organization is taking?
The positive recognition and involvement it gets from important people and companies.
It excites me that this organization continues to grow and continues to offer the help that the children we serve need.
I love my job because...
Our team gets along well and works well with each other. We trust each other and I can easily say we all work really hard.
Interesting facts
The Bridge has won the Runaway & Homeless Youth Grant since 1976. Since 1984 the Counseling Center has received the Services to At-Risk Youth Grant & STAR provider for San Antonio/Bexar County, offering free Master's level counseling/crisis intervention for 2,000+ children & families a year. TurningPoint has received the federal Transitional Living Program Grant since 1999. All grants are highly competitive. RMYA programs have about 160 employees who are experienced with at-risk youth: 14 senior staff members have been at RMYA for 20+ years; one-third of our staff for 5+ years; 37% have undergraduate degrees & 12% have Master's degrees; 40 are seeking undergraduate degrees & 7 are in graduate school; 10 are Licensed Child Care Administrators. RMYA therapists have Master's degrees & 10 are Licensed Professional Counselors; one is a Licensed Master of Social Work; one is a Licensed Sexual Offender Treatment Provider & one is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist.
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