We all want Texas kids to have a bright future, but Texas is consistently ranked in the bottom ten states for child well-being. Texas decision makers must create policies that improve conditions for all Texas kids and put them on the road to success. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Texas ranks 43rd in overall child well-being (based on…

We can expect climate change to alter the frequency, magnitude, timing, and location of many natural hazards. For example, heat waves are likely to become more frequent, and heavy downpours and flooding more common and more intense. Hurricanes will likely grow more dangerous, rising sea levels will mean more coastal flooding, and more-frequent and…

Growing evidence has linked early trauma with severe psychiatric consequences. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a potentially debilitating mental health condition found among some youth in foster care and foster care alumni. However, the current child welfare practice response has not met the demands in both assessment and intervention.…

This study identified selected child factors (e.g., age, gender, race/ethnicity, disabilities, prior victimization, and relationship to perpetrator of abuse), family risk factors (e.g., substance abuse, domestic violence, inadequate housing, and financial problems), and services provided by child protective services that likely increased reports…

In August and September 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused devastating damage to states along the Gulf Coast. In the aftermath of the storms, many questions were raised about the status of the thousands of children living in the affected areas. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) prepared this preliminary information under the…

The environment in which Texas children grow up is crucial to their future and to the future of the state. Almost 500,000 Texas families were poor in 1985. Poverty sets the stage for numerous childhood maladies: infant mortality, health problems, child abuse, learning disabilities, malnutrition, and mental health problems. As poor children grow up…

This book is an updated version of the Texas Office of Early Childhood Development's 1974 publication, "46 Things You Need to Know About Texas Children: The Darker Side of Childhood." This update targets all Texan children in need, from birth through 12 years of age. It contains facts about disadvantaged children from low-income settings…

Discusses legal requirements to be met in order for a child to testify, and when the use of audiovisual testimony is possible. Considers stress factors involved when a child is testifying, particularly in child abuse cases, and how audiovisual testimony can alleviate this problem. Discusses the 1983 Texas statute. (BB)

The Houston KIDS COUNT data book examines the status of children in Houston and Harris County and identifies trends in their general welfare. These data provide a portrait of Harris County's children that can be used for developing sound and effective local policy. The report is divided into the following sections: (1) Children in Families; (2)…

Prior research on violent crime by female offenders is reviewed. A Texas female prisoner sample is used to explore specific questions raised by the literature review. Violent and nonviolent offenders were compared, looking specifically at race, socioeconomic status, having been raised in single-parent homes, criminal history, gang membership,…

Based on the report of the Interagency Collaboration Project to Improve Services to Children, this book presents 78 facts about Texas children from birth to 18, on topics that range from broad environmental factors to specific handicapping conditions. Amplifying these facts are comments that provide the broader dimensions of cause, effect, scope,…

Through this report, the Council of State Governments, in conjunction with the Academy for Contemporary Problems, attempts to shed new light on the problem of the placement of children in out-of-state residential care. The report describes the results of a pilot feasibility study conducted in Illinois, North Carolina, and Texas to determine the…

This Kids Count report presents a brief demographic analysis of preventable child deaths in Texas. The analysis integrates quantitative and qualitative information on accidents, homicides, and suicides, with data on deaths from disease and other causes to compare different age groupings, ethnic groups, and time periods. Texas Department of Health…

The Group Services for Child Protective Clients Project was established to train child protective services staff members to provide effective group services. The project had four components: (1) group services training; (2) support groups for staff; (3) group services to clients; and (4) planning to continue the project after federal funding…

This handbook concerns the victimization of children, community awareness of child abuse, what Texas law demands of educators, in-service training on child abuse and neglect, and implementing anti-victimization programs for children. The victimization of children is discussed in terms of four basic types of victimization, facts and myths about…