A federal judge has fined Texas $100,000 a day for failing to implement orders she put in place to fix the state’s struggling foster care system, marking her third contempt order and largest fine ever levied in the years-long legal saga. U.S. District Judge Janis Jack said Monday that the Health and Human Services Commission had violated two previous court orders requiring the state to investigate abuse and neglect allegations lodged against its providers in a timely manner.
Former Texas foster youth describes dangerous conditions as judge weighs state sanctions In a 427-page order, she offered more than a dozen examples of investigations that had “serious deficiencies” that caused some of the most vulnerable foster children to remain in dangerous placements for long periods.Jack said she found it notable that most investigations were prompted by people other than the child’s caregiver, such as a health care provider or law enforcement officer.
Texas pays $150,000 fine in foster care lawsuit The attorney general’s office, which represents state agencies in court, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for HHSC said the agency is still reviewing the judge's order. Lawyers for the state have previously argued that while there is always room for improvement, state officials have sufficiently complied with the court’s remedial orders.