{"id":31685,"date":"2024-01-24T16:34:22","date_gmt":"2024-01-24T16:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caseyfamilyv2.wpengine.com\/texas-public-health-approach-abuse-neglect\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T21:39:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T21:39:55","slug":"texas-public-health-approach-abuse-neglect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/es\/texas-public-health-approach-abuse-neglect\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfC\u00f3mo ha avanzado Texas en un enfoque de salud p\u00fablica para la prevenci\u00f3n del abuso y la negligencia?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Editor\u2019s note: <\/em><\/strong>In September 2024, the division of Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) moved to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and was renamed the <\/em>Family Support Services<\/em><\/a> division. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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In most states, the prevention of child abuse and neglect is limited to services provided after maltreatment occurs and once the family is involved with child protective services. For child protection agencies that invest in upstream prevention, a crisis such as a high profile child death often triggers a cycle of reduction in prevention services and reinvestment in costly foster care services.<\/p>\n

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The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) sought to end this cycle by creating a division solely devoted to addressing risk factors that lead to abuse and neglect. Rather than waiting for a child to be harmed before intervening, the division of\u00a0Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI)\u00a0\u2014 renamed Family Support Services<\/a> in September 2024 \u2014 applies a public health approach to keeping children safe: providing population-based services to all families; normalizing a parent\u2019s need to seek help; and instilling a collective sense of responsibility for the safety and well-being of all children.<\/p>\n

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By investing in primary and secondary prevention services that equip communities to promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments, Texas is working to build a family well-being system, where a broad network of stakeholders collaborate upstream to prevent maltreatment<\/a> and promote the skills and strengths parents need to keep their children safe and thriving.1<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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A population-based and coordinated approach to prevention<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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PEI\u2019s strategies are rooted in the belief that families want to do what is best for their children and keep them safe from harm, but often need some form of support to make that happen. Strengthening families and communities and preventing child abuse requires a diverse set of public and private-sector leaders at the state and local level working together in strategic and purposeful partnerships. To do this, a public health framework is applied to support positive child, family, and community outcomes by addressing the root causes of child abuse and neglect: poverty, family instability, poor health, substance abuse, and mental illness.<\/p>\n

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There has been a 182% increase in state and federal funding for PEI programs since 2012. In addition, the passage of the 2018 Family First Prevention Services Act<\/a> (FFPSA) allows child welfare agencies to draw down federal Title IV-E funds for evidence-based preventive services for children, parents, and relative caregivers to prevent foster care placement. It is an unprecedented opportunity for DFPS to further expand its investment in prevention services and build a robust family well-being system.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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PEI model<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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Once PEI became its own division, the team conducted conversations with community members and experts in the field and developed a strategic plan. It was decided that a public health model would be adopted and organized around the following three activities:<\/p>\n