One child welfare worker said she knew she needed to quit when, last year, she visited the home of a parent suspected of child neglect.
Several others said they were offended by Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to launch child abuse investigations into families of transgender children.
“The focus has been taken so far away from child safety that I don’t want to do this job anymore,” said a current Houston-area caseworker.
Most of the departures have affected Child Protective Services, the division responsible for ensuring the safety and health of Texas children.
At the core of their jobs, CPS workers take on cases — allegations of child neglect, the placement of a child recently orphaned, the anonymous tip claiming abuse.
Child protective workers had an average 17.6 cases each day in the 2021 fiscal year, according to state data.
“There are a ton of social workers who do already identify with the LGBTQ community, me being one myself,” McCowen said. »
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