foster care

Justices say a court may terminate a Houston-area father's parental rights because his "extensive" criminal history and time in prison has endangered his son's life, even if it didn't directly harm the boy.

A federal appeals court is being asked to reconsider its decision to remove U.S. District Judge Janis Jack from a lawsuit over Texas' struggling foster care system.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling late Friday says U.S. District Judge Janis Jack's contempt ruling and $100,000 per day fine violates the constitutional limits of the power of the court over individual states. The appeals court also said Jack had disrespected the state and its attorneys and created an appearance of being unfair to the state.

Lawyers for the State of Texas on Monday tried to convince a U.S. appeals court that it should not be fined for failures in investigations of abuse and neglect of intellectually disabled children. The three-judge panel appeared to not need much convincing.

A 13-year fight between a judge and Texas over how the state runs its foster care system is back in court on Monday. Texas wants the judge off the case and her stiff fines canceled. The case is also part of a nationwide push back on judges who force states to take specific actions — decisions that, conservatives say, are 'corrosive to federalism.'

A federal judge has taken the Texas’ foster care system to task for 13 years. Reforms have been made. Now armed with private legal fire power, the state wants the judge off the case.

After 13 years, the state said Judge Janis Jack should be removed from overseeing its foster care system because she isn't 'impartial.'

A federal appeals court has stayed a $100,000 a day fine against the State of Texas. Texas was found in contempt Monday by U.S. District Judge Janis Jack for violating two of the court's orders in its long-running foster litigation.

Texas was found in contempt Monday by U.S. District Judge Janis Jack for violating two of the court's orders in its long running foster litigation.

The letter from nine members of the state's congressional delegation comes as the state fights a nearly 13-year-old federal class action suit over alleged failures to ensure the wellbeing of children in foster care.

State documents show Texas paid $260 million over three years to keep kids in hotels and leased homes temporarily. Unregulated placements that advocates say warehouse youth with the most needs in the most dangerous way.

Both sides finished their arguments Wednesday after days of testimony over accusations that Texas agencies don't protect foster children.