Late last year a federal judge ordered the State of Texas to reform its foster care laws. U.S. District Judge Janis Jack of Corpus Christi claimed the Texas foster care system violated children's civil rights by subjecting them to rampant neglect and abuse. Judge Jack appointed special “masters” to oversee the reforms,reports The Texas Tribune.The masters are expected to study the system and recommend changes. These changes might include hiring more caseworkers and increasing oversight of foster group homes.
After the ruling, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton decided to fight back. He filed a request to stop the appointment of the "special masters." When Texas tried to appoint its own masters to oversee the efforts, Judge Jack rejected the candidates.
And now the federal court has rejected the appeals from the State of Texas, which were intended to slow the reforms. The lead attorney for the foster children called it “a tremendous day for thousands of children in Texas.”