The Texas foster care system is reportedly facing record-high staffing shortages and turnover as the department explores options involving the private sector.

Such personnel problems are unfolding as the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), the department that oversees Child Protective Services, is putting more and more foster kids in hotel rooms when proper homes cannot be found.

There are roughly 20,000 children in the care of DFPS, according to The Texas Tribune. In fiscal year 2021-2022, more than 1,200 children in the foster system spent at least one night in an unlicensed foster facility, such as a hotel or office, according to government documents. The state designates such kids as “children without placement.” Such children reportedly spent an average of 15 nights in an unlicensed facility.

Children without placement are usually older teenagers suffering from emotional and psychological trauma. They also often have behavioral problems that can be difficult for caseworkers and potential foster parents to deal with.

While children are still in the state’s care, caseworkers are responsible for supervising them, administering medication, and staying up throughout the night to check on them every 30 minutes as they sleep.

“I’m literally praying that the kiddo is asleep so there’s no issues,” a caseworker identified as Lucy told The Texas Tribune. “If you’re working before 8 a.m., you’re not going to be able to get ahold of anybody to help you.”

Lucy said she would not allow her full name to be published for fear of retaliation from DFPS.

Overnight shifts are reportedly a significant factor in causing DFPS employees to quit. Nearly one-third of employees left the DFPS in fiscal year 2022, causing staff turnover to reach a record high.

Caseworkers told The Texas Tribune that children without placement frequently attack them verbally and physically. Children damaging the personal property of caseworkers is also a recurring problem. Caseworkers also claimed burnout and low pay have been contributing to high turnover.

“I’m not sure we can right this ship. We’ve lost so many tenured caseworkers,” said Lucy. “And these kids are wasting their life and time away … It’s having this trickle-down effect of destruction.”

Meanwhile, a new “community-based care” program for children is being introduced in Texas in which nonprofits contracted by the state assume the responsibilities of caring for the children and finding long-term placement.

DFPS boasts that the model will keep “Texas children in foster care closer to home and connected to families and friends.”

Sarah Crockett, director of public policy at Texas CASA, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that steps are being made in the right direction.

“The system is sort of slowly righting itself,” she said. “But it’s still going to take a while and it’s going take additional funding to get us to where we ideally should be.”

However, the model has also faced criticism. Myko Gedutis of the Texas State Employees Union told the Star-Telegram that such services should not be privatized.

“These jobs exist to serve vulnerable Texans. And when they’re outsourced, we know from experience and from what’s happening right now that the needs of the community, the needs of those kids, are not getting addressed,” he said, claiming that bad actors in the private sector can more easily avoid criticism from the public.

“It’s just offloading the problems to the private sector,” said Gedutis. “All the problems that existed, they continue to exist, there’s just less transparency.”

In a statement to The Dallas Express, DPFS media relations director Marissa Gonzales said, “We certainly understand that supervising foster youth in Children Without Placement (CWOP) locations is very important, which is why we have developed specific policy and a mandatory training program.”

“There are 10 separate trainings that are required before a DFPS employee can work a CWOP shift, covering topics such as supervision in the unique CWOP environment, trauma-informed care, and psychotropic medication for caregivers,” she said. “There are also several trainings about human trafficking. It is also important to note that the support system for DFPS employees is huge and resource-rich – any workers that need help are encouraged to reach out to a supervisor.”

Gonzales also shared that more information about DFPS staffing and turnover can be found here.

As previously reported by The Dallas Express, DFPS has also faced allegations of abuse and child neglect, prompting the department to appoint a new associate commissioner to oversee investigations of these allegations in August.