Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Only 17 of the 45 Val Verde County children currently in foster care are able to stay in the county, and a local children’s shelter is needed, commissioners court members have learned.
Val Verde County Commissioners Court members heard an update on the county’s foster program during their Feb. 28 meeting.
Nicole Cody, the community liaison for the western region for SJRC Texas/Belong, gave the update.
“I wanted to come and give an update since the last time I visited last fall because a lot of things have happened. Our agency is the lead provider of implementing a community-based care approach to taking care of our youth in foster care in the 27 counties surrounding Bexar County, and that includes Val Verde County,” Cody told the court.
She said currently there are 45 youth in care from Val Verde County.
“That’s as of Feb. 2 of this year. Seventeen of those kids are placed here in Val Verde County. The rest are scattered throughout the region and the state of Texas, just wherever we can find an open home for them,” she said.
“As the lead provider of community-based care for this region, our goal is to keep our children in their home community, and, like I said, there are only 17 here, and so we are trying very hard to increase our capacity, open more homes, support the ones that we do have and wrap around these families so that they don’t give up or that they are more willing to take in their kids, especially our kinship families,” Cody said.
“So what we have that’s really strong in the area is grandparents or aunts or uncles who are willing to take in these kiddos, but they need that support, so that’s our initiative going forward is to support the ones that we do have and wrap around those to make sure that they’re successful and moving our grandparents from a non-licensed home to a licensed home where they get more benefits from the state. The kids get more benefits,” she said.
Cody noted that unlike Child Protective Services (CPS), her organization is not fully funded by the state.
“So CPS removes the child from the home through an investigation, then we are charged with the case management now, and that’s as of October 2022,” Cody said.
She noted County Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores has given the group office space in the county community center on Cienegas Drive.
“That has been a great blessing to us. We were able to get all our Christmas gifts to our kids out of the office. We’ve had trainings. We have trainings scheduled next week for more staff because we are actively hiring. We’ve doubled our staff size since October, so we now have six employees here in Del Rio,” Cody said.
She said the organization’s prevention team is growing and there is now a certified parent educator that is open to assist anyone in the county.
“That is open to anyone. They do not need to have a legal case against them, and that is to strengthen our families and prevent the removal of children, and that’s any in-home parenting classes and education that can be given to any family that is referred to us,” Cody told the court.
After Cody finished her presentation, County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. said the court had previously discussed a suggestion by Flores to build a children’s shelter somewhere in the county.
“Is that needed?” Owens asked.
“Oh, yes, definitely, yes. Very much needed. There’s nothing between here and San Antonio, so, yes. For the record, a children’s shelter is very much needed in Val Verde County,” Cody said.
Flores then said he would like to make a comment.
“We’re looking at maybe acquiring some property next door to the community center for a future children’s shelter,” Flores said.
“It is needed, though?” Owens asked again.
“Yes, yes, definitely needed, and the other thing that’s needed is that we need to get more involved in our county child welfare board and get that rolling, get meetings activated again and meeting regularly, so that’s also another initiative,” Cody said.
“Do you need anything from us?” Owens asked Cody.
“To push for that child welfare board to meet,” Cody replied.
The court took no action after the presentation.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
