State report reveals 2,094 Texas foster children went missing during the 2020 fiscal year

More than 2,000 foster children in Texas went missing according to a report issued by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). The 2,094 children who were reported missing amount to nearly 5% of all children in DFPS conservatorship. 

There were an additional 201 children missing on the first day of the fiscal year

The agency located 1,881 of those youths as of Aug. 31, 2020. Among these children 136 reported being victimized, and 68 became victims of sex trafficking. There were 93 of the missing individuals who exited DFPS conservatorship. The majority turned 18 while they were considered missing, and for 30 of those children, the court of jurisdiction terminated legal responsibility while they were missing, according to the DFPS report.

One Accord for Kids reports in 2019, 2,122 children in the Texas foster care system were considered missing from the system at some point during the year. That’s 266 more children than in 2017. It's also more than 100 of the foster children who were recovered in 2019 who reported that they had been sex trafficked, labor trafficked, sexually abused or physically abused.

Many of the youths in the custody of Texas DFPS don’t want to remain in foster homes or be located when they run away, according to One Accord For Kids. DFPS must keep track of 50,000 children at a time.

That can make the recovery process more difficult. One Accord For Kids, however, has suggestions on how to improve the foster care system to reduce the potential for human trafficking in relation to the foster care system.

Community is a huge part of One Accord For Kids' suggestions for improving the DFPS system and to aid in reducing instances of youths going missing, as well as instances of trafficking. Also topping the list of changes are increasing community participation and creation of a network of community support for foster parents who want to help older youth who have more complex needs.   

One Accord also suggests that communities take an active role in caring for youths in the foster care system instead of relying on DFPS to monitor all of the children from their offices in Austin. In addition the group believes that reducing the amount of time that youths are in DFPS custody is essential, and that finding forever homes should be the priority. It could also help ensure that those in charge take the experiences and concerns of youths in the system seriously.

Researchers have realized that up to half of the American youths who are involved in trafficking incidents each year are boys and young men. Also, there are individuals who are working to help those boys and young men to recover from those experiences. Denton resident Bob Williams is one of those. 

In South Denton, Williams will open a safe house for young men who have been trafficked. Williams is the CEO or Ranch Hands Rescue, and is establishing Bob’s House of Hope for male sex trafficking victims ages 18 to 24, according to a Cross Timbers Gazette Report published May 5.

Ranch Hands Rescue is a nonprofit in Denton County that links special needs animals and youths who have been victimized, with the supervision of licensed counselors, as ways to help youths to recover from their experiences.