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Our Work

All Commission activities are funded by the federal Court Improvement Program (CIP), a grant that is awarded to the highest court in each state for the improvement of courts' handling of child abuse and neglect cases. CIP grants are administered by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Administration for Children and Families (ACF).

The Commission's work is conducted primarily through its four standing committees – Systems Improvement, Legal Practice & Process, Training, and Data – as well as through ad hoc committees such as the Strategic Planning committee. Each committee is chaired by a Commissioner and members are drawn from the Commission, Collaborative Council, and other stakeholders in the child welfare system.

Committees oversee and monitor Commission projects, including the work of subcommittees and workgroups. Please link below for more information about each committee.

Data Committee

The Data Committee operationalizes data-driven decision-making through continuous quality improvement and an analysis of publicly available child welfare and court data to identify legal processes and practices that produce desired outcomes, as well as which practices need improvement.

Additional information about a specific Data Committee workgroup or project is available for the following:

Child Protection Case Management System (CPCMS) and IMPACT Workgroup
Child Protection Courts & Case Management System
Permanent Managing Conservatorship Court Workgroup

Legal Practice & Process

The Legal Practice & Process (LPP) Committee assists trial and appellate courts, judges, and legal advocates to ensure that children, youth, and families involved with child welfare experience a legal system in which they have access to justice and their rights are protected.

Additional information about a specific Legal Practice and Process Committee workgroup or project is available for the following:

Legal Representation Committee
DFPS Representation Subcommittee
Legislative Matters
Mediation
Notice & Engagement
Parent Resources Workgroup
Specialty Courts
Standards of Representation
Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Texas Child Welfare Law Bench Book
Tribal/State Collaborative

Systems Improvement

The Systems Improvement (SI) Committee executes innovative projects aimed at ensuring equity, fairness, and justice for children, youth, and families; promoting judicial leadership in courts and communities; and expanding court and child welfare system capacity to support continuous, systemic improvement.

Additional information about a specific Systems Improvement Committee workgroup or project is available for the following:

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
Disproportionality
Dual Status Task Force
Foster Care & Education
Prevention
Statewide Collaborative on Trauma-Informed Care (SCTIC)
Tribal/State Collaborative
Youth Voice & Normalcy

Training Committee

The Training Committee oversees and develops judicial and legal training efforts at all levels of practice that identify and promote best practices to improve outcomes, and establish and maintain a well-informed judiciary and bar.

Additional information about a specific Training Committee workgroup or project is available for the following:

Texas Child Welfare Law Bench Book and Bench Cards
On-Demand MCLE
Scholarships
Additional Training Opportunities:
- Judicial Conferences:
  - Annual Child Welfare Judges Conference (CWJC)
  - Child Protection Court Convening
  - Family Justice Conference
- Trial Skills Training
- Other Training Opportunities
  - State Bar of Texas Child Protection Law Section Annual CLE
  - Texas Department Protective Services Regional Attorney Annual Meeting