Acute care therapy provides speech, physical and occupational therapy for kids who, like our son, have birth defects, genetic disorders, physical or cognitive disabilities or those born prematurely. The therapy enables them to function in daily life. The Legislature should restore funding for that therapy.
TWU has a long history preparing the nurse faculty workforce in the state, providing 24 percent of all Texas nursing doctoral degrees from four-year public universities. Recruiting nurse educators should start in the undergraduate experience, instilling dedication and commitment to the profession.
One can conclude that the new anti-sanctuary cities law oppresses undocumented immigrants. The far-right members of the Texas Legislature seem set towards further persecuting a group of people whose presence benefits a number of huge labor-intensive industries in Texas from agriculture to energy, and their actions are gaining notice.
As a black woman personally impacted by this tragedy and its complexities of the intersectionality of race, gender and socioeconomics, I was cautiously optimistic the legislation would deliver on issues that have pained American society for far too long. So I watched vigilantly to ensure that the family position we expressed collectively on numerous occasions regarding the importance of substantive police reform as it relates directly to accountability was included in the bill.
A 2016 report in the medical journal “Obstetrics and Gynecology” revealed that maternal mortality rates in Texas increased from 18.6 per 100,000 births in 2010 to 35.8 in 2014. Maternal mortality is decreasing worldwide, but the opposite trend is happening in every U.S. state except California — and it’s especially pronounced in Texas.
Parents are uniquely positioned to help kids understand the choices they make during their formative years and the consequences they carry. Specifically, you have the opportunity to help your teenaged kids avoid becoming pregnant (or getting someone pregnant).
What you should know about creating a business succession plan.
Counties don't get to choose who moves in and who doesn't. Some Texas counties are among the fastest growing in the nation. Others are losing population and tax base. A one-size-fits-all approach might work in Delaware's three counties, but not in Texas with our 254 counties.
Only one of every four foster care providers in Texas is a faith-based organization. Providing conscience protection for families will enable pastors to encourage loving families to be part of a caring network for these children and to stop worrying that potential lawsuits will take limited resources away from the people we should be helping.
Bans on home sharing deprive people of their fundamental right to enjoy their property, consistent with the rights of other homeowners. Texas can protect quiet, clean and safe neighborhoods while respecting property rights and encouraging economic opportunity.
Syringe exchange is an accepted part of public health programs in almost all countries of Western and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. It works in most states in the United States. It will work in Texas.
When I saw you, my thoughts went back to something that happened to my own ancestors many years ago, during slavery — when families were torn apart, children were sold and taken away from their families. Husbands and wives were separated.
You might be surprised that Medicaid funding plays such an important role in schools. But Medicaid dollars are critical for making sure many students receive the therapeutic services, health coverage, and developmental screenings that will set them up to thrive.
Texas lawmakers should step up on nursing home care.
If the state expands on foster care redesign to implement enhanced community-based foster care, private providers could assume responsibility for a region and the obligation to work with local stakeholders to implement a model of care most appropriate to that community.
Legislators frittered away the Rainy Day Fund long ago. Sure, it has a cash balance — according to the books, anyway. But that cash, amounting to roughly $10 billion, is offset by debt, amounting to roughly $50 billion.
Lawmakers understand that we must evolve beyond an antiquated, city-by-city regulatory structure that threatens to deny consumer choices, drive investment elsewhere and leave Texas behind the curve. And yet, cities are fighting bills related to the ride-sharing options and communications infrastructure Texans want and need.
Keeping children in their existing communities will bolster security and reduce the stress of being taken from their home. By becoming temporary caregivers, community members could test the waters before becoming foster parents and simultaneously expand the pool that Child Protective Services can use for placements.
Protective orders have been hailed as a powerful deterrent to family violence — so much so that the penalties to perpetrators have steadily increased, along with the rights awarded to the victims. Yet I wonder, do they really work? How often are they abused to give one person an overwhelming advantage in divorce and custody cases? Are men always at fault?
The passage of SB 4 alongside impending federal health care reform should wake up Texas’ health and immigration leaders to the very real implications of the intersections of their fields. These leaders should catalyze a lifesaving public dialogue to reform health care delivery and fight against dangerous health and immigration policies.
