Allegations of sexual exploitation at a foster care facility in Central Texas called The Refuge did not lead to any criminal charges, but they
In the case of The Refuge, an overnight caregiver who allegedly gave two teen girls her phone so they could take nude photos, the Texas Tribune first reported. The Refuge, a nonprofit, did not check references, and the woman’s personnel file, which included substantiated allegations that she had flirted with boys in her care, didn’t surface during the state’s vetting process.
Senate Bill 1849 by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, might have prevented this. The proposed legislation would create a search engine of people with a demonstrated history of misconduct that has been reported to DFPS, the Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department or the Texas Education Agency. This interagency information exchange is so critical that it’s hard to believe it’s not happening already.