Resource Letter:
For Judges and Attorneys Handling Child Protective Services Cases
April 1, 2022
Child Welfare Case Primer Webinar Replay
On March 8, 2022, the Children’s Commission presented a 75-minute webcast entitled “Child Welfare Case Primer: Statutory Hearings and Current Issues.” The Honorable Rob Hofmann, Judge of the 452nd District Court and Children’s Commission’s Senior Jurist in Residence, provided a summary of the nuts and bolts of a child welfare case from investigations through various final outcomes. The presentation included a review of statutory requirements, including recent legislative changes, and current issues including dual status youth and placement. Best practices and practical tips for achieving positive permanency for children and engaging families and youth in the court process were also provided. 
 
The recorded webcast was approved for 1.25 hours of MCLE and 1.25 hours of Family Violence training credit for judges. The video replay and accompanying PowerPoint presentation are now available for free on the Children’s Commission’s On-Demand MCLE webpage.
Trauma-Informed Webinar Replay
In partnership with the Children’s Commission, TexasBarCLE presented a live webcast entitled “Building Better Youth Outcomes: The Importance of Being Trauma Informed” on March 10, 2022. 

The Honorable Darlene Byrne, Chief Justice of the 3rd Court of Appeals of Texas, reviewed the new trauma-informed training requirements added for attorney ad litems in Texas Family Code Section 107.004 during the 87th Regular Legislative Session. The presentation includes a discussion of the symptoms and impact of trauma on a child, caregiver-child attachment considerations, the role trauma-informed care and services can play in a child’s life, the importance of screening children for trauma, the risk of re-traumatization for families involved with the child welfare system, and tools for attorney ad litems to provide effective advocacy for their child clients. 

The webcast is available through the TexasBarCLE online classroom and has been approved for 1.0 hour of MCLE, with 1.0 hour of ethics credit. To register, visit the TexasBarCLE webpage. The cost of the CLE is $55. Viewer discounts are detailed upon registration and scholarships are available for qualifying attorneys through TexasBarCLE.
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For a complete list of Resource Letters, please visit the Children's Commission webpage. Information provided by the Children’s Commission should not be read as a commentary by the Supreme Court of Texas or any other court. The Children’s Commission website is not equipped to facilitate dialogue or conversation about matters related to the information in this communique. For more information about the Children’s Commission, please visit our website.
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