State Suspends Foster Care Placements With Texas Mentor

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The state has stopped placing abused and neglected children with a foster-care contractor after finding problems at the company’s nearly 400 homes.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services said Friday that a sweep of homes run by Texas Mentor disclosed instances of substandard care. The Dallas Morning News reports (http://dallasne.ws/1ePcQtP ) that Commissioner John Specia has halted further placements.

In past months state Child Protective Services inspected Texas Mentor homes and removed two young children and launched 11 investigations of possible substandard care, including the use of corporal punishment on a child under 3.

Company executive Wendy Bagwell says Texas Mentor is committed to “continuous quality improvement.” She says the Boston-based company, like Family and Protective Services, aims to protect children.

Texas Mentor is the state’s third largest contractor.

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