Press Items: Senator Lois Kolkhorst — District 18

TERRELL, Texas — The Texas Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), along with state senators and state representatives, cut the ribbon on the newly created Terrell Youth Center in Terrell, Texas, on Thursday, Aug. 20.

This specialized residential youth treatment facility is designed to serve adolescents with complex mental health, substance use, or developmental disability needs who have been placed under the care of CPS but are the most complex cases that other facilities and homes are unable or unwilling to serve.

The Center was created by HB 109 in the last legislative session, authored by State Representative Toni Rose (D-Dallas) and sponsored in the Texas Senate by Senator Lois W. Kolkhorst (R-Brenham). Funding for the $35-plus million renovation was secured by Kolkhorst in SB 1, the General Appropriations Act.

“Government doesn’t always get it right, but today, we celebrate something that is right and good,” said Kolkhorst at the ceremony. “This facility and the people who work here are the bridge for hope, restoration, and a new tomorrow for children who have been harmed, abused, trafficked, and rejected. Here, they will be able to receive the treatment and care to build toward a better future.”

DFPS had been struggling over the last several years to find suitable placements for foster children who have increasingly acute mental and behavioral health needs. The population of children known as Children Without Placement (CWOP) refers to youth for whom DFPS cannot find a licensed or suitable placement despite exhausting all efforts.

DFPS historically has relied on offices and hotels as a "makeshift residence" for many of these children, as caseworkers struggled to find a foster care provider that could meet their needs. In July, 2021, that number of children without placements hit a record high of 417 children.

Through a series of meetings that Kolkhorst assembled with the leaders of HHSC, DFPS, Governor Greg Abbott’s office, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s office, and the Texas House of Representatives, several initiatives were developed, including the idea to rehabilitate the building on the campus of Terrell State Hospital for the purpose of serving as a residential psychiatric placement for CWOP. The culmination was HB 109, which authorized HHSC to move forward with this plan while funding was secured in the budget to serve these high-acuity children for mental and behavioral health.

“This has been a long time in the making and failing to meet the needs of these fragile children was unacceptable. I am grateful for the efforts of my colleagues and the agencies involved and a special thank you to State Representative Rose,” said Kolkhorst. “This bipartisan effort shows why Texas is special. It has taken years to attack the crisis but today we stand before you and can say that as of the end of July, we have zero children without a placement. This is monumental. All of Texas wins when we restore these youth and give them hope for tomorrow and the rest of their lives.”

At the ceremony, DFPS Commissioner Audrey O’Neill spoke of the challenges that some children face in placements, referring to one child named “Hayden” who had been placed and moved to 50 different facilities in five years.

“This is a significant milestone for Texas’s foster care system. The Legislature’s investment in children’s mental health, and the dedicated work of foster care staff across our state have made a remarkable impact on reducing the number of children without placement,” O’Neill said. “But we know some youth in our conservatorship have behavioral health needs that only a highly skilled clinical provider can meet. Terrell Center for Youth gives us that option, so these young people can heal and then transition to a less restrictive placement where they can truly thrive.”

Operated by HHSC, Terrell Center for Youth will serve up to 30 youth ages 13 to 17 years old who are under DFPS conservatorship. These youth often require a level of specialized care that is not widely available in traditional placement settings. By bringing together clinical treatment, behavioral health services and around-the-clock support, the facility will help ensure youth receive services tailored to their unique needs while preparing them for successful long-term placements.

“Children like Hayden will now have a place and will not be rejected,” said Kolkhorst. “We are called to make a difference, and this facility will do exactly that and take the ‘least among us,’ as scripture says, and heal them.”

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