Past Media Spotlights

2018

• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Upcoming Legislative Session, The Austin Chronicle, December 13

• Judge revises fixes for troubled Texas foster care system, Austin American-Statesman, November 26

• Texas may be under judge’s scrutiny for years on CPS workers’ caseloads, policing of foster-care providers, Dallas Morning News, November 25

• OP-ED: Texas Must Take Advantage of the Family First Prevention Services Act, Longview News-Journal, November 10 (Also appeared in Dallas Morning News, Galveston Daily News, Austin American-Statesman)

• Court says Texas must hire more state workers to protect foster kids, a 'huge victory for children', Dallas Morning News, October 18

• Appeals court rejects many fixes ordered for Texas foster care, Austin American-Statesman, October 18

• TexProtects to honor Rep. Giddings, Children's Health at awards gala, Dallas Morning News, September 11

• How To Quit Your Great Job (the story of how Madeline McClure left Wall Street to form TexProtects), D Magazine, August

• Plano-area children’s advocates hail improvements to CPS retention, turn focus to foster care system, Community Impact Newspaper, July 23

• OP-ED: To prevent child sexual abuse, we must expand school-based programs for adolescents, TribTalk, April 26

• Report: Drugs or alcohol factor into half of Texas child abuse and neglect deaths, The Texas Tribune, March 20

• CPS: 172 Texas children died from abuse, neglect in 2017, Austin American-Statesman, March 5

• Child Abuse Deaths In Texas Increased 30 Percent In One Year, Texas Standard, February 8

• News Roundup: Ken Paxton Makes Good On His Threat To Appeal Foster Care Ruling, Texas Standard, January 24

• Federal judge says Texas still needs oversight to fix its "broken" foster care system, The Texas Tribune, January 19

• Judge orders sweeping changes to Texas foster care system, Spectrum News, January 19

• Judge: Texas' foster care remains flawed, must be monitored, Abilene Reporter-News, January 19

• U.S. judge orders fixes to ‘still broken’ Texas foster care system, Austin American-Statesman, January 19

2017

• CPS says it's made progress with more money and people, draws fire for flub on Sherin Mathews, Dallas Morning News, December 6

• Pay raises, hiring initiatives usher in Texas CPS improvements, Austin American-Statesman, November 22 (in print November 27)

• Sherin Mathews' story makes us lead with hearts, but our heads need to follow, Dallas Morning News, October 30

• In Focus: The future of the child welfare system, Spectrum News, October 30

• TexProtects working to prevent child abuse, WFAA-TV, October 10

• OP-ED: Congress must act now to reauthorize a proven support program for families, TribTalk (The Texas Tribune), September 21

• How did another 4-year-old die under Dallas CPS' watch when it says it's improving?, Dallas Morning News, July 27

• Did The 85th Legislative Session Fix Child Protective Services? (audio), Texas Public Radio, "The Source," July 6
  A really great radio roundtable with TexProtects' Dimple Patel, The Children's Shelter's Annette Rodriguez, and Texas Alliance of Child & Family Services' Katie Olse

• Child Welfare Advocates: Reforms Signal Hope for State's Child Protection System, Rivard Report, July 6

• OP-ED: Texas Lawmakers Took Partial Steps to Shore Up CPS, Dallas Morning News, June 27

• Capital Tonight: A Day in the Life of a CPS Caseworker (discussion of CPS from 1:00 to 4:11), Spectrum News (Austin), June 13

• A Fort Worth doctor changes how the war on child abuse is being waged, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 2

• Texas Senate approves monthly payments for relative caregivers of abused children, The Texas Tribune, May 22

• Texas Senate passes bill to raise payments for relative foster parents, Austin American-Statesman, May 22

• Senate agrees to higher pay for relatives who take in Texas' abused kids, The Dallas Morning News, May 22

• Think of the Children: Can the Lege fix Child Protective Services?, The Austin Chronicle, May 11

• Students as young as 5 may get annual sexual assault protection training in Texas, Houston Chronicle, May 10

• Texas House passes bill to place more foster kids in cottage homes, despite advocates’ protests, Dallas Morning News, May 8

• Women leaders take center stage at Dallas event, Dallas Morning News, May 1

• OP-ED: The Texas Legislature passed up an opportunity to save taxpayers a lot of money, Dallas Morning News, April 19

• Big changes possibly in store for Child Protective Services, San Antonio Express-News, April 5

• Girl’s death points to dangers of housing Texas foster kids in offices, Austin American-Statesman, April 3

• Working in Texas' foster care system is tough, but rewarding, Texas Standard/KUT-FM, March 30

• House, Senate pass child-protection system reform bills, San Antonio Express-News/Houston Chronicle, March 2

• Texas: Child Maltreatment Prediction by Block, The Chronicle of Social Change, March 1

• Dallas lawmaker proposes major bump in payments for ‘kinship care’ of abused kids, Dallas Morning News, February 20

• Texas House bills lay out some initial plans to overhaul CPS, The Texas Tribune, February 10

• Advocates urge Texas to prevent child abuse by expanding ‘home visitor’ programs, Dallas Morning News, February 8

• Dozens of bills filed to fix Texas CPS, foster care system, Austin American-Statesman, February 8

• Texas legislators urged to "get it right" on child welfare at rally, The Texas Tribune, February 8

• CPS advocates unhappy with budget cuts impacting Texas kids’ lives, KXAN-TV (Austin), February 7

• TexProtects op-ed: Prevention would prevent another child protection crisis, TribTalk, February 7

• JUST IN: Dallas Women’s Foundation’s Leadership Forum And Awards Dinner Plans Announced, My Sweet Charity, February 2

• In State of the State address, Abbott to fill in some blanks, The Texas Tribune, January 30

• Texas CPS veterans angry they’re left out of pay raises as confusion on rules sets in, Dallas Morning News, January 29

• Some push for degree reinstatement for Texas CPS caseworkers, Associated Press, January 21

• Texas CPS should restore degree requirements, hire more social work majors, Dallas group says, Dallas Morning News, January 10

• Gov. Abbott announces pilot program to fix foster care system needs, KVUE-TV (Austin), January 4

2016

• Foster child needs 'better preparation' to age out, WFAA-TV (Dallas), December 21

• State of the Session: Fixing Texas’ Broken Foster Care System, Spectrum News' Capital Tonight, December 7

• State to seek new housing options for most-troubled foster kids, Houston Chronicle, December 7

• Lawmakers on board with emergency funding for child protection, The Texas Tribune, December 1

• Lawmakers agree to hire more CPS workers, give raises, Houston Chronicle/San Antonio Express-News, December 1

• Plan for new CPS hires, raises hits launch day — and finally wins Texas leaders’ OK, The Dallas Morning News, December 1

• Lawmakers Discuss Changes at Embattled Child Protective Services, Spectrum News, November 18

• TexProtects on CPS, Foster Care, Prevention, KRLD-AM, November 13

• Senate panel proposes $75.3 million to start fixing foster care system, The Texas Tribune, November 7

• Experts recommend sweeping changes to Texas foster care system, Houston Chronicle, November 4

• Texas CPS should cut caseloads in half for workers who help foster kids, advisers tell judge, Dallas Morning News, November 4

• Pay Texas CPS workers more, San Antonio Express-News, October 31

• OP-ED: How to keep kids out of danger by helping families cope early, Dallas Morning News, October 28 (in print October 30)

• Every Child Protective Services worker would receive a $12,000 raise under chief's new plan, Dallas Morning News, October 27

• Texas DPS troopers helping CPS locate at-risk children across the state (video), CBS Austin, October 27

• DPS tracking down children who could be in danger (video), KXAN-TV (Austin), October 27

• Capital Tonight Oct. 26: Lawmakers Grill CPS Officials Over Embattled Agency (video - includes interview with TexProtects beginning at 7:15), Spectrum News (Austin), October 26

• Even with $40M shortfall, state will hire 550 new CPS workers, KXAN-TV (Austin), October 21

• CPS head seeks 800 new workers to combat crisis, Houston Chronicle, October 21

• Under fire for missed checkups on kids, CPS chief asks to swiftly hire 550 new front-line workers, Dallas Morning News, October 21

• To fix CPS, Texas must be willing to pay workers more like it never has before, Dallas Morning News, October 14

• Abbott, lawmakers tell CPS to step up reform efforts, Houston Chronicle, October 12

• Four CPS leaders lose jobs amid agency shakeup, Austin American-Statesman, August 31

• Federal legislation could worsen Texas' foster care bed shortage, CPS chief warns, Dallas Morning News, July 12

• Program Hopes To Prevent Child Abuse By Pouring Resources Into Poor Neighborhoods, KERA-FM, May 24 (A program for which TexProtects advocated)

• Texas High Risk Child Abuse Areas Now Tracked By Zip Code, KRLD-AM/CBS DFW, April 27

• Lawmakers hear plans to fix CPS, WFAA-TV, April 21 (TexProtects CEO Madeline McClure quoted in the text version)

• Police: Others could face charges in Haltom City boy's death, WFAA-TV, April 16

• State Of Child Welfare In Texas, KERA-FM, April 11 (audio - interview with TexProtects CEO Madeline McClure begins at 5:27)

• Despite reforms, Texas child abuse deaths rise, investigations lagging, Austin American-Statesman, April 9

• 4-Year-Old Beaten to Death Highlights CPS Concerns, NBCDFW-TV, April 6

• Broken system: A closer look at CPS, WFAA-TV, April 5

• CPS workers fired after death of Grand Prairie girl, WFAA-TV, April 5

• So many Dallas CPS investigators have quit, state has to bring in backups from other areas, Dallas Morning News, April 1

• Madeline McClure: Time to reconstruct Texas’ foster care system, Dallas Morning News op-ed, February 12

2015

• McClure: Texans can do more to prevent child deaths by neglect, statewide op-ed, December 1

• Panel: Texas should spend more – and shrewdly – to prevent child abuse, Dallas Morning News, December 2

• TexProtects Raises $471K To Aid In Child Abuse Protection, Oh So Cynthia, November 11

• Capital Tonight, 1on1: Madeline McClure, Time Warner Cable News, September 2

• Child Protection Advocates Review New State Laws, Time Warner Cable News, September 2

• Why Texas's CPS Case Overload Can Lead to Tragedy, Houston Press, August 13

• Child Protection Advocates Call for Increased Funding, KEYE-TV, April 1

• Foster care advocates raising awareness in small, sweet ways, Dallas Morning News Trailblazers blog, April 1

• Gov. Abbott calls for reform of child protection in Texas, WFAA-TV, March 26

• Abbott calls for improved screening by CPS, San Antonio Express-News, March 25

• State starts using big data for child protection, Austin American-Statesman, March 17

• Capital Tonight: Interview With Madeline McClure, Time Warner Cable News, March 11

• Gun safety question at issue in CPS placement program, Houston Chronicle, March 5

• Missed Signs, Fatal Consequences, Austin American-Statesman, Jan. 11-13

• Shooting death of boy, 4, followed years of investigations, Houston Chronicle, Jan. 2

2014

• TexProtects' 10th Anniversary Celebration Raises Record Funds for Child Protection Agency, SMU iReporter, Oct. 16

• Round Robin October 14, www.MySweetCharity.com, October 23, 2014

• Texas CPS fires three staffers for failing to protect toddler, by Brian M. Rosenthal, Houston Chronicle, Oct. 3, 2014

• Child deaths from abuse drop in Texas, by Brian M. Rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News,, Oct. 2, 2014

• State Stumbles Foward With Foster Care Privatization, by Beth Cortez-Neavel , The Texas Observer, Sept. 9, 2014

• Positive Return On Investment Draws Lead Gift from Alliance Data and its Epsilon Business, Dallas Business Journal, Sept. 4, 2014

• Ashley Judd to be keynote speaker at TexProtects 10th Anniversary Celebration at the Perot Museum, My Sweet Charity, Sept. 2, 2014

• Honors, Star-Telegram, Aug. 30, 2014

• TexProtects Anniversary Features Ashley Judd, "Park Cities People," Aug. 28, 2014

• Nelson to be Honored for Child-Related Work, The Denton-Record Chronicle, Aug. 24, 2014

• Nelson to be Presented Lifetime Achievement Award, The Leader, Aug. 21, 2014

• Ashley Judd to Speak at TexProtects’ 10th Anniversary Celebration, Dallas Morning News Park Cities Blog, Aug. 20, 2014

• Actress Ashley Judd to Keynote TexProtects 10th Anninversary Celebration at the Perot Museum, RSVP Calendar Blog, Aug. 19, 2014

• Ashley Judd to Speak at TexProtects' 10th Anniversary Celebration, Park Cities BubbleLife, Aug. 18, 2014

• Department of Family and Protective Services Examined by Lawmakers, KXAN, Aug. 13, 2014

• McClure: Texans Should Not Forget Children Within State Borders, Austin American-Statesman, Op-Ed by Madeline McClure, TexProtects' Founder and Executive Director, Aug. 7, 2014

• Help Children Arriving at Border and Texas Kids, Too, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Aug. 6, 2014

• TexProtects 10th Anniversary Featuring Ashley Judd, culturemap dallas, August 2014

• TexProtects' 10th Anniversary with Ashley Judd, Advocate Preston Hollow, August 2014

• People on the Move featuring TexProtects Executive Director and Founder, Madeline McClure, Dallas Business Journal, March 10, 2014

• Is Any Failure Rate Tolerable in Child Abuse?, By Josh Brodesky, San Antonio Express-News, March 6, 2014

• Don't revictimize sexually abused children, By Madeline McClure and April Wilson, The Dallas Morning News, February 19, 2014

• State looks closer at Child Protective Services, NBC, February 10, 2014

2013

• Sen. Royce West: Children's Champion, By Michael McGee, The Dallas Examiner, Dec. 2, 2013

• Senator West Honored for Legislative Efforts to Prevent Child Abuse, North Dallas Gazette, Oct. 19, 2013

• Madeline McClure, guest columnist: Novel Program Helping At-Risk Children, The Waco Tribune-Herald, July 21, 2013

• McClure: New Program Benefits Low-Income Families, Houston Chronicle, July 17, 2013

• When tragedy strikes, CPS protects itself, By Josh Brodesky, San Antonio Express-News, June 26, 2013

• Madeline McClure and April Wilson: Legislature, Support Home Visits to Prevent Child Abuse, The Dallas Morning News, May 1, 2013

• Child Advocates Rally at State Capitol, KTBC, April 5, 2013

• Bill Seeks Funding for Childrens Health, Dallas Business Journal, March 14, 2013

• Career Switch, UTArlington Magazine Profile on Madeline McClure, Spring 2013

2012

• Elizabeth Escalona's 99-Year Sentence For Gluing Child's Hands To The Wall Considered 'Harsh' , Huffington Post, October 18, 2012

• Madeline McClure and Christopher DuHaime: Preventing the Sanduskys in Our Midst, The Dallas Morning News, July 16, 2012

• Texas Cuts Efforts to Prevent Child Abuse, KTVT, May 21, 2012

• McClure: Why Do So Few Care About These Dead Children?, The Dallas Morning News, April 10, 2012

2011

• Child protection budget cuts fought, By Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje, San Antonio Express-News, Jan. 20, 2011