To report a suspected case of child abuse, call the Texas Abuse Hotline at (800) 252-5400.
The hotline is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Reports can also be made at
https://www.txabusehotline.org/
The hotline is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Reports can also be made at
https://www.txabusehotline.org/
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 Related Links |
History
In 1989, a group of concerned citizens created Community Partners of Dallas to assist Child Protective Services caseworkers in meeting the needs of abused and neglected children. With the help of Laura Bush, then the First Lady of Texas, the program was replicated throughout Texas resulting in Greater Texas Community Partners (GTCP) which is a partnership between Child Protective Services and communities throughout Texas.
About ten years ago Austin’s Rainbow Room was established. Partnerships for Children has had different names over the years and has been run in different ways but about four years ago a group of very active and dedicated people came together to re-establish the Rainbow Room in Austin and Partnerships for Children (PC) was rebuilt to serve the clients of Austin area Child Protective Services (CPS). Partnerships for Children was incorporated in February 2003 and gained 501c3 status August 2003. Our mission continues to be to cultivate resources and partnerships that directly benefit abused and neglected children in the Austin area while providing support to CPS caseworkers. We are a member of the Greater Texas Community Partners public-private partnership with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services/CPS (TDFPS/CPS). Our major programs are the Rainbow Room and Adopt-A-Caseworker programs. The Rainbow Room is a resource center located within CPS headquarters and distributes new essential items such as clothing, formula, diapers, and hygiene supplies to clients of CPS caseworkers free of any overhead or administrative costs. Adopt-A-Caseworker is a volunteer project, which helps to connect CPS caseworkers with community groups in an effort to meet the needs of abused and neglected children. Before the Rainbow Room and Adopt-A-Caseworker projects were developed, CPS caseworkers were often additionally financially burdened with the purchase of necessary items for their young clients. When a child is removed from a home, they often need items to ease what is certainly a most difficult time. The Rainbow Room allows caseworkers to remedy this terrible situation by providing the child needed resources to ease this time as much as possible. For a child, these items can be a source of pride and a new beginning. In addition to providing emergency resources items to the clients of CPS caseworkers through the Rainbow Room and Adopt-A-Caseworker projects, PACC seeks to promote community involvement, education and awareness of children in crisis in the Austin area. The beneficiaries of the PACC are the clients of CPS caseworkers, including children in foster care, family based safety services, relative placements, group homes and investigations. CPS workers have 24 hour access to the Rainbow Room and deliver items directly to clients; we do not have direct client contact. We currently have an Executive Director who manages Partnerships for Children with oversight by the volunteer board. As part of the public-private partnership, TDFPS employs a Rainbow Room Coordinator (RRC) who oversees the 17 Rainbow Rooms in the Central Texas region. The RRC is based out of the Austin Rainbow Room and manages the inventory and distribution of items for Partnerships for Children. For more information about Partnerships for Children or how you can get involved email info@partnershipsforchildren.org or call 512.834.4756. |