TEXAS CHILD ABUSE DEATHS RISING

  

According to the Dallas Morning News, the number of Texas children dying of abuse and neglect is worsening despite Gov. Greg Abbott's shakeup of the state's beleaguered child welfare system.

A study by the Dallas newspaper reports that at least 202 children have died because of mistreatment in 2016, compared to 173 in 2015.

Records obtained by the newspaper also indicate that at least 28 children who died of abuse and neglect had an open case. That's up from 19 a year ago.

The study also shows that caseworker backlogs at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services are also nearly twice as bad as a year ago.

Abbott vowed an overhaul of CPS after taking office in 2015, which included appointing a new commissioner. Abbott spokesman John Wittman says the governor is making strides and more reforms are coming.