AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A judge has ordered the leader of Texas’ Child Protective Services to appear in court to explain why the agency can’t keep a 14-year-old girl from repeatedly running away from foster care.
The Austin American-Statesman reports state District Judge Paul Rotenberry directed Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner Hank Whitman, who runs CPS, to appear in Rotenberry’s Abilene courtroom Wednesday. The still-missing teen has run away from foster care five times since April.
According to court documents, Rotenberry wants Whitman to explain why the agency hasn’t been able to “provide care, control and protection” of the girl.
The agency declined to discuss the details of the case. DFPS spokesman Patrick Crimmins says Whitman “is always interested in facing difficult issues head-on and finding solutions.”