The state's developing foster care model has improved this year in some metrics and worsened in some others.
Court monitors say "ample evidence” substantiates claims of sexual abuse and potentially even trafficking at The Refuge.
“I cannot acquiesce to the political nature of the job,” Child Care Investigations Director Justin Lewis wrote in his letter of resignation.
While the Texas Rangers found no evidence of abuse or trafficking, concerns about child pornography at The Refuge remain.
After the model folded in San Antonio, sending 1,200 kids back to the old system, the state expanded community-based care in south Texas.
"We started closing down places and we didn't have a plan B for where these kids go," state Rep. James Frank said.
Catch up on the week's hottest stories in Texas politics with the reporting team at The Texan.
A decade-old lawsuit has brought the state foster care system to a crossroads between high standards and availability.
