FREE ESSAY ON TEXAS STATE AGENCIES

TEXAS STATE AGENCIES

Back in the days where parents were 'involved' in there children's
lives and worry free of any abuse of substances, abuse/neglect to the
children or deficiancies in the
children, there was no need for any state agencies to control and help
what, if anything, went on. In todays society, though, there is a greater
need than ever for Texas State agencies to do what they do. Also, more
and more people today are joining in on the conveinience and ease of the
World Wide Web that provides research, help/support and facts/statistics.
*From here, we can go on to research and review the Texas Commission on
Alcohol and Drug Abuse(TCADA), Protective and Regulatory Services(PRS) and
the 
Texas Interagency Council on Early Childhood(ECI). All which deal with
adolescents and young children.
One of the most important issues that teens and parents are battling over
is the fact that alcohol can damage and even prove to be fatal if underage
drinking occurs. Kids always think they know more than their parents,
growing up later in life, they learn that parents are usually the wisest
people they know, but until that time, kids will be kids. Parents will
continue to be naive and more kids will die because of alcohol relations. 
The website on TCADA is quite resourceful in showing how a parent can
perhaps save their
child from this number one drug for teens. From helping a parent to being
aware, consequences about teen drinking, warning signs, protecting your
child by giving straight talk from the start of pre-school until the age of
eighteen, providing tips for parents, to knowing the facts,danger,
penalties, resources, which help parents and getting involved in an action
plan, the Texas Comission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse is the main research
tool any parent could want in Texas. A very helpful part of the site, the
Tips for
Parents link provides parents with advice on getting more involved with
their kids, giving reasonable support and rules and getting to know the
kids they hang around along with their parents. TCADA's number one idea
is in the Straight Talk link section to start talking with your kids when
they are young. Set a good example. 'Do as I say, not as I do' doesn't
cut it with teens. Adolescents can understand that some things appropriate
for adults aren not acceptable for teens. But keep that distinction sharp. 
Do not allow children to mix cocktails, bring you a beer or sip from your
wine glass(Protect your Child; Tips for Parents, TCADA). This is how
most children get to know their liking for alcohol, which makes sense,
considering parents are role models for a good majority of the childs life,
monkey see, monkey do. In the Know the Facts section of TCADA's website
there are nine additional sites to refer to if is needed. The Get Involved
link provides action plans and help from national, state and local groups
fighting underage drinking. It can never be too early to start talking to
children
about abuse of alcohol and other drugs.
Another form of abuse takes place by a parent to a child. It is sickening
that there must be a site for childrens protection, but none the less, it
also provides information quite useful for a parent or a person who is
witnessing or hearing about child abuse/neglect in Texas. The Protective
and Regulatory Services of Texas states, In Texas, in FY in 1997, 103
children died of abuse or neglect. In FY 1998, that number increased to
176 children died of abuse or neglect. For both of the years, 36 percent
of the children had prior involvement with
CPS(http://www.tdprs.state.tx.us/news/factsheet.htm). Scroll down further
on this site, and you will find the regions in Texas and how many children
were abused/neglected. This site is informative in giving facts of 97-98
of child abuse reports. It also gives a 1998-99 Child Abuse Prevention
Kit, Adoption registry,Volunteering opportunities and the Childrens Justice
Act. The Legal Child Protective Definitions link is very helpful in
describing what child abuse actually is. So many people see abuse, not
realizing what it actually is or even thinking it's a good form a
discipline the parent is using, when in all reality, we all know better. 
The Texas Child Fatality Review Team goes on to provide links to which can
help you or someone you know help for children and their well-being. 
Perhaps, though, the most useful link is the 1999 Child Abuse Prevention
Kit. It gives a list of resources you can use. It even has tips for
parents/coaches, education, and basis of religion. According to the
Child Abuse and Neglect fact sheet, The effects of child abuse are
sometimes obvious even decades later. The effects are often pervasive:
mental, physical and social in nature. Suicide, violence, delinquency,
drug and alcohol abuse and other forms of criminality are frequently child
abuse-related. In this web-site the statistics are alarming, the problem
will never go away, and anyone who sees abuse must report it to the
Department of Protective and Regulatory Services.
A parent who has noticed in their infant or toddler under the age of three
any developmental delays or disabilities, has the option of referring to
the Texas Interagency Council on Early Childhood Intervention. The site
includes a section on how babies develop, resources, events, about ECI and
finding ECI services. To receive eligibility and a medical diagnosis, you
must take a look at 'Make a Difference to Texas Babies.' This link has the
best resources to view from the site. It provides basically a step by step
procedure in which you can identify and refer any disability or delay in a
childs development in Texas. Best of all, it's free and if you call the
ECI Care Line at 1(800)2502246, you can find a local program to assist the
child. There are local ECI programs throughout Texas that help children
during the first three years of life. Texas ECI programs are funded
through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The state agency
is governed by a board with help from an advisory committee and program
directiors from the Directors Forum (About ECI). ECI encourages families
to help children reach their potential through developmental processes. 
Children can be helped based on their cognitive, communication, social,
motor and other self-help skills through this program in Texas. 
Since times have changed and things aren't what they used to be, Texas has
come to form helpful agencies and guidelines in those agencies for us to
follow. Children are an important part in our society because they are
our future and without the guidance and support from the elders today, the
leaders of tomorrow will instead become less likely to succeed and more
likely to become criminals or victims of tomorrows society.