Texas should tell parents their rights when it investigates child abuse claims, lawmaker proposes

Heart Galleries — portraits of adoptable children — on display at the Child Protective Services office at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in Austin on Nov. 14, 2019. (Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune)

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Nearly half a million reports of suspected child abuse or neglect were made to the state’s hotline last year, and of those more than 166,000 were investigated. Ultimately, a small fraction — about 9,600 children — were removed from their homes.