The Latest Breaking News from Stephanie Muth

More than $350M in foster care reforms, oversight, enough to end court monitoring, state tells court

“Substantial” compliance to federal court-ordered improvements should be enough to end 15-year-old lawsuit, state argues

The Texas Tribune · 12h ago

Audrey O’Neill named commissioner of Texas’ foster care agency

O’Neill is the fifth commissioner of the beleaguered Texas Department of Family and Protective Services since 2012.

The Texas Tribune · Sep 18, 2025

Texas foster care agency chief to step down this summer

Two years after Stephanie Muth became Department of Family and Protective Services commissioner, staff turnover is down and the number of children without a placement has dropped.

The Texas Tribune · Jun 10, 2025

New family and child welfare commissioner foreshadows change as agency plans to outsource case management

Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner Stephanie Muth told lawmakers Friday the agency will require a different set of skills from its employees as it changes how foster children’s cases are managed.

The Texas Tribune · Feb 11, 2023

Federal judge again threatens contempt-of-court fines for Texas’ slow progress on foster care reforms

The judge warned the state could be held in contempt of court for not following through with three mandates: youths not knowing their rights, not adequately responding to abuse allegations and still having too many children without placement.

The Texas Tribune · Jan 27, 2023

In after-hours notice, Gov. Greg Abbott announces another leadership change for the Department of Family and Protective Services

Former DFPS commissioner Anne Heiligenstein was tapped by Abbott in June to serve as the agency’s executive deputy commissioner. Last month, she was out. Now she’s back.

The Texas Tribune · Nov 29, 2022