Healthy Outcomes through Prevention and Early Support (HOPES)
HOPES is a new program that began in 2015 that uses community collaboration in high-risk counties to reduce the likelihood that parents or other caregivers will abuse children. The goal is to increase "protective factors" in families with children up to age five. This means qualities, skills, or strategies that helps people parent effectively even under stress – reducing the risk of abuse or neglect. HOPES providers use nationally-recognized methods that include home-visiting and are either promising or proven effective. They also include other support services. In its first year, HOPES served 1,371 families in Cameron, Ector, El Paso, Gregg, Hidalgo, Potter, Travis and Webb counties.
Helping through Intervention and Prevention (HIP)
HIP funds community-based programs that have been shown to be effective. In FY 2015, HIP contracted with community-based organizations to offer home visiting services to families with previous CPS history. It's a voluntary program that educates and helps with the basic needs of families who are at risk of child abuse and neglect. In FY 2015, the HIP program served 58 families in Bexar, Dallas, Harris, Lubbock and Tarrant counties.
Services to At-Risk Youth (STAR)
The STAR program is available in all 254 Texas counties. PEI contracts with community agencies to offer crisis-counseling for families, short-term relief for those caring for at-risk youth (respite), individual and family counseling, life-skills for youth, and parenting-skills for parents or other caregivers. STAR serves families with youth under 18 years old that are dealing with conflict at home, truancy, delinquency, or have a youth who have run away from home. In FY 2015, the STAR program served 24,097 youth and 19,478 parents or other primary caregivers. STAR contractors also provide child-abuse prevention brochures and parenting classes that serve everyone in the community.