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.