© 2024 Texas Public Radio
Real. Reliable. Texas Public Radio.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Source: West, Texas Explosion And Child Welfare In Bexar County

Leading the Show:

A fire burning out of control turned a fertilizer plant into a bomb in the heart of the small town of West, Texas last night.

Early reports count the deceased at between 5-15 with about 160 injured.

Bill Minutaglio, author of "City on Fire" and professor of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin, tells us about another fertilizer-related explosion that devastated another Texas town 66 years ago.

Later in the show:

130418-source-child-welfare.mp3

Nearly a quarter million children allege child abuse in Texas every year. Bexar County has over 20,000, and resulted in 6,500 youth receiving services and 1,300 being removed from homes. 

According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Bexar County ranks second in the number of abuse- or neglect-related child fatalities behind Harris County, tied with Tarrant county.

Statewide, services are a mixed bag of good and bad.

What are we doing for our youth? Are we doing enough?  What Can Improve?  Where are we failing?  

Jolyn Mikow, a professor of Social Work at UTSA, and Kim Abernathy, CEO of ChildSafe, a child advocacy center , join us to analyze and discuss the topic.

Also joining this part of the conversation is state Sen. Carlos Uresti, who will talk about what legislation is in the current session and how likely it is to pass.

ChildSafe from Walley Films on Vimeo

Stay Connected
Paul Flahive can be reached at Paul@tpr.org