Children enter foster care because of abuse, neglect, or exploitation often rooted in poverty, domestic violence, or substance use. These are our most vulnerable young people, facing situations they did not create. But foster care doesn’t only impact children. It touches entire families, kinship caregivers, foster parents, caseworkers, and communities who are all navigating a system that is stretched, under-resourced, and often difficult to understand.
As someone who grew up in foster care and has spent nearly 20 years serving families across Texas, Cortney understands how deeply the child welfare system affects everyone involved. She will fight for policies that strengthen families, prevent unnecessary removals, support kinship caregivers, and ensure children in care receive stability, safety, and the services they deserve. Cortney will work to improve accountability, expand community-based supports, and help build a child welfare system where children, parents, and caregivers are treated with dignity, compassion, and hope.