Friday, Oct. 10, 2008

Nelson Named 'Champion for Children’

Staff Report

The Messenger

Texas State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, received the distinguished Champion for Children Award Saturday, Sept. 20, from the Texas Coalition of Homes for Children during a groundbreaking ceremony for a new facility at Christ’s Haven for Children in Keller. More than 450 area citizens attended the event.

"Jane Nelson holds a long record of improving the education, health, and safety of all Texas youth," said Kelly Moore, executive director of Christ’s Haven for Children. "We now applaud and honor her with a new title: 'Champion for Children.’"

Nelson has authored major legislative reforms such as SB 758 from last session to improve the foster care system and improve reimbursement rates to offset costs for foster parents.

"Our most precious resource is not cotton or cattle or oil, but rather our children, whose health and well-being is of utmost importance," Nelson said.

The Texas Coalition of Homes for Children is a statewide coalition of group homes that strives to improve the education and living conditions of at-risk children.

Its mission is to provide a haven of hope for children and families in crisis through residential programs for children and single-mother families, as well as community-based outreach and prevention programs.