Despite improvements, the safety of Texas children is still jeopardized by the high caseloads assigned to Child Protective Services caseworkers, an advocacy group said this week. Reviewing data from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the nonprofit Texans Care for Children said that in 2015 every foster care caseworker was responsible for the safety of 28 children each day, on average. That average exceeds the maximum of 17 recommended in the best practices published by the Child Welfare League of America, the oldest child welfare organization in the country. The state is working “to ensure that CPS caseworkers in the field have more time with children and families,” said Patrick Crimmins, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. A federal judge recently ruled that the Texas foster care system is unconstitutionally dangerous for children, citing the high caseloads as one of the causes. In her ruling, Judge Janis Jack noted “caseworkers are overburdened to the point where they cannot perform their required duties, namely protecting their foster children from an unreasonable risk of harm.” State officials are asking a federal appeals court to suspend a series of requirements that Jack ruled were needed to improve the troubled Texas foster care system. The Department of Family Protective Services operates a state-wide intake call center in North Austin for the initial contact for reports of abuse, neglect and/or exploitation in Texas. The display constantly changes, reflecting the time of day, number of people on hold, number of people on calls and the longest hold time. The state’s ratio has improved, reducing foster care caseloads from an average of 31 in 2014 to the current 28, statewide. In the Austin area, that figure is close to 31. The Legislature passed foster care safety improvements during the 2015 session. House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick have both directed legislative committees to study foster care improvements before the 2017 session.