Texas Department of Family and Protective Services According to the Encyclopedia of Education, the program was first started in 1690. It became a way to deal with court cases criminal offenses involving child abuse. Two years later, states and municipalities identified the care of abused and neglected children as the responsibility of local government and private institutions. It wasn't until 1825 that states enacted laws giving social workers the right to remove children who had been neglected from their parents and homes. Since then the program has had several names. In 1835 it was the National Federation of Children's Relief, then in 1853; they founded the Children's Aid Society which was a response to the problem of orphaned and abandoned children. In 1874, the “Mary Ellen case” became the first case of child abuse to be prosecuted. In 1930, Social Security addressed the problem of abuse and neglect by providing funding for interventions for “neglected and dependent children who are at risk of becoming delinquents.” Effective February 1, 2004, the name of the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services was changed to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (Guthrie, Heyneman & Braxton, 2002). The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is a state agency operated by the state government. According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website, the Rio Grande Valley falls in Region 11, with three locations in the Hidalgo County area consisting of Edinburg, McAllen and Weslaco. There are also two in Cameron County, which is in the Harlingen and Brownsville (DFPS) area. The purpose of this program is to ensure the safety of children, seniors and...... middle of paper...... services provided by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to ensure that people of all age feel safe and protected in their living environment. Ultimately, abuse extends to all family members and beyond, it is not a segregation issue, but it is a critical social issue that should be treated with the utmost importance. Works Cited Brott, A. (2010). A system out of control: The epidemic of false allegations of child abuse. Retrieved from http://www.fathersmanifesto.net/armin.htmGuthrie, J.W., Heyneman, S.P., & Braxton, J.M. (2002).Encyclopedia of Education. (2nd ed., pp. 283-289). Farmington Hill, Michigan: Cengage Gale. Hurley, Jennifer (1999). Child abuse Opposing opinions. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc. press. Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. (March 5, 2014). Retrieved from http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/child_protection/