AUSTIN, Texas -- Almost a year after Texas officials provided $12,000 pay raises to employees in the state child welfare system, more caseworkers are staying on the job.

According to data from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the percentage of staff leaving Child Protective Services dropped by 5 percentage points to 20.7 percent in the first three months after the raises went into effect in January. Currently, the turnover rate is 18.4 percent, the lowest in at least a decade.

The pay boost was followed by a raft of reforms passed by the Legislature for the state foster care system.

But advocates say more work needs to be done, including more social services provided for parents and raises for supervisors and other staff members department-wide.

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Information from: Austin American-Statesman