Scholarships

The Children’s Commission offers assistance to judges who handle civil child welfare cases in Texas and need financial support in order to attend recognized trainings related to child welfare. The scholarship covers reimbursement for conference registration fees.

Trainings must demonstrably relate to improving the safety, permanency, or well-being for children and families involved with the child welfare system. Please note that the Children’s Commission is a state organization and thus cannot participate in or support any political or lobbying activities.

The judicial scholarship request funding is awarded for conferences within the current fiscal year (September 30, 2025 - October 1, 2026). Applications must be submitted no later than two months before the registration deadline of the conference. The Children’s Commission staff will respond regarding the status of an application no later than two weeks after a complete application is submitted.

Applications will be reviewed and approved on an ongoing basis. Approval of applications for a judicial scholarship request is at the discretion of the Children’s Commission.

Funding is limited and each scholarship request is subject to availability. There is a limit of one such judicial scholarship per judge per year. Preference may be given to judges who have not received scholarships from the Children’s Commission within the past two years. Other considerations include, but are not limited to, the percentage of a judge’s docket devoted to civil child welfare cases.

Scholarship recipients:

• must submit reimbursement requests for conference registration within 30 days of the date of the conference;
• are responsible for conference registration and all necessary expenses up front in order to attend;
• must monitor the conference host’s announcements regarding cancellation. In the event of cancellation, recipients are responsible for refund policy requirements and travel plans. Scholarship recipients must submit their reimbursement request for conference registration to the Children’s Commission staff within 30 days of the date of the conference; and
• must notify Children’s Commission staff if they become unable to attend the conference for which they received a scholarship due to an unforeseen circumstance. The Children’s Commission cannot offer reimbursement for those who incur costs and do not attend.

To apply, please email CCScholarships@txcourts.gov.

The Children’s Commission offers assistance to attorneys who practice civil child welfare law in Texas and need financial support in order to attend recognized trainings related to child welfare. This attorney scholarship is designed for local, regional, and state trainings that are not already addressed by Commission scholarships for attorneys (i.e. the State Bar of Texas Child Protection Law Section’s 101 and Advanced Courses, the State Bar of Texas Family Law Section’s Child Abuse and Neglect Workshop, or the State Bar of Texas Civil Appellate Section’s 101 Course).

Applications for attorney scholarship requests must be for trainings that demonstrably relate to improving the safety, permanency, or well-being of children and families involved with the child welfare system. Please note that the Children’s Commission is a state organization and thus cannot participate in or support any political or lobbying activities.

Applications will be reviewed and approved on an ongoing basis, and approval is at the discretion of the Children’s Commission.

All requests for financial assistance are subject to the availability of funds; funding may be limited. Preference may be given to attorneys who have not received a scholarship from the Children’s Commission within the past two years. Preference may also be given to attorneys who either represent DFPS or who actively receive appointments to represent parents and/or children on a child welfare docket. Other considerations include, but are not limited to, the percentage of practice dedicated to civil child welfare law.

Applications must be submitted no later than two months before the registration deadline of the training. The Children’s Commission staff will respond regarding the status of an application no later than two weeks after a complete application is submitted.

Scholarship recipients: 

• are responsible for registration and all necessary expenses up front in order to attend;
• must submit reimbursement requests for registration fees within 30 days of the date that the training concludes;
• must monitor the training host’s announcements regarding cancellation. In the event of cancellation, recipients are responsible for refund policy requirements and travel plans; and 
• must notify Children’s Commission staff at a minimum of two weeks prior to the event if they become unable to attend the training for which they received a scholarship due to an unforeseen circumstance. The Children’s Commission cannot offer reimbursement for those who incur costs and do not attend.

To apply, please email CCScholarships@txcourts.gov.

The State Bar of Texas, in collaboration with the Family Law Section of the State Bar, will host the 2026 Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) one-day Workshop during the Annual State Bar of Texas Advanced Family Law Course in San Antonio, TX. This one-day training covers current topics of interest to Texas attorneys who practice child welfare law. More information is available on the TexasBarCLE website.

Dates and Locations:

The 2026 Advanced Family Law one-day Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) Workshop will be held live on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, as an in-person event in San Antonio, Texas. The workshop will also be accessible as an in-person video replay in Carrollton on September 18, 2026, and in Galveston on October 9, 2026. Additionally, there are two webcast replays on September 25 and October 30, 2026. More information about the course is available in the current CAN Workshop Brochure.

Live CAN One-Day Workshop
August 12, 2026
Marriott Rivercenter
101 Bowie Street
San Antonio, TX 78205

Video Replays
September 18, 2026
Courtyard Dallas Carrollton Conference Center
1201 Raiford Rd.
Carrollton, TX 75007

October 9, 2026
The Tremont House
2300 Ship's Mechanic Row
Galveston, TX 77550

Webcast Replay (virtual option)
September 25, 2026
October 30, 2026

Scholarship Details and Criteria:

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of waived registration fees to attend one of the CAN Workshop dates listed above. The scholarship covers registration for the CAN Workshop only and not the full Advanced Family Law Course. The Children’s Commission is not able to reimburse attorneys who pay the State Bar of Texas directly for registration to attend the one-day CAN Workshop. Individuals who register for the full Advanced Family Law Course who attend the CAN Workshop cannot receive a partial reimbursement for the one-day course.

Applicants who meet all the criteria detailed below will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis for a scholarship. To meet the criteria for this scholarship, the applicant must:

• currently represent DFPS or actively receive court appointments on a child welfare docket,
• be in good standing with the State Bar of Texas,
• commit to completing a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission.

Preference will be given to applicants who currently represent DFPS or actively receive court appointments on a child welfare docket. Additionally, preference may be given to attorneys who have not received scholarships from the Children’s Commission within the last 2 years. Scholarships may be awarded to additional attorney applicants with substantial involvement in the practice area of child welfare law if scholarship funds remain.

• For the purposes of this scholarship, other substantial involvement in the practice of child welfare law includes, but is not limited to, attorneys serving as general counsel or providing other legal services for an SSCC; attorneys serving as appellate, policy, or training attorneys for DFPS or CASA; attorneys at organizations which provide services to individuals involved with the child welfare system and/or to young adults who experienced the child welfare system; attorneys who provide legal education and resources to attorneys practicing child welfare law; and attorneys who mediate child welfare cases.  
  

Attendance Policy:

This event is hosted by the State Bar of Texas. This scholarship opportunity is funded by a federal grant, which is managed by the Supreme Court of Texas Children's Commission. The Children's Commission is responsible for reporting attendance in support of the grant expenses. All scholarship recipients will be expected of the following:

• Participate in the training on the event date they selected in their application.
• Complete a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission thereafter.
• Scholarship recipients attending virtual webcast replay courses will be asked to verify completion of the training within 30 days of the event.
• Awardees are required to notify the Children’s Commission in writing and in advance if they can no longer participate in their selected training or if they no longer need the registration scholarship. Please note that failure to attend the training may disqualify the awardee from receiving Commission scholarships in the future.

Application Link and Deadline to Apply:

Applications will be accepted until midnight on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. This application is now closed.

Scholarship Notification and Logistics:

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of waived registration fees. The Children’s Commission will notify scholarship recipients after the application period has ended and upon verification of eligibility. We hope to notify all applicants of their scholarship status no later than Monday, July 6, 2026.

The Children’s Commission will work with the State Bar to register all awardees directly. Awardees do not need to register themselves for the CAN Workshop date selected in their application. The registration scholarship will cover registration for the CAN Workshop only and not the full Advanced Family Law Course. Please note that the Children’s Commission is not able to reimburse attorneys who pay the State Bar of Texas directly for registration to attend the CAN Workshop. Individuals who register for the full Advanced Family Law Course who attend the CAN Workshop cannot receive a partial reimbursement for the one-day course.

All scholarship awardees are responsible for monitoring notices and emails from the event organizer. The Children’s Commission is not affiliated with the event and may not be aware of notices issued by the event organizer regarding cancellation policies, CLE notices and reporting rules, notices or policies regarding COVID-19, etc.

TexasBarCLE and the State Bar of Texas Child Protection Law Section hosted the 8th Annual Advanced Child Protection Law Course (Advanced Course) in Georgetown on April 9-10, 2026. Additionally, a 3-hour Child Protection Law 101 Course (CPL 101) and a 3-hour Child Protection Law Appeals 101 Course (Appeals 101) were also offered as concurrent tracks in a pre-conference training on the afternoon of April 8th. Both of the 101 Courses and the Advanced Course were also offered via webcast replay. For more information on the 101 and Advanced courses, please see the current course brochure.

The Children’s Commission offered registration scholarships for attorneys to attend the live events or webcast replays. Please read below for scholarship criteria, attendance policy, and a link to apply.

Dates and Locations:

Advanced Child Protection Law Course:
LIVE Advanced Course (in-person) 
April 9-10, 2026  
Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel and Conference Center  
1101 Woodlawn Avenue 
Georgetown, TX 78628

Webcast Replay (virtual) 
May 6-7, 2026 

Child Protection Law 101 Course (pre-conference):
LIVE 101 Course (in-person) 
April 8, 2026  
Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel and Conference Center  
1101 Woodlawn Avenue 
Georgetown, TX 78628

Webcast Replay (virtual) 
May 5, 2026

Child Protection Law Appeals 101 Course (pre-conference):
LIVE Appeals 101 Course (in-person) 
April 8, 2026  
Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel and Conference Center  
1101 Woodlawn Avenue 
Georgetown, TX 78628

Webcast Replay (virtual) 
May 5, 2026 

Scholarship Details and Criteria:

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of waived registration fees to attend the live course(s) or the virtual webcast replay(s). The Children’s Commission will work with the State Bar of Texas to register scholarship recipients directly for the CPL 101 Course, Appeals 101 Course, and the Advanced Course.

Applicants who meet all of the criteria detailed below will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis for the listed scholarships. To meet the criteria, the applicant must: 

• Currently represent DFPS or actively receive court appointments on a child welfare docket,
• Be in good standing with the State Bar of Texas, and
• Complete a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission.

Preference will be given to applicants who currently represent DFPS or actively receive court appointments  on a child welfare docket. Additionally, preference may be given to attorneys who have not received scholarships from the Children’s Commission within the last 2 years. Scholarships may be awarded to additional attorney applicants with substantial involvement in the practice area of child welfare law if scholarship funds remain. 

For the purposes of this scholarship, other substantial involvement in the practice of child welfare law includes, but is not limited to, attorneys serving as general counsel or providing other legal services for an SSCC; attorneys serving as appellate, policy, or training attorneys for DFPS or CASA; attorneys at organizations which provide services to individuals involved with the child welfare system and/or to young adults who experienced the child welfare system; attorneys who provide legal education and resources to attorneys practicing child welfare law; and attorneys who mediate child welfare cases.  

Judges with applicants from their jurisdiction will be notified by the Children’s Commission and asked to confirm that the applicant currently represents DFPS or takes child welfare appointments.

Attendance Policy:

These events are hosted by the State Bar of Texas. This scholarship opportunity is funded by a federal grant, which is managed by the Supreme Court of Texas Children's Commission. The Children's Commission is responsible for reporting attendance in support of the grant expenses.

Applicants for the virtual trainings will be asked to verify their commitment to participate in the training in a timely manner to the Supreme Court of Texas Children’s Commission. If awarded a scholarship, awardees will be asked to verify their attendance at virtual events. 

Scholarship recipients for the virtual trainings are required to participate and submit a completed post-event survey within 30 days of the event, regardless of any extended access to the training. 

All awardees are required to notify the Children’s Commission in writing, at least 2 weeks prior to the event, in the absence of an emergency, if they require a change to their course registration or are unable to attend any of the training dates. Please note that awardees who accept a scholarship but do not attend the course may deprive others of the opportunity to attend the training. Failure to attend the course may also result in the disqualification of the awardee from receiving Commission scholarships in the future.

Application Link:

Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2026. 

This scholarship is now closed.

Notification and Logistics:

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of waived registration fees. If you are awarded a scholarship, the Children’s Commission will notify you after the scholarship application period has ended, and we have verified your standing with the Bar and your eligibility with your primary judge. We hope to notify all applicants of their scholarship status no later than the week of March 9.

Please note, the hotel room block ends on March 18: Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel and Conference Center.

The Children’s Commission will work with the State Bar to register all awardees directly. Awardees do not need to register for the CPL 101 Course, Appeals 101 Course, or the Advanced Course. Please note that the Children’s Commission is unable to reimburse attorneys who register for a course and pay the State Bar of Texas directly.

All scholarship awardees are responsible for monitoring notices and emails from the event organizer. The Children’s Commission is not affiliated with the event and may not be aware of notices issued by the event organizer regarding cancellation policies, CLE notices and reporting rules, notices or policies regarding COVID-19, etc.

The State Bar of Texas, in collaboration with the Appellate Section of the State Bar, hosted a Civil Appellate Practice 101 course in Austin, TX on September 3, 2025, and via Webcast Replay on October 8, 2025. For more information, please see the current course brochure.

The Children’s Commission offered a limited number of registration reimbursement scholarships for attorneys to attend either the live one-day Civil Appellate Practice 101 training or webcast replay. 

Dates and Locations:

Civil Appellate Practice 101 Live One-Day Training
September 3, 2025
Four Seasons
98 San Jacinto Blvd.
Austin, TX 78701

Civil Appellate Practice 101 Webcast Replay (virtual)
October 8, 2025

Scholarship Details and Criteria:

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of reimbursed registration fees to attend the live in-person training or virtual webcast replay

Applicants who meet all of the criteria detailed below will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis for the reimbursement scholarship. To meet the criteria, the applicant must:

• currently represent DFPS or take court appointments on a child welfare docket,
• express an interest in handling child welfare appeals,
• be in good standing with the State Bar of Texas and with their primary or appointing judge, and
• agree to complete a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission, if awarded a scholarship.

In addition, preference may be given to attorneys who have not received scholarships from the Children's Commission in the past 2 years.

Attendance Policy:

This event is hosted by the State Bar of Texas. This scholarship opportunity is funded by a federal grant, which is managed by the Supreme Court of Texas Children's Commission. The Children's Commission is responsible for reporting attendance in support of the grant expenses. 

Awardees will be asked to confirm their commitment to participate in the training and scholarship recipients will be asked to verify their attendance.

Scholarship recipients are required to submit a completed post-event survey within 30 days of the event.

Awardees are required to notify the Children’s Commission in writing and in advance if they can no longer participate in their selected training or if they no longer need the registration scholarship. Please note that failure to attend the training may disqualify the awardee from receiving Commission scholarships in the future.

Application Link and Deadline to Apply:

Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.

This application is now closed.

Notification and Logistics:

This scholarship will be awarded in the form of reimbursed registration fees. The Children’s Commission will notify scholarship recipients after the application period has ended and upon verification of eligibility. We hope to notify all applicants of their scholarship status no later than the week of August 19.

All scholarship awardees are responsible for monitoring notices and emails from the event organizer. The Children’s Commission is not affiliated with the event and may not be aware of notices issued by the event organizer regarding cancellation policies, CLE notices and reporting rules, notices or policies regarding COVID-19, etc.

The NCJFCJ 89th Annual Conference was held on July 19-22, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. This conference features educational sessions on domestic relations, juvenile justice, child welfare, and family violence. More information about the conference is available on the NCJFCJ website.

The Children’s Commission awarded seven scholarships to Texas judges to attend the in-person 89th Annual Conference.

Please note, this is a reimbursement scholarship and recipients will be required to cover their expenses up front in order to attend. Please read below for scholarship criteria, logistics, and a link to apply.

Scholarship Criteria:

To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must handle civil child welfare cases. Preference is given to judges who have larger percentages of their docket dedicated to child welfare cases. Additionally, all scholarship recipients must agree to complete a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission. Early applications are strongly encouraged due to the limited number of scholarships.

This scholarship takes the form of reimbursed registration fees and allowable conference-related expenses per state guidelines, such as travel, lodging, and meals, up to $2,000 total. Any additional expenses must be covered by the scholarship recipient.

Scholarship Notification and Travel Logistics:

The Children’s Commission will notify all applicants the status of the scholarship by March 27, 2026. Scholarship recipients are responsible for conference registration, travel arrangements, and hotel reservations. Reimbursement for eligible expenses may be submitted following the conference and upon confirmed attendance. For information regarding eligible travel expenses, please review the Commission’s travel reimbursement guidelines.

Please also note the following important dates:

• The early bird registration rate ends on April 30, 2026, and 
• NCJFCJ’s final date to cancel registration is June 29, 2026 with a $100 fee.

Scholarship recipients will be responsible for monitoring the NCJFCJ’s cancellation policies and cancelling their own registration and travel plans in a timely manner, should they become unable to attend. The Children’s Commission cannot offer reimbursement for those who incur costs and do not attend. More information on NCJFCJ’s cancellation policies is available on their conference webpage.

All scholarship recipients are responsible for monitoring notices and emails from the event organizer. The Children’s Commission is not affiliated with the event and may not be aware of notices issued by the event organizer regarding cancellation policies, CLE notices and reporting rules, notices or policies regarding COVID-19, etc.

For questions regarding this scholarship, please contact the Children's Commission at CCscholarships@txcourts.gov.

Application Link and Deadline to Apply:

Applications will be accepted until midnight on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. This application is now closed.

The NCJFCJ hosted the 2026 National Conference on Juvenile Justice on March 15-18, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The conference featured plenary and breakout sessions on juvenile justice, trafficking, child welfare, court best practices, innovative solutions, and self-care. More information is available on the NCJFCJ website.

The Children’s Commission awarded three scholarships to Texas judges to attend the in-person 2026 National Conference on Juvenile Justice.

Please note, this is a reimbursement scholarship and confirmed awardees will be required to cover their expenses up front in order to attend. Please read below for scholarship criteria, logistics, and a link to apply.

Scholarship Details and Criteria:

To be eligible for a scholarship from the Children’s Commission, applicants must handle civil child welfare cases. Preference is given to judges who have larger percentages of their docket dedicated to child welfare cases. Additionally, all scholarship recipients must agree to complete a post-event survey from the Children’s Commission. Early applications are strongly encouraged due to the limited number of scholarships.

This scholarship takes the form of reimbursed registration fees and allowable conference-related expenses, such as travel, lodging, and meals, up to $2,000 total. Any additional expenses must be covered by the scholarship recipient.

Scholarship Notification and Travel Logistics:

The Children’s Commission will notify all applicants of their scholarship status by November 21, 2025. Scholarship recipients are required to self-register for the conference and make individual travel arrangements, including hotel reservations. Confirmed scholarship recipients may submit for reimbursement of eligible expenses upon conclusion of the conference. For information regarding eligible travel expenses, please review the Commission’s travel reimbursement guidelines.

Please also note the following important dates:

• The early bird registration rate ends on January 16, 2026, and
• NCJFCJ’s final date to cancel registration is March 6, 2026, with a $100 fee.

Scholarship recipients are responsible for monitoring the NCJFCJ’s cancellation policies and cancelling their own registration and travel plans in a timely manner, should they become unable to attend. The Children’s Commission cannot offer reimbursement to those who incur costs and do not attend. More information on NCJFCJ’s cancellation policy is available on the registration webpage.

All scholarship recipients are responsible for monitoring notices and emails from the event organizer. The Children’s Commission is not affiliated with the event and may not be aware of notices issued by the event organizer regarding cancellation policies, CLE notices and reporting rules, notices or policies regarding COVID-19, etc.

For questions regarding this scholarship, please contact the Children's Commission at CCscholarships@txcourts.gov.

Application Link and Deadline to Apply:

Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2025. This scholarship is now closed.

For more information, please visit the Commission's Texas Board of Specialization webpage.