Image Credit: Governor Bill Lee / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
Governor Bill Lee signed legislation Thursday that will require the Department of Children’s Services to expedite the termination of parental rights for “substantial non-compliance.”
The new law states that the Department is required to file a petition for the termination of parental rights within 90 days if parents of children in foster care are not compliant with the terms outlined in the permanency plan created in the case.
It will then be up to a juvenile court judge to determine if there was “substantial non-compliance.”
House Representative Ed Butler (R-Rickman-District 41), sponsor of House Bill 1808 (HB1808), stated before the House that the legislation was intended to “fix a gap in the system” by eliminating the back-and-forth process experienced by children when parents are not complying with what they are asked to do.
Critics have expressed concern over the subjective language of the bill, with no clear statutory definition of “substantial non-compliance.”
Another troubling aspect is that the new law will reduce the amount of time that parents have to make progress in their case from almost 2 years down to six months. Opponents argue that this will “accelerate taking kids” instead of working to return them to their parents, leaving more kids in the foster care system long-term.
This could prove detrimental in cases where parents have been falsely accused or assessed by DCS, especially after last year’s new legislation signed by Governor Lee, increasing parents’ chances of being criminalized by DCS based on anonymous allegations.
Governor Lee could have vetoed the law; however, he has never used that power during his tenure as Governor.
9 Responses
This is not right! Having dealt with DCS for 4 years, DCS tells foster parents one thing and parents another. They’re a bunch of liars that don’t help the kids or their parents. Mine were family so I know what they were told and what was told to me was a lot of BS.
This is worrisome as it leaves the “non-compliance” completely up to the judge. I agree…there needs to be more structure in the law.
We need bumper stickers and t-shirts with “Tennessee the Nanny State” on them. DCS is communism and unconstitutional and abuses their power against Tennessee families.
Subjective ruling without recourse is never good. IMO
DCS are inept and useless (IMO) and they are under investigation by a task force created by the governor for failing to protect children. Doing ZERO investigative work, closing cases because “no one came to the door” etc. At my school we have been visited by investigators from said task force re: 2 different students whom we reported on and they DCS did nothing. Both cases are extreme so if this forces them to do their damned jobs, I’m all for it.
DCS are inept and useless (IMO) and they are under investigation by a task force created by the governor for failing to protect children. Doing ZERO investigative work, closing cases because “no one came to the door” etc. At my school we have been visited by investigators from said task force re: 2 different students whom we reported on and they DCS did nothing. Both cases are extreme so if this forces them to do their damned jobs, I’m all for it.
……and the story continues on .
Thankyou Brandon ,
22 yrs ago I wrote a story and published on the internet FORCED ILLEGAL ADOPTION of CHILDREN .
The story was about my family , my 2 little girls , found to be in the home of strangers . Commander of the Airforce and his wife . 1100 miles away , 17 months of back and forth driving from Orlando , Florida to Lafayette beginning in 1987 .
Their mother was from FT Wayne , Indiana . 13 months after our Divorce ; living in Orlando ( we were , not Indiana ) , I located my ex wife , and my children ; my ex wife certified NOT COMPETENT AS AN ADULT , the people who adopted her gave our children away , she was now going to PERDUE UNIVERSITY , and in process of another divorce .
That’ s the short story . You should see the transcript that had been given to a variety of colleges to use as teaching material . So much of it to be inaccurate information .
The case worker was very bad , and i was not allowed even one change of the case worker .
The attorneys were never working for me , but working for the State .
THANKS AGAIN BRANDON ! williamfdraper at skiff . com
Yup, the TN police state.
Bill Lee is a rino.