Tennessee Children Will No Longer Be Housed In DCS Offices, Religious Groups Credited For Change

Image Credit: Screengrab from capitol.tn.gov

The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –

Children are no longer sleeping at Department of Children’s Services (DCS) offices, except for those in Shelby County, according to the department’s Commissioner Margie Quin.

The commissioner expressed that she was, “very pleased we no longer have children sleeping in offices in East and Central Tennessee.”

Previously, children awaiting placement in foster homes or facilities after being taken into custody by DCS were in fact, sleeping in office buildings.

These were children resuming DCS custody after being in a previous foster home, children taken from their homes after neglect or abuse allegations towards their parents or guardians, and children coming under DCS custody after running into trouble with the law.

Overnight stays in DCS offices have been implemented for years now, with variation in practice across the state. While some offices were properly set up with beds and private rest areas, some children were only provided with chairs or the floor. Either way, the office spaces were and are zoned commercial, not residential and children should be sleeping in homes, not offices.

Those even vaguely familiar with the foster care system know that while some children have no problem being placed in a home or care facility, older children or those with behavioral and/or mental health problems are often difficult to place and end up staying at department offices for weeks on end.

Last October it was reported that Tennessee children spent a total of 1,134 total nights in department offices from April to September of that year. 

Quin largely credited religious groups for this major step in the right direction.

Nonprofit groups like Isaiah 117 House are part of the reason why within 30 to 60 days, children in Shelby County will no longer be sleeping at DCS offices and will instead be residing in transitional homes or houses.

Also concerning this issue, Gov. Bill Lee’s administration has requested a $193 million budget increase for the Department of Children’s Services.

They requested $62 million to replace the department’s case management software and $39 million to increase the rates paid to providers that offer residential and clinical services to children in state custody.

Another $15 million was requested to increase case manager salaries which Quin said is already paying dividends for the department in terms of case manager recruitment. The department has been able to hire 142 new staff since the beginning of this year, lowering the number of case manager vacancies from 620 to 410 since last September.

An additional $11 million was also requested to secure a two-year contract for privatized case management. 

This arrangement would be temporary, as according to Quin the department does not aim to fully privatize Tennessee’s Case Management system. However, the hope is that these budget increases will help avoid housing children in offices again, as more children filter through the system over time and all the currently available housing options become occupied.

About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.