Image: Department Commissioner Margie Quin Image Credit: Tennessee Department of Children’s Services / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
Last week, ten children with extra support needs in the custody of Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services (DCS) were placed in DCS offices instead of with families or in an appropriate facility.
When knowledge of the practice was made known four years ago, it was met with outrage from the public and legislators, but despite promises to put an end to children having to sleep in offices instead of homes, and extra funding from the state, the practice persists.
Department Commissioner Margie Quin who took charge of Tennessee’s DCS in 2022 recently faced pointed questions from lawmakers on the House Finance, Ways, and Means Committee as part of a scheduled review of the agency.
Quin insisted that the children and teens staying in offices are receiving similar care to other children taken into state custody but that those with juvenile violations or with higher medical and behavioral needs take longer to assess for appropriate placement.
While at an office, the children or youths are provided with daily showers, taken to school, see behavioral health specialists, and are overseen by case managers, sometimes with security in addition.
DCS says that it is because this cohort of minors cannot be safely placed with other children that they have been forced to house them in their offices. There is a shortage across the state of families and facilities that are equipped to handle children with needs of a more intense nature than is typical and some residential facilities will turn away children with some behavioral challenges or pending juvenile charges. Since housing children in hotels or other short-term rentals are not permitted, they are ending up in offices.
Circumstances regarding where these minors are sleeping in the offices has improved from four years ago when it was discovered that children were sleeping on floors with no bedding, blankets, or pillows.
In order to make a permanent end to the practice of office stays, DCS is working to open specialized facilities designed to take children with higher support needs, but there is no exact date for when this expansion of treatment capacity will begin operations and make office placements a thing of the past.
Quin has said that well it is unfortunate that these children and youth are not placed in a home-like environment from the start, that it is only a small number of minors that are affected.
When lawmakers asked for data during their meeting on the number of minors having to stay in offices, it was not made available immediately. One lawmaker also wants to know how many sexual assaults have taken place in offices, as well as temporary homes being run by churches and other nonprofits.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
2 Responses
Sounds like there is a lack of creative thinking…… GROK’s answer. ===> As of late October 2025, at least 10 such children were affected, a practice persisting since its exposure four years ago despite legislative funding and promises. DCS Commissioner attributes this to a severe shortage of specialized placements, as some children (e.g., those with juvenile violations) can’t be safely housed with others, and hotels/short-term rentals are prohibited. While conditions have improved (no more floor-sleeping without bedding), the office placements deny kids home-like environments, exacerbating trauma and violating principles of least-restrictive care under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).This issue stems from broader systemic strains: a foster family shortage, high DCS caseloads (up to 20+ cases per worker), facility closures without replacements, and a record number of children in custody (over 10,000 as of 2024). Similar problems include kids lingering in hospitals (up to 8+ months post-discharge) or group homes for disabled adults, as reported in ongoing lawsuits and audits. Recent class-action suits (e.g., May 2025 filing by 13 foster kids) accuse DCS of “widespread violations” like unsafe placements and inadequate support, with over $1.2 billion in annual funding failing to stem the tide.
Solving this requires a multi-pronged approach: immediate crisis management, long-term systemic reforms, and community involvement. Below, I outline evidence-based strategies drawn from expert reports (e.g., Disability Rights Tennessee’s “Families Not Facilities”), legislative proposals, and ongoing initiatives. These prioritize family preservation over institutionalization, as research shows kids thrive more in home/community settings (reducing recidivism by up to 50% per Youth Law Center data).1. Short-Term Crisis Interventions (Reduce Office/Hospital Placements Now) Expand Emergency and Transitional Housing Partnerships: Scale up collaborations with nonprofits like Isaiah 117 House, which provides temporary “receiving homes” for kids’ post-removal. DCS launched this in 2023, housing hundreds temporarily; allocate more of the $400M+ recent funding to replicate statewide. Also, contract with vetted short-term rentals or community hosts via platforms like Every Child TN (launched summer 2025), which uses AI-driven marketing to generate foster leads.
Immediate Funding Reallocation: Redirect portions of DCS’s $1.2B budget (e.g., from underused private facilities) to cover TennCare expansions for in-home services, preventing family separations. Lawmakers urged this in a 2022 letter to Gov. Bill Lee, noting interim action could end office warehousing without waiting for FY2026 budgets.
Hospital Discharge Protocols: Enforce ADA-compliant “step-down” plans to move medically cleared kids out within 10 days, partnering with hospitals for on-site caseworkers. A 2023 Chattanooga Times Free Press report noted 6–15-year-olds waiting 10 days to 7 weeks; tying DCS reimbursements to timely discharges could cut this by 70%.
2. Long-Term Systemic Reforms (Build Capacity and Prevention) Recruit and Retain Foster Families Specialized in Disabilities: Launch targeted campaigns via Every Child TN, offering stipends ($700–$1,000/month per child), training on behavioral needs, and tax credits. Aim for 1,000 new homes by 2027; a 2024 Tennessean audit showed partnerships with faith groups boosted recruitment 40%. Mandate DCS training on trauma-informed care to reduce turnover (nearly 50% in first year).
Cap Caseloads and Boost Staffing: Legislate limits (e.g., 12–13 cases per worker, as in failed 2022 bill) with $16M funding—far less than stadium subsidies. High caseloads (20% of workers exceed 20 cases) lead to errors; a 2020 state audit linked this to child deaths. Hire 500+ caseworkers via incentives, as proposed in Sen. Sara Kyle’s 2021 reforms.
Invest in Community-Based Services Over Facilities: Follow “Families Not Facilities” (2023 report by Disability Rights TN and Youth Law Center): Shift $400M from new “hardware secure” prisons to wraparound supports like in-home therapy, family counseling, and kinship care subsidies. This could keep 90% of at-risk kids out of custody, per report data showing DCS-youth justice overlap. Open specialized non-institutional centers (as Quin pledged) but cap at 20% of placements.
Improve Oversight and Data Systems: Upgrade DCS’s outdated database (plagued by failures for 10+ years) to track placements in real-time, reducing “lost” kids. Independent audits every 6 months, as in the 2022 Comptroller report, and family advocates from case start (Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver’s 2022 bill).
3. Policy and Legal Actions (Enforce Accountability) Support Ongoing Lawsuits: Back the May 2025 class-action suit against DCS for rights violations (e.g., education/healthcare denials) and the June 2025 disability detention case alleging “barbaric violence.” These could yield court-ordered reforms, like second medical opinions for removals (inspired by Texas models).
Legislative Push: Revive bipartisan bills in the 2026 session for caseload caps and family intervention programs. Join the Children’s Justice Act Task Force for better abuse prevention coordination across agencies (e.g., Mental Health, Education).
4. Community and Individual Involvement Become a Foster Parent or Advocate: Contact DCS or Every Child TN to train as a specialized foster family—background checks and support provided. Kinship caregivers (relatives) get priority; subsidies cover needs.
These steps aren’t quick fixes and can’t be fixed overnight. DCS’s “horrific turnover” and bed shortages persist.
In the county of McMinn a house called Isaiah House has been built to accommodate children who DCS has in their custody.
The home is prepared as a family home with a stock of Children’s clothes, attendants and rooms to make them as comfortable as possible. Isaiah House was built with donations, relies on volunteers for staff and needs donations for operation. Isaiah House
serves McMinn and Monroe Counties.