TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Feb 11, 2025

The Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS) says that nearly 100 children in state custody spent the night in DCS offices in 2024, despite the agency's two-year effort to shift kids into transitional homes. According to the Tennessean, DCS says the issue stems from a growing number of children with severe behavioral or medical needs who cannot safely be placed in temporary, transitional homes. The state's most severe DCS cases are largely concentrated in the Tennessee Valley region, which includes Hamilton, Bradley and Rhea counties, though it is not clear what is driving the influx, officials say.