The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) is set to receive $107 million in additional funding after the State Building Commission approved funds to design the new Woodland Hills and John S. Wilder youth development centers, as well as renovations and construction of assessment and intake facilities.
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The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services told a Tennessee legislative committee, that they have been forced to bring in armed security and highway patrol due to the number of high-risk youth that are forced to sleep in state offices, because of the lack of beds at juvenile detention centers.
DCS Commissioner, Margie Quin, told lawmakers, “Because of the limitations on available beds, there are about 11-15 juvenile justice youth in local DCS offices awaiting appropriate placement. DDS offices are being utilized because local detention centers are at capacity.”
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Republicans continue to shepherd legislation through the Tennessee General Assembly to protect faith-based child placement agencies against discrimination for exercising their religious liberties provided by the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. State Rep. Tim Rudd (R-TN-34) and Sen. Mark Pody (R-TN-17) are the sponsors. The bills are HB 836 and SB 1304. The tracking information is here. The legislation passed recently in the State House by a 67-22 vote. It has been placed on the final calendar of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is expected to be heard either this week or the week of April 23. “The legislation simply states that a private child placement agency that provides a written statement of their religious beliefs and policies that are within that allowed by federal law shall not be sued or (discriminated) against by the state or local government when applying for a license, grants or contracts,” Rudd said in a press release. Co-sponsor State Rep. John Ragan (R-TN-33) said, “This legislation does not change how public or private child placement agencies currently operate or place children. It simply gives protections for agencies exercising their First Amendment liberties.” Rudd said, “This legislation does not prevent or enable adoptions against any group. It…
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Some people may not know it, but if you see or know of waste, fraud of abuse in the local or Tennessee state governments then you can call a special hotline to report it. Tennessee Comptrollers discussed this Fraud, Waste & Abuse hotline — and the results gained from tipsters — in their 2018 Annual Report, released this week. The hotline received 870 notifications between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018. Comptrollers said 521 of those calls had merit and were investigated, according to the report. Among only a few of them: • Bid Rigging and Bribery: The notification alleged two employees of the University of Tennessee Athletic Department accepted entertainment from a potential vendor and imposed restrictive bid requirements that inhibited competition. Officials recommended the university require and document periodic training related to the Employee Gift Acceptance Policy. • Inappropriate Actions by a State Employee: The notification alleged a Department of Children’s Services employee tried to influence a local election by campaigning for a friend while conducting an assessment for the state. The review substantiated the allegation, and the case was placed in review for approval. After approval, officials will place it in external review for further consideration, according to the…
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