Children's Services, Dept. of

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide specific details on penalties for non-compliance.

Children's Services Transparency Act

This bill requires the Department of Children's Services to release information about service providers they contract with and publish monthly reports on short-term placements for children in their custody.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the department to provide a list of all providers, inside and outside of Tennessee, with whom it has contracted over the past three fiscal years to house or supervise children and youth in state custody, excluding individual foster parents.
• Publishes details such as the number of youth served by each provider and whether they serve delinquent, dependent, or unruly youth.
• Releases information about licensing violations and enforcement actions for these providers.
• Requires monthly publication on its website of data related to short-term placements for children in custody.
• Includes yearly summaries of this information in the department's annual report.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Department of Children's Services
• Service providers contracted by the Department of Children's Services
• Children and youth in state custody

Terms To Know

Providers

Organizations or entities that provide services to children and youth under the care of the Department of Children's Services.

Short-term placements

Temporary housing for children while they wait for a permanent placement, such as hotels, shelters, or juvenile detention centers.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify the exact penalties for non-compliance with reporting requirements.
• It is unclear how this transparency will impact the operations of service providers and the Department of Children's Services.

Official Summary Text

On or by January 1, 2027,
this bill requires
the department
of children's services ("department") to
release
all of
the following information to the public:



A list of all providers, inside and outside of this state, with whom the department has contracted in the previous three fiscal years to house or supervise children and youth in state custody, excluding individual foster parents
.


The number of youth served by each provider
.


What agency or entity licenses or approves each provider
.


Whether each provider serves delinquent, dependent, or unruly youth
.


The scope of services and corresponding amount of money the department has paid to each provider, broken out by state and federal funding source
.


The number of licensing violations, including a brief description of the basis of the violation, enforcement actions, reported incidents, and abuse investigations for each provider.

On January 30, 2027, and the
30
th
day of each month thereafter,
this bill requires
the department
to
publish
all of the
following on its website:



The number of children in the department's custody that have stayed at least one night in a short-term or interim location that is unable to serve as a permanent placement, such as hotels, offices, shelters, transitional housing, respite, juvenile detention centers, hospitals, assessment centers, and any other place where children are housed while awaiting placement or transitioning between placements by the department
.


Information regarding the number and length of utilization of short-term or interim locations by type of location, age, region, and adjudication status. Data regarding the length of utilization must include, at a minimum, the average length of stay, total number of nights utilized, the longest stay during the reported time period, and the number of stays exceeding benchmarks under relevant statute, regulation, or policy
.


Information regarding the amount of overtime staff worked to supervise children in short-term or interim locations.

This bill requires the department to
consult with the comptroller of the treasury to develop measures for accurate and meaningful reporting of the data required by this
bill
.

The department must include a yearly summary of the information published
above
in its annual report.

On a semi-annual basis,
this bill requires
the department
to
publish a list of the locations utilized as short-term or interim placements, as well as a list of contractors utilized for the operation of these locations, including contracts or memorandums of understanding for use of space, supervision of children, a
nd security.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 2250
By Johnson

SENATE BILL 2401
By Yarbro
SB2401
012588
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37,
relative to the department of children's services.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37, Chapter 5, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following new section:
(a) On or by January 1, 2027, the department must release the following
information to the public:
(1) A list of all providers, inside and outside of this state, with whom the
department has contracted in the previous three (3) fiscal years to house or
supervise children and youth in state custody, excluding individual foster parents;
(2) The number of youth served by each provider;
(3) What agency or entity licenses or approves each provider;
(4) Whether each provider serves delinquent, dependent, or unruly
youth;
(5) The scope of services and corresponding amount of money the
department has paid to each provider, broken out by state and federal funding
source; and
(6) The number of licensing violations, including a brief description of the
basis of the violation, enforcement actions, reported incidents, and abuse
investigations for each provider.
(b) On January 30, 2027, and the thirtieth day of each month thereafter, the
department must publish the following on its website:

- 2 - 012588

(1) The number of children in the department's custody that have stayed
at least one (1) night in a short-term or interim location that is unable to serve as
a permanent placement, such as hotels, offices, shelters, transitional housing,
respite, juvenile detention centers, hospitals, assessment centers, and any other
place where children are housed while awaiting placement or transitioning
between placements by the department;
(2) Information regarding the number and length of utilization of short-
term or interim locations by type of location, age, region, and adjudication status.
Data regarding the length of utilization must include, at a minimum, the average
length of stay, total number of nights utilized, the longest stay during the reported
time period, and the number of stays exceeding benchmarks under relevant
statute, regulation, or policy; and
(3) Information regarding the amount of overtime staff worked to
supervise children in short-term or interim locations.
(c) The department must consult with the comptroller of the treasury to develop
measures for accurate and meaningful reporting of the data required by this section.
(d) The department must include a yearly summary of the information published
pursuant to subsection (b) in its annual report.
(e) On a semi-annual basis, the department must publish a list of the locations
utilized as short-term or interim placements, as well as a list of contractors utilized for the
operation of these locations, including contracts or memorandums of understanding for
use of space, supervision of children, and security.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.