COMPTROLLER UNCOVERS SHORTCOMINGS AND SAFETY ISSUES IN CHILDREN’S SERVICES
A 200-page performance audit released on December 16, 2025, by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury highlighted significant management shortcomings in the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS), covering the period from September 1, 2022, to September 20, 2025.
The report identified nearly 10 findings, six observations, and two matters for legislative consideration, including inadequate oversight in the Special Investigations Unit leading to untimely and insufficient investigations of child abuse by authority figures, failure to conduct timely face-to-face visits with victims, notify teams of severe allegations, complete safety assessments, or make substantiation decisions promptly.
It also noted DCS’s failure to publicly disclose child near-fatality information since October 2023, with 58 cases pending review due to a staffing gap in physician reviews until August 2025, and inadequate support for children with complex mental health needs, resulting in prolonged stays in substandard transitional housing—such as the Davidson County facility observed with mattresses on floors, wall holes, graffiti, overcrowding, and inconsistent supervision and reporting.
While acknowledging improvements in areas like child abuse hotline wait times, staff turnover, and risk assessments compared to the 2022 audit (where five prior findings were resolved, four partially addressed, and four repeated), DCS responded by emphasizing long-standing challenges, ongoing progress under Governor Lee, and commitment to better outcomes, with Commissioner Margie Quin crediting staff and partners for meaningful advancements since 2022. Auditors presented the findings at a public hearing that day.
