THE TENNESSEAN
A judge decided in 2001 that Tennessee's children needed protection from the very agency tasked with protecting them. But nine years later, the group that sued for federal monitoring of the state's child welfare system says Tennessee is almost ready to break free of outside oversight.
The New York-based Children's Rights on Wednesday filed a plan in federal court that paves the way for the Tennessee Department of Children's Services to regain full control of its operations and policy without court monitoring. The plan would allow DCS to be free of the class-action lawsuit ruling if it can meet and maintain all plan goals for 12 straight months.
The move marks a dramatic turnaround in an agency that critics said once warehoused and mistreated abused and neglected children.
"When we filed this lawsuit back in 2000, this agency was grossly mismanaged, overburdened and out of control. It was routinely harming the very kids it was supposed to protect," said Ira Lustbader, associate director of Children's Rights. "I think the latest report really illustrates the progress DCS has made with strong leadership, adequate resources and a real commitment to reform for at least the past five to six years."
Gov. Phil Bredesen said in a statement that the plan is a testament to the state's hard work in overhauling a once-broken system.
"We set out to do the hard work it would take to reshape this department, and today DCS is one of the few state child-welfare departments in the nation to become accredited," Bredesen said. "As we begin preparing to exit from the consent decree, we can mark this as one of the significant accomplishments we have made in Tennessee."
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