Reprise on Open Records

DCS Open Records Requests: A Primer

Tennessee law enables state residents to have access to government records. And while in most cases, child- and case-specific DCS information must remain confidential under state law, the department is committed to being as open and responsive as it possibly can. In some instances, there are even ways for certain interested parties to gain access to child and family information.

T.C.A. 37-5-107 is the state law that defines what must remain confidential at DCS. Confidential information includes application, certificates, records, reports and all legal documents, petitions, and records identifying a child or family receiving services from the Department of Children’s Services.

Here is a link to the state's office of Open Records Counsel, where you can find more detailed descriptions of how to obtain government information, including proper forms, explanations of reasonable charges and rules for submitting requests.

Those wishing to request access to DCS records must make their initial requests to either the department's Communications Office or its General Counsel's office.

The mailing address for both is The Department of Children's Services; Seventh Floor, Cordell Hull Building; 436 Sixth Avenue North; Nashville, TN 37243-1290.

 The Communications Director is Rob Johnson. His e-mail address is rob.johnson@state.tn.us.

Stacy Miller -- stacy.miller@state.tn.us -- is the DCS General Counsel.