TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Nov 12, 2024

The Department of Children's Services (DCS) is requesting $6 million to expand its contract with Youth Villages, whose “Intercept” program brings intensive three-day-per-week services into the homes of families in crisis to address problems that include parental substance abuse, kids in trouble at school and child neglect, reports the Tennessee Lookout. That is an increase of $189 million over last year's budget. DCS says it will use $6 million of the total to expand the program to families in rural Tennessee counties, saying those areas experience the highest rates of children being removed from their families. The additional funds in the request include $8 million for privately-contracted social workers, $41 million for residential care for kids with medical and psychiatric needs and $1.5 million for nurses.