NOTE: POST A MESSAGE TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS!

WHEREAS, in 2000 there were 1,398,521 Tennesseans under the age of eighteen - about 25 percent of the population; and

WHEREAS, from 1984 to 1993, new commitments to state custody increased steadily prior to the implementation
of prevention programs and more concerted efforts to avoid state custody; and

WHEREAS, until 1995, the number of children actually in state care at the end of each fiscal year continued to
increase faster than the new commitments indicating that children were staying in state care for longer periods of time as a result of inadequate prevention and reunification services; and

WHEREAS, in 1996 the number in care at the end of the fiscal year actually began a steady decline; however, over
10,000 children are still in custody at any given time; and

WHEREAS, in 1996, services for children in or at risk of state custody and their families were consolidated from
several departments of state government when the Department of Children’s Services was created in an effort to reduce overlapping responsibility, uncoordinated planning and priority setting, lack of coordination in service access and delivery, poor administration of contracts with service providers, and minimal sharing of professional expertise and training resources among departments although the client population and services were similar; and

WHEREAS, the diffusion of responsibility historically prevented a clear focus for accountability to the Governor,
The General Assembly, and the public; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Children's Services legislation established the following purpose: “Through the
department of children's services, the state of Tennessee government, in cooperation with juvenile courts, local communities, schools, and families will strive to provide timely, appropriate, and cost-effective services for children in state custody and at risk of entering state custody so these children can reach their full potential as productive, competent and healthy adults"; and

WHEREAS, even with consolidation of these services, there remains a substantial need for collaboration and
coordination of services across state departments and with local government and private agencies; and

WHEREAS, even with the recent changes, Tennessee still spends approximately three times as much on out-of-
home services as on prevention; and

WHEREAS, the interfaces between and among the Department of Children's Services, the TennCare Bureau, the
Department of Mental Health and TennCare Partners, the Department of Human Services (specifically - child care and public assistance), the Department of Health, (especially substance abuse services), and the Department of Education present challenges and opportunities for improving services to children and their families; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to establish a “system of care” with a “no wrong door” approach to make it easier to
provide collaborative, coordinated services for children who need publicly funded services, especially when they need services from multiple agencies, and removing the barrier of children and their families being sent from agency to agency; and

WHEREAS, by Executive Order in 2003, Governor Bredesen established the Children’s Cabinet and charged it
with, “coordinating and streamlining the state’s efforts to provide needed services to Tennessee’s children, both inside and outside of state custody;” and

WHEREAS, the Brian A. child welfare and John B. Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment
(EPSDT) federal court consent decrees have outlined requirements for substantial improvements needed in the child welfare system in Tennessee; and

WHEREAS, the TN Commission on Children and Youth plays a key role through system monitoring/evaluation of
the delivery of services to children in state custody and their families; and

WHEREAS, the Tennessee General Assembly’s Select Committee on Children and Youth has a critical role in
providing legislative focus and leadership on children's issues; and

WHEREAS, the Tennessee House of Representatives Children and Family Affairs Committee focuses on the
needs of children and families; and

WHEREAS, there remains a need for continuous improvement of services for children in or at risk of state custody
and their families;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that TCSW continue to support a realistic approach to coordinated
state and local delivery of services to children and their families, and which encompasses the following principles:
• services should enable the child to remain at home whenever possible and encourage family responsibility and support;
• services should focus on prevention and early intervention, and include the family preservation services and
coordination with Families First;
• when out of home services are unavoidable, those services should be provided in as close proximity as possible to the child's usual residence;
• services should provide placement in the least restrictive and least costly setting consistent with the child's needs;
• services should include timely permanency planning hearings;
• services should empower the child and family and should promote involvement by the family in planning, policy development, and treatment;
• services should be provided in a culturally competent manner and should meet the special, unique needs of children and their families;
• services should preserve confidentiality, integrity, and self-determination of children and their families;
• services should be provided in such ways as to ensure quality, accountability, and cost efficiency;
• services should be monitored by an entity outside the Department of Children's Services to identify outcomes for children, service system strengths and efficiencies, and to provide qualitative and quantitative date for continuous system improvement;
• contracts for services should be performance based and move toward payment of actual cost of care;
• funding, responsibility, and accountability should be regionalized and regionalization should include the development and implementation of community partnerships with local governments and private agencies that encourage local communities to assume responsibility for their children;
• integration of services provided by the Department of Children's Services, the TennCare Bureau, and the TennCare Partners Program should ensure consistency in policies, procedures, and forms; and
• collaborative, interagency training should be provided regionally for staff of the Department of Children's Services, its Community Service Agencies, contract agencies, vendors, and courts, to ensure a cohesive and united effort to make the Department of Children's Services successful for all children: and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that TCSW monitor the Department of Children’s Services, the Children’s Cabinet, all efforts to develop a system of care, the activities of the Select Committee on Children and Youth, and other legislative oversight committees; and that TCSW participate in appropriate efforts to plan and implement statewide solutions to the problems in the delivery of children's services and continue its advocacy for culturally sensitive training, a coordinated service delivery system for children and their families, and for additional funding for prevention programs statewide.