Children’s Services Calls Surge Amid Back-to-School

Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services is in the midst of a surge of calls to report concerns over child abuse or neglect. It’s typical for DCS’ call volume to spike each year as students return to school.

The main DCS intake number gets upwards of ten thousand calls each month. The count tends to dip by a couple thousand in summer, and come back strong in August. That’s when teachers start reporting things that may have gone unnoticed over the break.

Child Safety Executive Director Carla Aaron says in some households, kids spend about as many hours with teachers as with their parents. So Aaron says DCS depends on educators.

“They know these children, they see them day-in and day-out, and can really pick up on concerns or issues that may be going on in the home. They develop relationships with the children, and the children often feel safe and comfortable.”

State figures from the last few months show about one in three such calls turns into a case.