This article is from Tennessee Lookout

After more than a year of intense scrutiny over the mistreatment of kids in the care of the Department of Children’s Services, a proposal to require the agency to be more transparent is receiving bipartisan support.

A bill by Democrats Sen. Jeff Yarbro, of Nashville and Rep. Dwayne Thompson of Shelby County would require the agency to publicly post its statistics on child abuse, neglect, foster care and adoption.

The federal government already requires the department to report similar data to the U.S. Children’s Bureau, but it is not immediately available to Tennessee residents. The Children’s Bureau reports on state-by-state child welfare statistics often lag by two or more years.

The bill does not impose a deadline for DCS to report similar information on its website.

“This is a means of ensuring that there’s more transparency and visibility in our state department and to make sure we continue to invest in the children of our state and provide extra transparency to the public in how we do that,” Thompson told lawmakers on the Children and Family Affairs legislative committee Tuesday, where it received unanimous approval.

DCS leaders have been required to appear in person before Tennessee lawmakers once each quarter since a December 2022 by the Tennessee Comptroller.

The report revealed a host of egregious and — in many instances — abusive conditions that children faced after being removed from homes in which they were suspected of being abused or neglected.

DCS officials will next appear before lawmakers on Wednesday.

_ Anita Wadhwani