O’Day Resigns as Commissioner of Tennessee Department of Children’s Services

O’Day Resigns as Commissioner of Tennessee Department of Children’s Services

Kate O’Day resigned as Commissioner of the Tennessee Dept. of Children’s Services

After two years at her Nashville post protecting Tennessee’s children from abuse and neglect, Kate O’Day resigned as commissioner of the Dept. of Children’s Services (DCS). On February 5, Governor Bill Haslam announced O’Day’s resignation, tapping James M. Henry to serve as DCS interim commissioner. Commissioner Henry also heads the Dept. of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD).

In his press release, Governor Haslam noted that the oft criticized O’Day was “concerned that she had become more of a focus than the children the department serves.” He thanked O’Day for her service to Tennesseeans: “She has done a lot of good work in identifying longstanding problems that have hampered the [DCS], and we will build on those efforts as we move forward.”

Protecting Tennessee’s Most Vulnerable Children

Even though the DCS appointment is temporary, Commissioner Henry has his hands full. Not only is he the first commissioner of the recently formed DIDD, the systemic problems at DCS have garnered national attention.

The DCS needs to better track the Tennessee children in its custody, those whose lives and health are jeopardized by acts of negligence or child abuse. These are our most vulnerable children, they’ve been removed from abusive and neglectful circumstances for their health and protection. But between January 2009 and July 2012, there were reportedly 151 child fatalities in the DCS caseload – children in the legal custody of the state who died from natural causes, exposure to drugs, gunshot wounds, bone fractures and other injuries. In the first half of 2012, there were reportedly 31 child deaths.

Only weeks ago a Tennessee Chancellor ordered the department to release redacted records for over 200 child fatalities and near fatalities since the start of 2009. The order followed an FOIA request from a dozen news organizations, including The Associated Press and The Tennessean.

To tarnish the DCS’ image further, it admitted to being unable to provide an accurate count of the child fatalities that occurred since 2011. To address what may have been a case of human error, the Governor recently appointed a senior advisor to review the department’s system of case tracking.

The department’s troubles didn’t start in 2011 with O’Day’s appointment. The DCS has been operating under a consent order, having agreed to third-party monitoring of its foster care system. That monitoring led to discovery of nine overlooked child deaths since O’Day took over.

The Governor’s proposed 2013-2014 $32.7 billion budget plan would increase the DCS budget by $6.7 million to improve the department’s operations and address staffing needs.

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