To Report Abuse and Neglect contact the Department of Children's Service at :

TCA-37-1-403 and TCA-37-1-605 law requires all persons to make a report when they suspect abuse, neglect or exploitation of children.

Click here to watch the Department of Children's Services training on Child Sexual Abuse.

Click here to view who should report abuse and neglect.

What Happens in an Investigation?

The process of investigation can include talking with the alleged child victim (or observing a young, nonverbal child), parents and/or alleged perpetrator. CPS workers will gather pertinent medical and psychological information and will work with their counterparts in the medical, psychological, judicial and law-enforcement fields. The investigations can also include interviews of neighbors or friends who have knowledge of the child's situation.

The emphasis remains on constantly evaluating the risk to the alleged child victim during the entire investigative process.

In reports involving severe child abuse, DCS will notify the local district attorney and law enforcement offices. These include reports that involve a child's death or serious injury or situations involving torture, malnutrition and child sexual abuse.

Furthermore, Tennessee law requires local Child Protective Investigation Teams to review certain cases. The CPIT in each county includes representatives from DCS, the local district attorney general’s office, juvenile court, law enforcement and the mental-health profession.