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Every year, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services joins child welfare professionals across the U.S. in recognizing April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. All Tennesseans have a role to play in preventing child abuse, and DCS joins its partners across the state — including private providers, local and state agencies, non-profit organizations and houses of worship — to remind our communities and neighborhoods to help keep children safe.
One of the best strategies is supporting families before they reach a crisis. Across the state, DCS staff and our providers offer prevention and in-home services to support families. These include Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention programs and Resource Linkage staff who focus on families whose children are at risk of coming into state care. This page explores some of those resources and more.
Reporting child abuse isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the law. In Tennessee, everyone is required by state law to report knowledge or suspicions of child abuse or neglect.
The Tennessee Child Abuse Hotline takes these reports 24/7, 365 days a year. The number 877-237-0004. You can also make or track a report online by clicking here. Call 911 if there is a life-threatening emergency.