About a third of Tennessee foster children are placed in three or more homes in their first year in state custody, according to a report released Jan. 11 by the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth.

That’s the highest rate of “instability” in the United States, TCCY’s State of the Child 2022 report says, and more than double the national average.

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States remove child victims of abuse and neglect from their homes to protect them from further harm. The report found 33.7% of kids in Tennessee’s foster system were placed in three or more homes in their first 12 months; the national average is 14.9%.

That instability puts children at greater risk of compounding trauma.

“Tennessee struggles with foster care instability at a level not seen in the rest of the country,” the report states.

“Tennessee has had the highest rate of foster care instability in the nation every year from 2016-2020. In 2020, Puerto Rico had the closest instability rate at 25.9 percent compared to Tennessee’s 33.7 percent.”

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This report, by a state agency, follows extensive reporting by news organizations, state audits and legislative hearings on the crisis facing the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.

TCCY’s report finds that fewer children in foster care are being placed in neighborhoods and communities, and more are being placed in “development centers” or “JJ (juvenile justice) enhanced/staff secure” facilities.

In 2018, 74% of placements were community-based. By 2021, that had fallen by nearly half, to 38%. In 2021, more than half — 51% — were in development centers or secure facilities. Other outcomes that year included jail (9%), runaway (1%) and miscellaneous (1%).

“Maintaining connections to their family and community is a critical component of the rehabilitation of youth. Engaging the family and community as a partner has been shown to help reduce recidivism,” the report states. “This becomes extremely challenging when youth are placed in facilities across the state, or even out of state.”

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“Community placements with a wide array of services should be readily available for any child in need, with detention as a last resort. When detention is necessary small community-based facilities with extensive treatment should be used. Research has shown that the negative impact of institutionalization is more likely to affect adolescents at low risk for re-offending.”

The report was funded in part by The Annie E. Casey Foundation.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Bill Lee did not respond to a request for comment.

Turnover among staff is among the biggest issues facing the department, and caseload caps can make the job more manageable. But a case maximum also functions as a hiring mandate for the department.

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DCS operated more effectively under a federal consent decree that included such caps. After that federal oversight ended in early 2019, workloads ballooned for caseworkers. DCS Commissioner Margie Quin has asked for caseload caps in workers’ first year on the job, but not after that. She has requested higher pay for those workers to reduce a “horrific” turnover rate.

Quin also wants to temporarily contract out some cases to private providers as the department attempts to hire and retain workers. She said in December that the department can’t have caseload caps until it has enough staff.

Lee gave workers a significant raise last year and has appeared open to Quin’s requests, including for another raise, but he didn’t commit to case maximums.

“We have a responsibility as a state to make sure we’re serving these kids well,” he told reporters in November. “We want this to work.”

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Tennessee Democrats called for immediate reforms and investment in DCS.

“We know schools with fully funded wrap-around services, smart criminal justice reform and well-resourced agencies can make an enormous difference in the long-term potential of a child,” state Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) said in a statement.

“Investing in our children is investing in the future success of our state,” Akbari said. “If Tennessee continues to ignore the needs of kids and young families today, we’ll pay for it down the road.”

State Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) and Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) have been the most vocal critics of the Lee administration’s management of DCS. Johnson has unsuccessfully sponsored legislation that would cap the number of cases each DCS worker has to manage.

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State Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis) said the crisis is ultimately in Republicans’ hands.

“The well-being of our children is essential to our future,” she said in a statement, “and our caucus is going to hold the majority accountable until we start seeing better results for our kids.”