NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – A foster family members has occur to Information4 Investigates with documentation that a feminine kid, with a substantiated claim of sexually abusing yet another baby, was put in their home by the point out department of children companies ahead of they were instructed of her background.
The household promises that the youngster then sexually abused their daughter. It is the most up-to-date discovery in an ongoing Information4 Investigates where foster mother and father have documentation of DCS not disclosing the historical past of violent or sexually intense foster kids placed in their properties.


He came into their household at fifteen-12 months-previous, tattooed on his arms and neck, regarded as by the point out office of children’s services as an emergency placement.
Our investigation also uncovered how young children with bigger menace ranges are currently being put with foster households not properly trained to manage their certain desires.
Former DCS employee: Company is positioning violent youngsters with untrained households
Whilst a DCS spokesman mentioned they could not remark on distinct circumstances, Commissioner Jennifer Nichols explained to Information4 Investigates in Oct 2020 that the situations we’ve uncovered were being ahead of her administration.
But the foster spouse and children, who requested we guard their identification due to the fact their daughter is a minor, explained their placement agent, which is contracted with DCS, place a foster baby in their house in early October 2020.
“We’re 1 of all those (households). We would take them all if we could. We adore carrying out it,” explained the father of the family members.
Prior to the foster boy or girl arrived, the father said they were being distinct which placement they would not settle for.
“That was violent little ones that had been aggressively violent. And sexually aggressive kids. They assured us that we didn’t have to fear about that,” the foster father mentioned.
When the ten-calendar year-outdated lady was placed with them in early Oct, they understood she experienced been sexually abused.
But their spouse and children is thought of “therapeutic,” that means they experienced acquired coaching to assistance young children with special troubles.
It was only just after the girl experienced been with the household for several days did they receive an electronic mail that she had been investigated a calendar year earlier.
That e-mail showed an investigation located allegations that the lady sexually touching another child were being substantiated as a result of a special investigations device in July 2019.
The father and mom of the foster family members mentioned that DCS did not notify them or their placement agent about the girl’s heritage till after she experienced frequently been amid their kids.
The household reported their 6-year-aged daughter shortly arrived to them with a troubling story.
“(The) other small woman stated, ‘This is our mystery. You cannot explain to any individual,’” the father stated.
Each the father and the mother of the household told Information4 Investigates that their daughter then thorough abuse at the hands of the 10-yr-aged foster youngster.”
“When you very first hear it – you are like – genuinely upset,” the foster father explained.
“Do you sense that the state is not becoming transparent enough for dad and mom like you?” asked News4 Investigates.
“I really feel that the condition is putting kids and not being 100 p.c sincere about their backgrounds,” the father claimed.
When Commissioner Jennifer Nichols eventually agreed to speak with Information4 Investigates about other foster families’ problems final October, she indicated their scenarios were just before her administration.
“The families that you are speaking appear with cases there ended up from several years in the past,” Nichols claimed in the job interview.
The alleged sexual abuse of the small girl, in this scenario, transpired soon after our interview with the commissioner.
“That’s a huge oversight,” mentioned Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville. She sits on a point out committee that reviewed DCS procedures and guidelines.
In December, that committee blasted DCS for an audit that identified DCS caseworkers ended up at instances confused.


A scathing audit from the Tennessee Comptroller’s Place of work reflects problems felt by foster people across the condition that much too numerous caseworkers are overburdened with instances.
Johnson mentioned what happened to the tiny female is proof that the agency’s issues are not in the past.
“The commissioner desires to solution for that – and explain how it is in no way heading to come about once more,” Johnson explained.
News4 Investigates regularly questioned for one more interview with the commissioner and shared the family’s e-mail.
Rob Johnson, a spokesman for DCS, explained the Commissioner is prohibited, by state legislation, from speaking about individual conditions.
Johnson did e-mail a statement, professing the family members is sharing completely wrong details and that the 10-yr-outdated woman has never ever been substantiated for sexual conduct.
“In this occasion, the department’s comprehensive documentation does not assistance assertions built to the reporter by the foster mother and father. Our report shows that case supervisors closely adopted section coverage on disclosure needs and foster-father or mother thought prior to the kid’s placement, all in the curiosity of discovering a great supportive property. The 10-yr-previous foster little one has hardly ever been substantiated for sexual actions. DCS strongly disputes this and other assertions the foster mother and father shared with WSMV. Whilst the foster parents under no circumstances contacted us directly, we did get in touch with and electronic mail them in an try to share our information and facts. DCS policy needs a foster kid’s historical past, if available, to be talked about with foster mom and dad prior to placement, and foster mother and father have the possibility to make an knowledgeable conclusion on their willingness to accept the placement of a foster child.
Relating to your concerns about adhere to-up investigations in this kind of cases, critical abuse allegations are handled by a staff, not by DCS alone. A Youngster Security Investigative Crew incorporates DCS investigators, forensic interviewers from the local Youngster Advocacy Middle, in addition representatives from the district lawyer general’s business office and regulation enforcement, all of whom share details and evaluate evidence at CPIT conferences,” Johnson emailed.
Johnson claimed he could not comment even more on the email shared with the family that indicated the female had been investigated and that the accusations of sexual abuse ended up substantiated.
In December, the point out committee voted, regardless of the audit, to enable DCS to keep on with no even more oversight. Johnson voted towards it.
That identical thirty day period, the foster father said his daughter began procedure for sexual intercourse abuse.
“(A) six-yr-previous is telling us things that a 6 12 months aged should really hardly ever know,” he reported.
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