Gov. Lee Joins Trump Administration’s “A Home for Every Child” Initiative to Expand Foster Care Capacity and Strengthen Families
Governor Bill Lee announced the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) will join the Trump Administration’s “A Home for Every Child” initiative, a national effort led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to expand the number of foster families and improve outcomes for children.
The Governor signed a joint proclamation demonstrating Tennessee’s commitment to this whole-of-government approach to strengthen child welfare systems by focusing on prevention, stability, and long-term positive outcomes for children and families while reducing unnecessary administrative burden.
“Any time a child has to come into the state’s care, there should be a safe home ready to take them in,” said Gov. Lee. “Tennessee is proud to be among the first states to join this initiative, and I’m grateful for the Trump Administration’s leadership to support foster families and caregivers, find more people willing to step forward, and making sure children get the safety and stability they deserve.”
A Home for Every Child focuses on improving the foster home-to-child ratio while also reducing entries into foster care through effective prevention services when it is safe to do so.
“The Trump Administration commends Tennessee for stepping forward to join A Home for Every Child and advance meaningful reforms in child welfare that support children and families,” said ACF Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams. “Under Governor Lee’s leadership, there will be less children waiting on homes, and more homes waiting on children in Tennessee. ACF is proud to partner with the state and hopes others will follow their commitment.”
“This work is personal, and it is hard,” said Tennessee Department of Children’s Services Commissioner Margie Quin. “Our frontline staff and foster parents show up for children during some of the toughest moments of their lives. This partnership will help DCS stay focused on prevention and permanency, while using timely data to track what is working and where we need to adjust.”
Partnership with ACF and the Children’s Bureau
DCS will partner with ACF and the Children’s Bureau to support improvement work connected to the federal Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) process. Tennessee’s participation will focus on outcomes-driven goals to:
· Expand the number of licensed foster homes and retain current foster families
· Support kinship caregivers who can safely provide for a child
· Strengthen prevention services so families get help earlier and fewer children need to enter foster care
· Improve visibility into capacity and outcomes through more timely child welfare data and reporting
Tennessee’s work under this approach will include updated child welfare data and reporting expectations intended to provide more timely insight into key indicators related to foster home capacity and child outcomes.
Building on Tennessee’s ongoing work
DCS participation in the “A Home for Every Child” initiative builds on the Department’s current efforts to strengthen foster care and mobilize community support through Every Child TN.
Tennesseans who want to learn more about becoming a foster parent, supporting kinship care, or helping families impacted by foster care can visit the Every Child TN website.
More information about the federal “A Home for Every Child” initiative is available through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families.
