Download - Letter to Sen Crowe Re DCS
7/27/2019 Letter to Sen Crowe Re DCS
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LOWE FINNEYSENATOR
27TH SENATE DISTRICT
312 WAR MEMORIAL BUILDING
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37243
(615) 741-1810
(615) 253-0179 fax
DISTRICT ADDRESS:
312 EAST LAFAYETTE STREET
JACKSON, TENNESSEE 38301
(731) 424-0461
(731) 424-0562 fax
Tennessee State Senate NASHVILLE
DOUGLAS HENRYSENATOR
21st SENATE DISTRICT
321 WAR MEMORIAL BUILDING
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37243
(615) 741-3291
DISTRICT ADDRESS:
226 CAPITOL
BOULEVARD
NASHVILLE, TN 37219
June 4, 2013
Senator Rusty CroweChairman of the Senate Health & Welfare Committee
Dear Chairman Crowe:
As you recall, our committee heard from now-Commissioner Jim Henry of the Department
of Children’s Services several times throughout the legislative session on his efforts to
bring the necessary corrective actions to a very troubled department. Commissioner Henrywas kind enough to share an abundance of information with us and offered to make himself
available to the committee, which we accepted until we adjourned a few weeks ago.
Since session ended, new details continue to emerge about the performance of the
Department of Children’s Services over the last three years. We are confident that you
share with us a great concern for the children of Tennessee who are in the stat e’s custodyand subject to the care and direction of the department. We are also confident that you alsoshare with us a sense of relief that Commissioner Henry is filling the interim role. He
promised the legislature and our constituents that he would not simply be a placeholder but
that he would work to make the necessary improvements within the department before a permanent commissioner could be named by Governor Haslam.
Having said all of that, we think that it is appropriate that we ask Commissioner Henry to
join a special called meeting of the Health & General Welfare Committee to update thecommittee members on the improvements that have taken place and any new issues that
have arisen since his last appearance before the committee.
Please consider this letter a formal request that you convene the Senate Health & GeneralWelfare Committee for a special called meeting to hear from Commissioner Henry. We
know that the summer months are very busy for us, and we do not want to otherwise disrupt
the work of your committee staff. Likewise, we know that the Commissioner is makingseveral stops around the state to discuss various issues with DCS stakeholders, and we do
not want to interrupt his schedule or his mission in finding ways to improve the department.
However, we think a meeting, perhaps sometime after August 1st, would be appropriate,
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Senator Rusty Crowe
Chairman of the Senate Health & Welfare CommitteePage 2
and we are hopeful that you will agree to have the meeting sometime as we have requested
so that we can further learn from the Commissioner how we can help him make the
Department of Children’s Services an effective state agency and, more importantly, a safeand helpful caregiver to the children of Tennessee.
Please don’t hesitate to let us know if our office can help in any way on this or any other matter.
Very truly yours,
Senator Lowe Finney
Senator Douglas Henry
Cc: Commissioner Jim Henry
