Youth Minds United (YMU), a Memphis and youth-led advocacy organization, wants the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) to better prioritize the safety of young people, and called for policy change and reform.
YMU released a statement saying that the department’s current structure does not prioritize young people or their mental health. “As young people, the biggest hurdle is mental health,” YMU said. “The current DCS system, however, only further harms young people by not ensuring their safety, diminishing the stories of youth, and prioritizing adults over the youth they are supposed to protect.”
To combat these inequities, YMU made a number of recommendations to existing DCS systems. Requests include shifting to unannounced visits or child-first contact in high risk cases, stricter confidentiality guidelines, multi-source investigations, and body cam requirements for child protective service (CPS) workers.
Organizers recommended a shift to unannounced visits in high risk situations to ensure “nothing can be hidden from case workers.” They also asked for private and protected interviews for young people to ensure their perspective. YMU also recommended edits to the system’s visitation guide, case closure protocol, and more.
“Lastly, we recommend that a new policy be added that gives each young person a Tennessee Department of Children’s Services advocate,” YMU said. “This is to ensure that the youth’s wants and needs are not pushed aside and are made the main focus.”
The youth advocacy group has long been vocal about the need for increased resources for young people in Memphis. In early May, the group released a statement to city and county leaders, community partners, and city residents on behalf of Memphis’ youth.
“Every day children are facing battles at home that no one sees,” the statement said. “Not all harm leaves bruises. Some of it lives in the mind, in the heart, and in the fear that keeps young people from speaking out.”
Youth leaders said existing systems do not prioritize mental and emotional abuse in the same way physical abuse is. They called for city and county officials and leaders to “step forward” and stand with them on behalf of child protection.
The call asked for urgency from CPS to make sure no investigation is “rushed, dismissed, or overlooked.” They also asked for more mental health services and support to address emotional and pyschological harm.
“We are committed to truth, transparency, accountability, and building a stronger future for all young people,” YMU said.
YMU is not the only group to point out deficiencies in the agency. In 2025 the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury released a performance audit on the agency and found they neglected to initiate prompt and adequate investatigations on child abuse.
The audit found that these issues stemmed from leadership and oversight issues. The comptroller found that administrative delays contributed to inaccurate reporting on child deaths and near-death experiences. These included delayed supervisory and physician reviews.
Auditors also found staff exhibited sympathy towards alleged perpetrators.
“Management must strengthen its investigative oversight of Child Protective Services to ensure staff meet key timelines for investigating child abuse and neglect,” the audit said.