The Tennessean and other state news organizations have called upon the Department of Children's Services to open its records on child fatalities. The department denied the request.The Tennessee Department of Children's Services refused to provide The Tennessean with complete records regarding child deaths today, Tuesday, Dec. 18 - the day the newspaper set as a deadline for the department to make the files public.
The newspaper repeatedly has asked for an accounting of how 31 children, who had been reported to the state's child protection agency, died in the first six months of this year.
In the past three months, the newspaper has made multiple requests for records that would show what the $650 million child welfare agency did - or did not do - to protect those children. On Nov. 28, the newspaper's attorney again asked for the records.