Report Child Abuse
To report child abuse or neglect in Tennessee please call the Child Abuse Hotline:
1-877-237-0004 or go to https://apps.tn.gov/carat/
​
​
Statistics
The average child in foster care is in the system for 22 months. CASA cuts that time in half. Children with a CASA volunteer do not get “forgotten” in the foster care system, they receive necessary services and medications and are less likely to return to the court system.
Approximately 70,000 citizens serve as CASA volunteers. Every year approximately, 280,000 abused and neglected children are served by CASA volunteers.
Lawyers, judges and social service caseworkers support CASA. CASA has been endorsed by the American Bar Association, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators. CASA is a major project of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority and Kiwanis.
​
Abused and Neglected Children in Tennessee
According to the Children's Bureau of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, in 2014 there was a total of 702,208 victims of child abuse and neglect in the US.
According to Kids Count 2014, there were 66,481 reported cases of child abuse and neglect in Tennessee.
Fact- According to the Tennessee Department of Children's Services Annual Report for fiscal year ending June 30, 2014 there were 8,008 children remaining in state custody. Of these children, 6,596 were in state custody due to abuse and neglect.
Fact- A 2012 report released by Prevent Child Abuse America funded by Pew Charitable Trusts estimated the annual cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States to be 80 billion dollars. This figure includes both direct and indirect costs of child abuse.
Fact- Federal law requires that juvenile and family courts appoint a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) in all cases of child abuse and neglect, who, in Tennessee, must be an attorney. CASA advocates who are volunteers may also be appointed by the court. See Tennessee Code Annotated 37-1-149.
Fact- The National CASA/GAL network consists of more than 1,000 programs in 49 states, whose more than 76,000 volunteers serve over 251,000 children every year.
Click here for more facts and statistics.