Committee debates DCS caseload caps; sponsor’s messaging bill fails in committee

Senator Campbell opened discussion on SB 21-11, saying Tennessee’s child welfare system faces overloaded caseloads and that evidence-based caseload standards would protect children and reduce worker burnout. She said some caseworkers currently manage "up to 50" cases and framed the bill as a messaging and policy move to reduce caseloads.

"This is a dangerous workload," Senator Campbell said, naming two consequences: children sleeping in transitional facilities or offices and caseworkers diverted from direct casework into supervision duties. She described the bill’s numeric caps — a maximum of 12 active cases for initial assessments and 20 children for ongoing services — and a 12-month target for case resolution with judicial oversight.

Jim Layman, legislative director for the Department of Children’s Services, told the committee the department had philosophical and fiscal objections. Layman testified that hiring enough staff to meet statutory caseload caps would have an estimated fiscal impact of roughly $16,000,000 and that a strict statutory cap and a 12‑month closure requirement would not, by itself, reduce caseloads without sustained hiring, retention, and operational changes.

"A case hard caseload cap is put into the law is not what will actually lower caseloads," Layman said. He described options used in practice — transitional homes, decisions against using hotels, and variability due to parental cooperation — and supplied approximate system counts (roughly "a little less than 7,800 total kids in foster care," with 30–40 children statewide in transitional settings on any given night).

Committee members pressed DCS on placement concentration, vacancy rates and retention. Layman said the case manager vacancy rate was around 13% and turnover roughly 30% year-over-year, down from much higher earlier figures.

After extended questions and closing remarks, the committee took a vote. The secretary recorded 4 ayes, 3 nos and one present-not-voting; Chairman Gordon Hire announced the bill "has failed" and "stays in committee." Senator Campbell said the bill was intended to send a message to the legislature about caseload attention, but the committee did not vote to advance the statutory change.

The transcript shows sustained concern among several senators about structural reform and the limits of passing a statutory cap without commensurate funding and workforce strategies.