Former DCS Employee Speaks Out

by Mikaya Thurmond Tennessee's Department of Children's Services has come under fire recently... for the number of children dying in its care. One former employee is sharing her frustrations and concerns.Robin Harris used to work at the department of children services. I just feel like the department is not doing their job, says Harris. The department reports 200 children died in their care over the past 4-years. But there are allegations several more kids may have died. Lawyers for DCS say the agency's files are so scattered in dozens of offices throughout the state, that it's difficult to collect the information and make it public. Harris says with all of that going on at work, I had to quit.Harris couldn't take seeing the mishandling of cases and ultimately quit, but she wasn't the only one. After facing mounting criticism over how DCS handled the cases, the commissioner over the Department, Kate O'Day, announced her resignation. With a husband deployed with the Army in Jordan, Harris says she wanted to jump in a fight of her own to protect the children that she says have been dis-served. She hopes that by speaking out, she will urge the department to keep better track of the children and their safety.