The responsibility for licensing children’s programs, agencies, group homes, institutions or any other entity serving children that requires a license by law in Tennessee is as follows:

(1) The department of children’s services shall license or approve and supervise child abuse agencies, child caring institutions, child placing agencies, detention centers, family boarding or foster care homes, group care homes, maternity homes and temporary holding resources. Not later than January 1, 1999, the department shall develop and implement standards to ensure that children in foster care placements in public or private agencies are provided quality services that protect the safety and health of the children. Exceptions to the department’s licensing responsibilities concerning the aforementioned categories are contained in § 37-5-503;
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 37-5-109

  • Child: means :
    (i) A person under eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 37-5-103
  • Department: means the department of children's services. See Tennessee Code 37-5-103
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(2) The department of human services shall license or approve and supervise child care centers, family child care homes and group child care homes. Exceptions to the department’s licensing responsibilities concerning the aforementioned categories are contained in § 71-3-503;
(3) The department of mental health and substance abuse services shall license or approve and supervise any institution, treatment resource, group residence, boarding home, sheltered workshop, activity center, rehabilitation center, hospital, community mental health center, counseling center, clinic, halfway house or other entity, by these or other names, providing mental health, intellectual disability or developmental disability services, respectively, or as required by title 33, chapter 2, part 4. Exceptions to the licensing responsibilities of the department of mental health and substance abuse services concerning the aforementioned categories are contained in § 33-2-403;
(4) Any programs or portions of programs, or any place, home, facility, institution or other entity that is otherwise subject to licensure or approval by any other agency as required by law, shall continue to be licensed or approved by that agency unless notified to the contrary by the department of children’s services; and
(5) Subject to the exemptions set out in § 37-5-503, and pursuant to promulgated rules and regulations, the department will license or approve or supervise any entity that provides residential services to children and is not otherwise subject to licensure, approval, certification or supervision by any other agency as required by state law.
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