Monday, February 23, 2026Good morning! 
Paige Pfleger
When the Tennessee legislature is in session, it feels like drinking from a fire hose. It’s hard to keep up with who is introducing what, and how likely bills are to make it into law, and ultimately, what impact it might have on everyday Tennesseans like you.This year, one particular piece of legislation stood out to me.
It’s a proposal that would allow kids in foster care to be placed in some of the most secure, jail-like facilities in the state — facilities typically reserved for kids who have committed crimes.
The proposal itself is alarming to lawyers and advocates.
And that alarm only grew when it turned out that the bill came from the very department that is tasked with caring for these kids.
WHAT TO KNOW
Photo: Rachel Iacovone / Unsplash
Research shows it is best practice to house foster kids with families or in communities. But that’s not the approach a new bill at the legislature would take. This bill was introduced by top Republicans, but it’s an administration bill — meaning it came from the governor’s office and the Department of Children’s Services.
At a hearing at the capitol, DCS Legislative Director Jim Layman explained why the department feels this legislation is necessary.
“We have an issue where we are receiving children into custody that are dependent and neglected. The court has ruled them dependent and neglected,” Layman said of kids placed in on the child welfare side of DCS.
“But their behaviors don’t match what you would think of as an abused or neglected or an abandoned child.”
He said that these foster care kids are hard to find placements for.
DCS has been under fire for years for keeping difficult-to-place youth in office buildings. A 2025 comptroller’s audit found one child slept in an office for more than 100 days while awaiting placement. This legislative push to funnel more kids into secure facilities comes as the department is expanding bed space in the state by building more high-security placements.
“Our governor, with DCS, have decided the solution to kids being placed in offices is to put them in prison,” said former foster youth Ella Bat-Ami. “This is how the children in foster care are being treated — like criminals.”
Dive into our coverage on this story.
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Why did so many Tennesseans die in the defining battle for Texan independence? A landmark in Texas history is also a Tennessee story. Plus the local news for February 23, 2026, and a proposal to funnel foster care kids into jail-like facilities now being considered by state lawmakers.
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Brenna Kassis and Cecilia Tomé are leading a new generation of Nashville women in music. The city has witnessed countless cycles of trends and genres, and currently, it’s witnessing something special: a slew of female-fronted indie rock bands.
Few are doing it as honestly as Venus & the Flytraps. Equal parts nostalgic and refreshing, their lighthearted approach to songwriting combined with fuzzy guitars and catchy harmonies makes the band instantly captivating, and their authentic live performance seals the deal. It’s edgy and sweet wrapped in the perfect amount of distortion.
Watch Venus & the Flytraps perform at WNXP’s Sonic Cathedral. CHECK OUT TICKET GIVEAWAYS
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