Departmental availability for receiving reports – Commencement of investigations – Institutional abuse

(a) The department shall be capable of receiving and investigating reports of known or suspected child sexual abuse twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week. If it appears that the immediate safety or well-being of a child is endangered, that the family may flee or the child will be unavailable for purposes of conducting a child protective investigation, or that the facts otherwise so warrant, the department shall commence an investigation immediately, regardless of the time of day or night. In all other child sexual abuse cases, a child protective investigation shall be commenced within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt of the report. (A) A person under eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102Department: means the department of children's services. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102(b) If, as a result of an investigation of a report of institutional child sexual abuse, the department removes children under its care from such institution, the department shall notify parents who have children enrolled in such institution on such date of its action. The institution’s records shall be utilized to obtain such information. The notification shall be sufficient if it states that children under the care of the department are being removed. If the department validates child sexual abuse in such institution or revokes or suspends the license of a child care agency as a result of child sexual abuse occurring in the agency, the department, in accordance with administrative and due process rules, shall notify the parents of the children accordingly.