Tenn. Children's Services Hotline Swamped with Calls

The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services hotline for suspected child abuse has been swamped with calls and is trying to answer them more quickly. The line rings more than 400 times each day, and callers are usually put on hold. DCS says as many as one in four hang up. Carla Aaron oversees the call center and says any call might have critical information about a child’s safety. The Nashville center added five case managers this summer bringing the total to 70. Technology updates are expected to help, but the center has received about 15 percent more calls throughout the past two years.