Last year, 38,040 allegations of Drug Endangered Children were reported in the state of Tennessee. This week, the 2024 Tennessee Alliance for Drug Endangered Children – Handle with Care statewide conference will include representatives from a wide range of agencies, coalitions, and organizations, to address the needs of our state’s children to prevent exposure to human trafficking and the dangerous drug epidemic.
The Tennessee Alliance for Drug Endangered Children approach is comprehensive, focusing on the formation of community-based partnerships to engage professionals from multiple disciplines in developing a collaborative approach to rescue, defend, shelter, and support children living in drug environments.
Credentialed media members are welcome to attend any or all of the sessions during the 2 ½ days of the conference. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and TBI Director David Rausch will open the conference at 9 a.m. CT Wednesday. The agenda for the full conference is included. Wednesday also marks National Drug Endangered Children Awareness Day. At 4:15 p.m., the Rally/ Proclamation on the Lawn event at the Bicentennial Mall State Park will include a reading of the proclamation by Representative Mary Littleton, along with entertainment and additional remarks by state agency leaders.
DATE: Wednesday through Friday, April 24 -26, 2024 (see agenda for specifics)
TIME: Starting at 9 am CT (Rally on the Lawn at 4:15pm Wednesday)
LOCATION: Tennessee State Library and Archives at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way N, Nashville, 37219
Later in the evening, landmarks across the state will be lit up in red in observance of DEC Awareness Day Wednesday night, including:
*Korean War Memorial Bridge – Nashville
*The Pyramid – Memphis
*Eiffel Tower – Paris, TN
*Ferris Wheel – Pigeon Forge
*State Capitol – Nashville, TN
*TN Library and Archives – Nashville