Five youth removed Sunday from Michigan youth treatment facility, returned to Tennessee.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.— The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services took immediate action over the weekend to remove five youth in state custody from a Michigan facility under investigation following a child death.

On the afternoon of May 1, the department was notified of an open law enforcement investigation into an incident at Lakeside Academy in Kalamazoo, Mich. A youth involved in that incident, who was neither a Tennessee youth nor in the custody of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, later died. Early Saturday morning, DCS transportation officers departed for Kalamazoo and returned Sunday with all five male juveniles in Tennessee custody placed at the facility. The youth were safely transported in secured vehicles to appropriate placements in Tennessee to finish their treatment programs. The department notified the parents of the youth prior to them leaving the facility.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, which licenses Lakeside Academy, contacted DCS on Monday and indicated it was asking the child welfare agencies of all states with youth placed at the facility to take action to remove them. DCS reported it had already removed the Tennessee youth early Sunday morning.

“Immediately upon learning of the child death and law enforcement investigation at Lakeside Academy, we put together a plan to swiftly remove our youth placed there and find them appropriate placements at facilities in-state,” DCS Commissioner Jennifer Nichols said. “While it is sometimes necessary to place children in treatment facilities outside of Tennessee based on the types of behavioral, emotional or medical treatment programs they need, it is always done so with great consideration. The five juveniles placed at Lakeside Academy were there for appropriate reasons, however, their safety is our greatest concern and we took action to immediately remove them from the facility.”

The DCS juveniles placed at Lakeside Academy were both delinquent and dependent and neglected. They range in age from 13-18 years old.

Lakeside Academy is operated by Sequel Youth and Family Services and provides treatment programs for both boys and girls with severe behavioral issues.