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DCFS held kids in hospitals for months beyond doctors’ orders

By Dylan Sharkey
12/01/2022
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services held kids in psychiatric hospitals for far longer than needed because the agency couldn’t find them housing.

TAGS: DCFS: Department of Children and Family Services

DCFS failures to protect children could get worse under Amendment 1

By Patrick Andriesen
11/03/2022
Child deaths, contempt of court citations and an employee facing child porn charges beleaguer the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Now government unions are pushing Amendment 1, which could void 11 child protection laws.

TAGS: DCFS: Department of Children and Family Services, workers rights amendment

Contempt citation No. 12: DCFS forces girl to wait 170 days in mental hospital

By Dylan Sharkey
07/12/2022
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith faces his 12th contempt of court order of 2022. In the latest, the judge ruled Smith failed to place a 15-year-old girl in proper housing for 170 days, leaving her in a mental hospital.

TAGS: DCFS: Department of Children and Family Services, Marc Smith

Bill would let Illinois parents decide when kids are old enough to be home alone

By Dylan Sharkey
02/25/2022
Illinois is the only state to outlaw leaving children home alone until they are 14. Lawmakers are considering throwing out the minimum age altogether, joining 39 other states that leave it up to parents.

TAGS: criminal justice reform, DCFS: Department of Children and Family Services

Illinois child protection relocates teen girl 25 times

By Dylan Sharkey
02/22/2022
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith was charged for contempt of court four times in six weeks. The latest was a 16-year-old girl relocated 25 times through foster homes, shelters and psychiatric hospitals.

TAGS: DCFS: Department of Children and Family Services, Marc Smith

Illinois child protection director gets 3rd contempt charge in 8 days

By Dylan Sharkey
01/14/2022
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services director was held in contempt of court for allegedly violating the right to proper housing of a 17-year-old boy. It’s the director’s third contempt charge in eight days, highlighting DCFS’ struggle to place kids.

TAGS: DCFS: Department of Children and Family Services, Marc Smith

Amendment 1 could undermine 11 DCFS provisions aimed at protecting children

By Mailee Smith
12/20/2021
Amendment 1 would allow unions to override provisions put in place for the protection of the children Illinois is supposed to be safeguarding.

TAGS: Amendment 1, DCFS: Department of Children and Family Services, government unions

Leaving an 8th grader ‘Home Alone’ could land parents in jail

12/23/2020
A vague and restrictive state law could mean the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services comes knocking if parents leave their 13-year-old home alone.

TAGS: DCFS: Department of Children and Family Services, home alone, negligence, regulations

Absent pension crisis, Illinois could afford ‘free’ college

By Adam Schuster
12/10/2019
Illinois could give every undergraduate in public college nearly $70k a year if it spent the same 4% of its budget on pensions as it did throughout the 90s, rather than the 25% it spends today.

TAGS: DCFS: Department of Children and Family Services, general revenue fund, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, illinois state police, Springfield, tax burden

Parents could get more say about leaving preteens home alone after Illinois House passes bill

By Vincent Caruso
04/08/2019
Illinois parents can face neglect charges for leaving a 13-year-old home alone. The Illinois House just took a step toward relaxing the nation’s strictest law on unattended children.

TAGS: DCFS: Department of Children and Family Services, home alone, Joe Sosnowski, Jonathan Carroll, Terri Bryant

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Budget + Tax / Research Report

Illinois Forward 2024: A sustainable state budget plan


After years of enhanced revenue from federal aid, a return to the basic principles of budgeting can put Illinois on the path to long-term financial stability

View Report

Report Archive

Education / Your Story

John Jacob

Labor / Policy Point

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014
Illinois Policy In the News

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016

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