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.
DCFS failures to protect children could get worse under Amendment 1
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.
Contempt citation No. 12: DCFS forces girl to wait 170 days in mental hospital
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.
Bill would let Illinois parents decide when kids are old enough to be home alone
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.
Illinois child protection relocates teen girl 25 times
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.
Illinois child protection director gets 3rd contempt charge in 8 days
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.
Amendment 1 could undermine 11 DCFS provisions aimed at protecting children
Amendment 1 would allow unions to override provisions put in place for the protection of the children Illinois is supposed to be safeguarding.
Leaving an 8th grader ‘Home Alone’ could land parents in jail
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.
Absent pension crisis, Illinois could afford ‘free’ college
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.
Parents could get more say about leaving preteens home alone after Illinois House passes bill
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.