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

Beyond degrees: Empowering Illinoisans through career-first education

Published June 3, 2025 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The best path to empowerment and success, especially for poor people, is work. Work allows us to prosper while providing dignity, upward mobility, the means to support ourselves and create value for others. It’s how we become thriving members of our community. Central to this process is our education...

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Beyond degrees: Empowering Illinoisans through career-first education

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Allan Luzbetak

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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