Kankakee Times

State Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) is slamming Gov. J.B. Pritzker over what she sees as his administration’s inability to keep children placed in the state’s custody safe and secure.

"Gov. Pritzker's administration is failing to keep Illinois' children in care safe,” Haas posted on Facebook. “House Republicans demand action to protect every child in Illinois and immediate hearings into the failed leadership at DCFS.”

For the third time over the last several weeks, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith was recently held in contempt of court, this time for violating the rights of a teenage boy.

Previously, Smith faced similar charges in the case of a 9-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy.

In the most recent case, Smith was cited for keeping a 17-year-old locked away in a psychiatric hospital more than four months after he was declared ready for release. If the youth is not properly placed, $1,000-per-day fines will soon start adding up.

Earlier this month, CBS reported a Cook County Juvenile Court judge issued a court order against Smith where he described how the 9-year-old girl suffered years of physical and sexual abuse at home. Upon being placed under DCFS care, she was put into a psychiatric hospital. She was medically ready to be discharged back in June 2021, but remains hospitalized.

As part of his order, the judge highlighted how DCFS disobeyed numerous court orders to get the child out of the hospital over a two-month period beginning in October. DCFS had received repeated complaints involving the girl dating back several years, including reports at least five men had sexually assaulted her since age 7 to go along with abuse that she suffered.

Still, DCFS neglected to place her in protective custody until her most recent rape case at the Grand Motel in October of 2020.

The second contempt case stems from a 13-year-old boy being forced to sleep in a storage room.

“He was sleeping on the floor of a utility room in an office,” said Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert.

In addition to Haas, Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Westchester) has also called for hearings and an investigation into the agency.

New legislation is now also pending in the General Assembly that would increase penalties for individuals who commit crimes against Illinois DCFS employees.

Known as the Knight-Silas Bill, the legislation comes after the deaths of two DCFS caseworkers, Deidre Silas and Pam Knight, both of whom were killed on the job.

Two days after Silas was stabbed to death this month during a home visit in Thayer, Pritzker threw his support behind the measure.

Authorities have since arrested 32-year-old Benjamin Reed on first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charges.

“Our DCFS workers dedicate their careers to our most vulnerable children, living in pursuit of the belief that every child should have a safe place to call home,” Pritzker said. “I’m working with the General Assembly to enhance the penalties for adults who harm DCFS workers to align with the protections for other first responders.”

Specifically, the legislation opens the door for a person who causes great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to a DCFS employee to be charged with a more serious Class 1 felony as opposed to a Class 3.

Silas’ death comes just over four years after Whiteside County DCFS worker Knight was beaten during a welfare check in Milledgeville. Knight died of her injuries months later, and Andrew Sucher has been sentenced to 21 years in jail with no parole for the crime.