Kankakee Times

Candidate for U.S. Senate representing the 40th District in Illinois Krystyna Vela is again calling for Gov. JB Pritzker to protect children, families and caseworkers within the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) as its director Marc Smith again fails to comply with court orders to place children in safe settings inline with the agency's recommendations.

According to The State-Journal Register, Smith is now in his ninth contempt of court for failing to place children in safe settings that comply with the agency's recommendations and also court orders to do so. The State-Journal Register highlights the issues and concerns of the contempt citations, child deaths and death of a DCFS investigator from the Legislature and the public.

"I am very hurt, saddened and angered to learn that for the ninth time, Pritzker’s DCFS director is in contempt of court for failing to keep children safe," Vela said in a statement. "While more instances of negligence are coming to light, Pritzker has continued to support and enable this behavior for over three years." 

The State-Journal Register reports that Pritzker has been asked on multiple occasions about his confidence in Smith’s leadership at DCFS, most recently on April 9. Pritzker places blame on the prior administration and acknowledged his frustrations with DCFS.

"It is hard to make changes in a bureaucracy when you walk in day one," Pritzker said according to The State-Journal Register. "It takes some time and especially after you had two years of no budget, and essentially defunding of DCFS over an awful lot of years."

Vela questioned Pritzker.

"How many more children have to suffer due to the governor’s mismanagement before something changes?" she said. "Governor Pritzker needs to make this a priority as this has gone on too long and our children, especially our most vulnerable, need to be safe, secure and taken care of." 

Chicago Sun Times reports that Smith has been fined $1,000 per day in each case until the children are in proper placements. The first two contempt citations were purged after DCFS removed the children from a psychiatric hospital and an emergency center in Mount Vernon and were placed in proper care. All of the other children remain in settings not suitable according to DCFS standards and judge orders and the contempt of court adjudications remain in effect. The fines all remain stayed at this time.

Information from Vela's campaign website states that Vela is a mother and full-time real estate broker who is passionate about working with the community to put them into the perfect home.