Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith has faced nine cases of contempt of court in recent weeks for failing to comply with a judge s order to place the state s most vulnerable children in an appropriate setting. In a recent interview with Capitol News Illinois, he outlined the scope of the problem and why it s not new or easy to solve.
The weekly docket for children who are wards of the state and waiting for placements recommended by the Department of Children and Family Services after an assessment of their needs took place as scheduled Thursday in Cook County.
Lawyers detailed the challenges faced by DCFS wards who have low IQs, psychiatric disabilities, troubled homes, traumatic abuse, a lack of resources and a lack of placement options.