Another child dies tragically while under the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and another director (that’s eight directors in five years) resigns in the midst of controversy. This sad story has been repeated way too often these past 30-plus years. There is always more than enough blame to go around, starting with overworked frontline workers and ending with the director. Investigations are initiated, individuals resign or are fired, and in some cases, criminal charges are filed. A new director will take charge, new staff will be hired, and things will continue on … until the next tragedy.
Why? In my opinion, it is how DCFS measures “success.” Everything is statistics- and dollars-driven. How many open investigations? How many cases are opened and closed? How many children are in foster care? How many are in expensive residential care? How many children are returned home? How many are adopted?
About 20 years ago, DCFS assigned the majority of its foster care caseload to various private child welfare agencies. The concept of “performance-based contracting” was introduced that rewarded high-performing agencies (measured by successful “permanency outcomes”) with financial incentives. Poor-performing agencies were to be penalized.
I believe contact with a child welfare agency should be viewed in much the same way as contact with prison. It shows there is already a systemic societal failure. There needs to be much more emphasis on education and resources for families that are struggling prior to any contact with DCFS. But of course, this requires the political will and financial resources to make this commitment. So, for a state that has failed to pass a budget for the third year in a row, the resources and political will to make this investment clearly do not exist.
The alternative? I guess nine directors in five years and likely more of the same.
— Greg Newlin, Naperville