* The Chicago Tribune…

The state child welfare agency under Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration has yet to fully implement changes Illinois lawmakers mandated in response to the neglect-related death of a downstate toddler during the two-term Democrat’s first month in office more than seven years ago, according to a state audit released Wednesday.

The report from Illinois Auditor General Christopher Meister’s office acknowledged some areas of improvement since a previous review but flagged continued trouble spots for Pritzker’s Department of Children and Family Services under the requirements of Ta’ Naja’s Law, a 2020 measure named after 2-year-old Ta’ Naja Barnes of Decatur. Ta’ Naja died in February 2019 of dehydration, malnourishment, cold exposure and physical neglect about six months after DCFS returned her to her mother’s custody.

DCFS has been under the microscope for decades, including during Pritzker’s nearly eight years in office. Ta’ Naja’s death happened shortly before Pritzker tapped Marc Smith, then an executive at a south suburban child welfare organization, to be the agency’s 15th leader in 16 years. Pointing to the previous churn at the top, Pritzker stuck with Smith for nearly 5 years, despite criticism of DCFS from the governor’s Republican detractors as well as some fellow Democrats.

The latest audit of the agency’s performance under Ta’ Naja’s Law covered 2023 and 2024, the period during which the governor replaced Smith with Heidi Mueller, the current DCFS director who has served in that post since February 2024. Among other issues, the 106-page report focused on a sample of so-called home safety checklists, which the agency is required to complete before a judge determines a child who has been placed in foster or substitute care can return to the custody of a parent or guardian. In that sample of 50 cases, DCFS was unable to provide 329 of the 399 required checklists, amounting to an 82% deficiency rate.

That statistic is still an improvement over the previous audit, released in 2022, in which DCFS could only provide three out of 195, or 2%, of required home safety checklists for a 50-case sample. But based on the two audit periods, Meister’s office concluded DCFS is still not adequately adhering to the requirement.

* Capitol News Illinois…

As part of the reunification process, DCFS must also present an aftercare plan to the juvenile court to determine what services would support the family. Those services can include counseling, case management, physical, behavioral and mental health services, and substance abuse services. They can also include linking families to community resources like food pantries, housing, employment training and continuing education programs.

DCFS policy states that 30 days before a child is scheduled to return home, department officials hold a meeting to determine services and develop an aftercare plan. The plan is presented for approval to the court so services will be in place when the court orders the child to be returned home.

Those services should continue for at least six months after the child is returned home.

In 13% cases surveyed, auditors could not find evidence of at least six months of aftercare services provided to the family after reunification. That’s down from 58% of cases tested during the prior audit period.

The department said in a statement it “has continued to make progress” since the two-year period included in the audit.

“Additionally, of the recommendations from the original audit, three were fully implemented and two were partially implemented,” according to an emailed statement from DCFS.

The audit also found that the agency failed to provide documentation for routine healthcare for children in their care. In 50 cases sampled, auditors could not find supporting documentation for 16% of required physical examinations; 29% of required vision screenings; 63% of required hearing screenings; and 51% of required dental examinations and cleanings. Auditors also found that in 10% of cases, there were delays in obtaining mental health services for a child with an identified need.

The audit also cited persistent vacancies in child protection, intact family services, and permanency with an overall vacancy rate of 13%.

* The audit’s recommendations to DCFS…

• The Department of Children and Family Services should complete Home Safety Checklists as required by Public Act 101-0237 and DCFS Administrative Procedure Number 25.

• The Department of Children and Family Services should ensure that:­

- at least 6 months of aftercare services are provided for families after a child is returned home;­
- a Service Plan is completed within 30 days prior to a case closure;
- and the child’s family is informed to contact the Permanency Worker if the family requires services, in accordance with Public Act 101-0237 and DCFS Permanency Planning Procedures Section.

• The Department of Children and Family Services should ensure that all children in care receive their well-child visits/check-ups, including physical examinations, vision screenings, hearing screenings, dental examinations and cleanings, and mental health assessments. The Department should also ensure that all well-child visits/check-ups are entered into the system of record (SACWIS) as required, including instances of screenings occurring at schools or other institutions that do not currently upload into the system of record (SACWIS).

• The Department of Children and Family Services should ensure that every child that is in care receives their age-appropriate immunizations as required by DCFS Procedure.

• The Department of Children and Family Services should take steps to ensure that the operations divisions are adequately staffed in order to meet caseload demands. Additionally, the Department should ensure that there are an adequate number of supervisors in order to ensure a thorough review of employee work and to provide adequate guidance to employees when needed.

* More…

* Center Square | Rep on DCFS audit: ‘We’re failing kids’: “If you check my kids or my daughter’s grades in school, 18% is a massive F. It really is concerning, and we’re failing kids continually,” state Rep. Jed Davis, R-Yorkville, told The Center Square. Davis said the auditor general’s office refused to share source reports it received from DCFS. “I would really like to dig in and see the actual data behind it all, because the numbers that are being presented, based on some FOIAs that we’ve done in the past, there’s a lot of discrepancies,” Davis said.