* Heidi Dalenberg, Director of the Institutional Reform Project, ACLU of Illinois…
We learned that yesterday another foster child was shackled during a DCFS transport. This is a clear violation of the child’s rights and DCFS’ promise to us, to the Court in B.H., and to all youth in care.
This is not a question of policy – this is about common decency. People should not need training or elaborate approval protocols to know that you don’t shackle children.
Just a few weeks ago – after previous, outrageous reports that children were being transported in shackles – DCFS agreed they would only use soft restraints in the rare circumstance when restraints were absolutely necessary, and they made the same promised to a federal court. Yet here we are again.
Anyone in the DCFS chain of command who either signed off on this transport knowing that shackles would be used, or who saw that occur, should step down from their position. No such person can be trusted to care for our children.
As for DCFS’ process and forms for approving restraints during transports, it’s clear that DCFS has to be taken out of that picture altogether. From here forward, we will be demanding that DCFS only use medical transport companies who are trained to properly handle children when there is a concern they might hurt themselves or others during a transport.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Jassen Strokosch with DCFS…
On February 10, a youth in our care was transported to an out-of-state facility. During the trip, the youth was unacceptably restrained with hard ankle restraints by a transportation contractor. The use of hard restraints on any child is completely unacceptable and violates the Department’s ban on ever using hard restraints. No one in our care should ever be mistreated like this.
We will be terminating our contract with the transport company and immediately notified the Office of the Inspector General of the incident to request a full investigation. The Department is conducting a thorough review of what took place and staff involved will be suspended from their role approving these transports. Based on the results of this review, staff will be held fully accountable. All relevant staff will also receive an immediate retraining to ensure protocols are followed moving forward. DCFS is deeply committed to ensuring every child in our care is treated with the utmost dignity and respect and that this never happens again.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Jordan Abudayyeh…
Traumatizing a child is unacceptable, and Gov. Pritzker is furious that a child has once again been subjected to these hard restraints, which are degrading and violate DCFS policy. From the moment he learned about this late Monday, the Governor charged DCFS with taking swift disciplinary action and stronger steps to prevent any inappropriate use of restraints. The Governor has instructed DCFS to fire the transportation company that violated this rule and directed DCFS to hold every employee who has violated its policy fully accountable.
* Related…
* DCFS agrees with inspector general recommendations after 123 children died
