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DCFS supervisor and investigator removed from child protection duties after child murdered

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Illinois

Last March, the state’s child welfare agency received a report through its hotline that an 8-year-old girl in Uptown might be in danger.

Her parents had gotten into a fight at a restaurant, the report said, and an investigator with the Department of Children and Family Services was assigned to check on the parents and the child, Amaria Osby.

The investigator tried the girl’s home the next day, on March 24, but was unable to see anyone, the agency said. It was not until two months later, on May 24, that the investigator finally checked on the child.

“There were no noted concerns for physical abuse or neglect,” the agency said.

The next day, Amaria was dead, allegedly killed by her mother, Andreal Hagler, who also tried to kill herself.

* WGN…

Charles Golbert with the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian spoke out Wednesday on Amaria’s death. Her mother, 38-year-old Andreal Hagler, is now charged with her daughter’s murder. Prosecutors say she confessed to killing the girl.

“Amaria is the sixth child to die in Illinois (since last December) despite DCFS’ involvement with the families,” Golbert said. “This case screamed out for intensive mental health services for the mother, for drug services for the mother and at least some type of protective supervision plan.”

Police found Amaria dead in her uptown apartment last Wednesday.

Police said they found the mother high on PCP with a bag around her head when they arrived. According to prosecutors, Hagler told officers she felt her daughter didn’t love her anymore and loved her father more. She said she put the bag over Amaria’s head similar to how she had placed it over her own head, prosecutors said. […]

Records revealed that a caseworker failed to visit the Uptown home for two months. Investigators cited no concerns for abuse or neglect upon making contact two months later.

“When you have investigators laboring under untenable caseloads in an inept bureaucracy without the support they need, the ball is going to get dropped on investigations with tragic results like what happened here,” Goldbert said.

The public guardian told WGN News that DCFS has a current investigator vacancy rate of 21%, according to a consent decree. It’s supposed to be no more than 6%.
Audit: DCFS failing to track kids in care

When WGN News asked DCFS to explain that two-month gap from March to May, a spokesman said that contrary to policies, the investigator, in this case, did not continue to make attempts to see the family. The spokesman added that the employee and a supervisor are not performing child protection duties at this time and the department is determining appropriate personnel action.

* CBS 2…

“They dropped the ball and did not do anything for two months,” Golbert said. “Their own regs say that they have to see the child within 24 hours.”

DCFS administrative code says in cases like this, “Good faith attempts must be made every 24 hours or sooner, including weekends and holidays, until the child victim is seen, unless a waiver is granted by the Child Protection Supervisor.”

A DCFS spokesman said the investigator working on the case did not make attempts to contact Amaria’s family as the code requires – and thus, disciplinary action is expected against the investigator and supervisor in this case:

“Contrary to DCFS policies, the investigator in this case did not continue to make attempts to see the family. Both the supervisor and the investigator are not performing child protection duties at this time and the Department is determining the appropriate personnel action. The allegation in this case stemmed from an incident of domestic violence between caregivers, and the investigator noted no signs of abuse after speaking to the mother and daughter.”

“All of this is interrelated and goes to DCFS’ illegal investigator caseload ratios, and just the inept bureaucracy that it is,” Golbert said.

* DCFS timeline…

09/08/2017 A hotline report was made identifying Amaria, age 3, as the child victim. The mother was being investigated for allegation 60-Substantial Risk of Physical Injury/Environment Injurious to Health and Welfare by neglect. This allegation stemmed from a DUI charge where the mother was arrested and charged with child endangerment.

09/09/2017 The investigator visited the child and observed no signs of physical abuse or neglect. Amaria was entered into a safety plan with a family member.

10/30/2017 A worker saw the child and there were no signs of physical abuse or neglect.

10/31/2017 The Investigator and assigned Intact worker met with the family to initiate a transition to Intact Family Services.

11/04/2017 The investigation was completed, and the mother was indicated for allegation 60-Substantial Risk of Physical Injury/Environment Injurious to Health and Welfare by neglect stemming from the DUI arrest. The family continues to participate in and receive supportive services through the Intact Family Services program.

3/21/2018 The family continued to participate in Intact Family Services. The assigned Intact worker saw the family on 11/07/17, 11/ 15/17, 11/21/17, 11/29/17, 12/07/17, and 12/19/17,1/10/18, 1/30/18, 2/15/18, 2/28/18, and 3/21/2018. During this time the mother participated in substance abuse treatment and community service. When the Intact worker visited the home on 02/15/18, the mother noted that the child had a seizure on 02/03/18 and was in the hospital for 3 days. The visit with the family on 3/21/18 was the final home visit There were no noted concerns for abuse or neglect during any of the home visits and the Intact Family Services case was closed.

03/23/2022 A hotline report was made identifying Amaria as the child victim. The mother was being investigated for allegation 60-Substantial Risk of Physical Injury/Environment Injurious to Health and Welfare by neglect. This allegation stemmed from Amaria allegedly witnessing a domestic violence incident between the mother and father in a public setting. There were no allegations of abuse involving Amaria. Law enforcement responded to the scene of the incident at a restaurant and made no arrest and did not press changes related to the incident.

03/24/2022 An investigator made a good faith attempt to visit the child victim and family without succes.

05/24/2022 An investigator visited the family and spoke with the mother and the child. There were no noted concerns for physical abuse or neglect.

So, the DCFS worker didn’t follow clear rules. The supervisor apparently didn’t notice. The regional supervisor apparently didn’t notice.

Also, if you look at DCFS’ organization chart, you’ll see that the position of Executive Deputy Director is still vacant. Click here to apply.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 2, 22 @ 10:32 am

Comments

Speaking of DCFS, today’s Illinois Times included an anonymous letter to the editor from a Springfield resident whose foster child has been “lost in the system” over 180 days after three case review extensions. The child had been taken away from her family and has not been allowed to have contact with any of them despite no allegations of abuse by the parents.

https://www.illinoistimes.com/springfield/letters-to-the-editor-6-2-22/Content?oid=15217537

Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Thursday, Jun 2, 22 @ 10:37 am
I think we need more information, like how many cases did the investigator have assigned to them? How many vacancies are in that office?

===“Good faith attempts must be made every 24 hours or sooner, including weekends and holidays, until the child victim is seen, unless a waiver is granted by the Child Protection Supervisor.”===

Does the investigator have the unilateral ability to work overtime to meet this expectation?

Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, Jun 2, 22 @ 10:45 am
DCFS has a 60 day deadline to close an investigation.

I find it a little suspicious that the investigator miraculously visited the home on Day 60, miraculously found the mom and child at home, and miraculously found no problems. The mom was a reported drug addict, and there was nothing amiss in the home?

Also, not one attempt to see this school-age child at school, no interview with a teacher.

It’s also strange that DCFS did not say whether the investigation was Indicated or not for Allegation 60. It sure sounds like the answer was No.

This would not be the first time that an Investigator faked a report saying they had checked on a child and the child was found dead soon after. AJ Freund comes to mind.

I hope that Chicago PD has asked DCFS for a copy of that investigators records. If I were news media I would start getting a lot more curious about this one.

We were told AJ would never happen again, and it just might have.

Keep digging WGN, keep digging.

Comment by James McIntyre Fan Thursday, Jun 2, 22 @ 11:20 am
DCFS is a mess, but man some people should not be having kids. It’s a lottery itself to be born in a country like the United States, but a whole different lottery to who your parents are.

Comment by Almost the Weekend Thursday, Jun 2, 22 @ 11:25 am
“When you have investigators laboring under untenable caseloads in an inept bureaucracy without the support they need, the ball is going to get dropped on investigations with tragic results like what happened here,” Goldbert said.
-

When you look at the job requirements for a DCFS caseworker they are asking for masters or bachelor’s degree in social work or criminal justice. Be a little less stringent on the job requirements so that you will have more applicants that want to do the work.

Comment by Real Thursday, Jun 2, 22 @ 11:26 am
These stories continue to be sickening reminders the degree to which we view certain problems as fundamentally unsolvable.

It’s a tragedy that politicians fundamentally have no rush to fix this problem because the group in danger has zero political power.

Comment by SWSider Thursday, Jun 2, 22 @ 11:26 am
=== a whole different lottery to who your parents are. ===

And yet DCFS has a legal mandate to assess whether the family needs services and refer them as appropriate, and there is no record from DCFS that the mom was referred for any help.

Was the safety checklist completed?

Comment by James McIntyre Fan Thursday, Jun 2, 22 @ 11:37 am
Will the Fed Court issue the 12th contempt citation now? That’ll put fear into the State (sarcasm). Time for a court-appointed independent Director/Secretary of DCFS with powers to do anything necessary even if contrary to the entire stack of DCFS laws and regs. Hello, Cook County Guardian? Time to file the Motion to Appoint and let the battle begin.

Comment by thisjustinagain Thursday, Jun 2, 22 @ 2:10 pm
“Click here to apply.”

Pretty sure I’d panhandle before taking a job at DCFS.

Thankless, heartbreaking and nigh impossible.

– MrJM

Comment by MisterJayEm Thursday, Jun 2, 22 @ 3:45 pm
@thisjustinagain — yes, this. But please don’t forget south of I80. We’re feeling it here too.

Comment by Arguenda Thursday, Jun 2, 22 @ 8:30 pm