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* Tribune…
The state agency responsible for protecting the children in Semaj Crosby’s home assigned unmanageable caseloads to investigators in its Joliet field office and allowed supervisors there to intimidate and mistreat workers, the Tribune has found.
As allegations of child abuse poured in from the Joliet Township house where 17-month-old Semaj would be found dead in April, investigators in the Department of Children and Family Services’ local office sometimes handled 30 or more new cases per month — well over nationally recognized standards.
Meanwhile, supervisors often bullied staff members and doled out the easiest assignments to favored workers, according to Tribune interviews with current and former investigators. Some of the most sensitive and complex abuse cases were given to interns — the last DCFS investigator who saw Semaj alive, hours before she was reported missing, was an intern, according to DCFS records.
An intern? Seriously?
*** UPDATE *** Pritzker campaign…
Damage Done: Rauner’s Understaffed DCFS Office Failed Illinois Children
Interns Handled Child Abuse Cases at “Toxic” Children and Family Services Agency
Chicago, IL – Controversy continues to surround Bruce Rauner’s Department of Children and Family Services with a new report detailing the extent of the agency’s mismanagement.
The Chicago Tribune report shed light on the “toxic” culture at the understaffed Joliet DCFS field office after 17-month-old Semaj Crosby was found dead due to asphyxiation inside her home. The allegations detail an office where interns were assigned “some of the most sensitive and complex abuses cases” and caseworkers sometimes handled more than 30 new cases per month — well over nationally recognized standards.
“This is what happens when a governor cares more about numbers and spreadsheets than the tragedy and pain he is inflicting on the lives of Illinois families,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “Bruce Rauner’s damage is done to our state’s social services agencies and the families they serve are still reeling from his failed leadership.”
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:22 am
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This happened on Rauner’s watch in an Agency serving Rauner. The “tone” set by Rauner on leverage and crisis was intentional. Whether he or Dr. Rauner like it or not, this is their “brand” and these are some of the consequences of that “brand” choice. And a child paid the ultimate price.
Comment by Anon221 Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:33 am
And didn’t the general counsel for DCFS during that time just get promoted to be the Guv’s general counsel?
Comment by Henry Francis Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:45 am
Honestly every person of faith should pray nightly for our DCFS frontline workers. The surviving investigators are the finest people you can imagine. It’s a hellacious job that is done for the love of children alone. You wouldn’t believe the grievances we have against management at every office. Despite everything they perform their duties. Hostile work environment is their norm. May God bless them.
Comment by Honeybear Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:45 am
How is it legal, much less rational, to hand off DCFS cases to interns? Are there not some pre-reqs for those assignments?
Rauner wanted the BIg Chair and has it. He needs to take a personal interest in the CEO aspect of his job and not just whine every day about legislation he can’t get through the GA.
Show those mad management skills he claimed in the campaign.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 9:58 am
In my more than 20 years of experience in public education, I have been frustrated in my dealings with DCFS. I do not know the details of their inner workings so I will temper my comments and simply say it has almost always been frustrating.
As much as I would like to use Rauner as my foil this goes well beyond his term as governor and includes both party administrations. I just do not know why we cannot get something better there.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 10:02 am
AGree with JS Mill. I have dealt with them for over 40 years, and it has always been this way. Repeatedly children were sent back to parents who were abusive, and calls from teachers and neighbors were ignored. We were told parents have “rights”. What about the children’s rights”
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 10:37 am
In my agency interns must possess the same basic qualifications as new hires so I assume the same applies at DCFS. Having said that, it’s completely unethical to assign interns the most difficult and challenging cases. I’m sure DCFS would ‘argue’ that caseworkers were providing oversight and guidance in those cases but with unmanageable caseloads of their own there’s no way that was happening. Gross negligence on the part of management.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 10:42 am
Director McEwen used to say DCFS wasn’t rocket science, it was harder because people are more complicated than rockets.
Between federal regulations and union rules it is very hard to manage DCFS. The workers can be lead but not managed.
When an office gets a core group of bad but unionized managers, changing it is extremely difficult. Add in the understanding problem and disaster is almost inevitable.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 10:44 am
I am relieved to see these comments direct attention to the front-line managers.
This is a culture problem that anyone who has worked at the state understands. It’s Peter Principle with a truckload of bad attitude.
For those that think the buck starts and stops at Rauner’s office door, are they arguing that removing Rauner will fix dcfs? That’s a sad position.
Comment by cdog Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 10:57 am
I would like to know how many interns DCFS has doing this type of work, and what intern program they are with. If it is the Graduate Public Service Internship (GPSI), they have at least a bachelor’s degree, take a full load of graduate classes towards a master’s, and work 20 hrs a week for their agency.
They are quality people, but a half-timer cant provide the diligence and continuity required to have full responsibility for cases–if that is what was being done.
Comment by Langhorne Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:05 am
===For those that think the buck starts and stops at Rauner’s office door, are they arguing that removing Rauner will fix dcfs? That’s a sad position===
If you’d like I’ll bring out these very releases Candidate Rauner stated where “Pat Quinn failed” and things under Quinn were left at Quinn’s doorstep.
Up to you.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:07 am
Willy, that’s not the point. That just makes two dumb positions instead of one.
The front-line supervisors and middle management are directly responsible for this endangerment of mistreated children, regardless of who their current governor may be at the time.
That’s why we pay them top dollar and call them professionals.
I’d like to see a few prosecutions in dcfs for stuff like this. That might wake up a few key folks.
Comment by cdog Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:18 am
CDog, feel free to google the 10/7/14 Chicago Tribune and headline “Rauner Blames Quinn for DCFS Child Deaths.”
Rauner clearly believed then that the governor of Illinois was responsible and accountable for the management of the executive branch.
He and his acolytes have had a change of tune since Janurary 2015.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:21 am
===… that’s not the point…===
No.
No, that’s exactly the point.
Candidate Rauner, here in this Blog especially, was “warned” time and again, with leaving things on the doorstep of Quinn, as to “If Rauner wins, this blaming will come back…”
… as with the Bond Ratings.
===For those that think the buck starts and stops at Rauner’s office door, are they arguing that removing Rauner will fix dcfs? That’s a sad position===
After Candidate Rauner ran a whole multi-prong campaign, rightly many times, unfair much fewer times, that “Pat Quinn fails”… no, Candidate Rauner made clear the standard he wanted.
It’s fair. Ask Candidate Rauner, 2014
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:22 am
Oswego, that’s a sad argument too. Rauner hit Quinn over it therefore it must be a valid attack? If you only care about the politics, about assigning blame and winning elections, that’s a defensible argument. If you want to actually find a way to better protect these at risk kids then it’s basically nonsensical. I get no one on this blog is going to fix DCFS, but your argument distracts from the actual issue and that matters. Priorities my friend.
Comment by Perrid Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:26 am
This is what happens when you try and commoditize the work done by public servants. Did the Trib reporters find out who won the three gift cards?
https://tinyurl.com/y9n5mw5f
Comment by Jocko Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:27 am
As far as bullying and giving special treatment to favored staff, look at the supervisory experience of DCFS’s chief of staff…
Comment by Duh Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:28 am
cdog- Rauner is the Governor of Illinois. He was the Governor of Illinois when this happened. DCFS is an Agency under his management as part of the Executive Branch. Regardless of how dysfunctional things have been in the past, regardless of whether the managers are union members or not, Rauner is ultimately in charge. The buck(s) do literally start and stop at Rauner’s office when it comes to how to implement the funding approved by the GA. He is in office now, and until he isn’t, it is fully his responsibility to make sure DCFS runs legally and fulfills its mission. If there are problems with the management at DCFS, he needs to appoint a head who will actually work to correct these and not use the Agency as a springboard to another career move.
“The mission of Illinois DCFS is to protect children who are reported to be abused or neglected and to increase their families’ capacity to safely care for them; provide for the well-being of children in our care; provide appropriate, permanent families as quickly as possible for those children who cannot safely return home; support early intervention and child abuse prevention activities and work in partnerships with communities to fulfill this mission.”
Comment by Anon221 Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:30 am
So Anon, if there is a criminal finding of violation with a rule or statute, will Rauner be arrested and held responsible?
This is not the military where superior officers are disciplined via UCMJ for the direlections of those below them.
Back to my originals points–politically there are consequences for Rauner, but removing him from office will not fix dcfs. Prosecuting bad people will.
Comment by cdog Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:39 am
- Perrid -
Here’s the rub…
1) Holding this governor accountable is holding the system accountable. The priorities are only seen, it appears, when Bruce and Diana Rauner are asked about these things at cocktail parties.
…
2?
Yeah, “2″… Rauner vetoed the part… where DCFS monies are in the budget.
So, Rauner is held to his own “I’ll veto that” mentality when things go horribly wrong too.
It’s not a sad argument. These are sad and painful facts.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:42 am
sp* derelictions
Comment by cdog Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:42 am
- cdog -
Did you use the google key to find the article - Wordslinger - pointed out?
How did that go?
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:44 am
Nope. It isn’t relevant to my argument.
Comment by cdog Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:47 am
===Nope. It isn’t relevant to my argument===
“Nope”, it IS your argument, “Skyhook, in reverse”
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:49 am
Rauner’s actions are directly attributable for the loss of Semaj.
This is criminal.
Comment by Chicago 20 Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:53 am
cdog- Doing a “mash-up argument” of federal and state jurisprudence is really not helping your “argument” at all.
Comment by Anon221 Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:56 am
Let me try again.
It doesn’t matter which billionaire, or billionaire’s friend, has manipulated himself into office. The fact remains that justice for these mostly-minority children will not be found in the election booth.
(I am actually working on a project where I’m analyzing MLK’s Birmingham Jail letter, paragraph by paragraph. If you need a little fire in your heart, may I suggest a refresher or a first-pass of this historical and fabulous document. “Justice too long delayed is justice denied.”)
Comment by cdog Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 11:57 am
CDog, Candidate Rauner set high standards for accountability and responsibility for the governor. He unambiguously said he could do much better.
In interviews, he has given himself a grade of “A” over matters under his control.
DCFS is under his direct control. He needs to apply his high standards to himself on the operation of that department. That was the promise of his campaign.
Otherwise, it was just cynical, empty rhetoric. Not exactly shakin’ it up.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 12:10 pm
Rauner put a political hack in charge of DCFS.
That political hack hired a donor to Rauner’s campaign with no previous child welfare experience to be his top lawyer.
It appears Sheldon and his lawyer spent more time figuring out how to steer contracts to his friends in Florida, justify hiring a guy with no driver’s license to be his driver, and quashing inspector general reports than they did keeping kids safe.
But one year into the job, with child abuse numbers skyrocketing, Rauner gave Sheldon a big pat on the back and two big thumbs up.
Now, they’ve brought in someone from Georgia who faced similar allegations of contract mismanagement there. I am sure it is a matter of months before we learn the new acting director is tied to Trey Childress somehow.
Rauner defended Sheldon, refused to fire him, and promoted his general counsel.
That sends a definite signal he doesn’t think there is anything to hold anyone accountable for over at DCFS. So yeah, he should be pilloried.
Comment by Citizen Kane Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 12:21 pm
I was happy to see an article on this particular case that really got into the organizational/agency-level issues because I think that’s where the biggest issues exist regarding the ability of state agencies to do effective work. There is embedded exec staff leadership change and, in my experience*, dis-empowered middle management that have poor communication with exec staff AND the rank and file. These are the people that are present through multiple administrations and have generally seen it all and should be held accountable to organizational dysfunction when warranted, dysfunction that results in horrific caseload sizes (in the case of DCFS) which in turn allows horrific treatment of children to go unchecked until we have a nuclear event. In the cases of other state agencies, it sometimes involves not speaking up in the face of witnessing completely dysfunctional/toxic and sometimes allegedly criminal behavior.
In sum, I agree with the sentiment of cdog’s first comment at 10.57am.
*I say this is a short termer (a handful of recent years) in a state agency who lived through the last administration and party change.
Comment by The young gov Monday, Sep 18, 17 @ 6:18 pm
A good governor, a real governor, focuses on problems like this rather than spending every day perpetuating hyper partisanship and Madigan demonizing like Rauner does. Rauner’s main interest is convincing everyone that Michael Madigan is Michael Myers - he has no real interest in governing and solving problems like this. Bruce Rauner should pay the ultimate political price for not protecting our children. This is an outrageous and disgusting tragedy of the highest order.
Comment by Populist Preacher Tuesday, Sep 19, 17 @ 11:53 am