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* 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
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 11, 20 @ 12:15 pm
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“we will be demanding that DCFS only use medical transport companies who are trained to properly handle children”
AFSCME Council 31 is dead set against privatization.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, Feb 11, 20 @ 12:24 pm
“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.”
OK. I trust a medical transport company more with knowing when restraints are appropriate than off-duty cops, but medical transports still can and do restrain people they deem to be risks. I doubt the ACLU is going to be happy when they do it either.
Comment by Perrid Tuesday, Feb 11, 20 @ 12:25 pm
Wild guess: medical transport companies are more expensive, correct?
You get what you pay for.
Comment by It is always about money Tuesday, Feb 11, 20 @ 12:36 pm
So using medical transportation means a horribly uncomfortable ride in the back of an ambulance? With no seat belts? On a gurney?
Comment by Huh? Tuesday, Feb 11, 20 @ 12:55 pm
Donnie, the contractors that have been used to do this work so far are also not state employees. What’s your point?
Comment by Perrid Tuesday, Feb 11, 20 @ 1:25 pm
Q. Why was the child being transported to an out-of-state facility in the first place?
A. We have so many youth in psych hospitals in Illinois beyond medical necessity that there are no empty beds? Probably.
Comment by Blackwater Tuesday, Feb 11, 20 @ 1:43 pm
Blackwater, it’s actually a lack of *non-acute* (meaning non hospital) beds that causes kids to stay in the hospital too long. And causes kids to get sent out of state. It’s very, very unlikely the facility the kid was going to was a hospital. Beyond medical necessity is a symptom, not a cause, of the root problem
Comment by Perrid Tuesday, Feb 11, 20 @ 2:02 pm
It’s a measure of how consistently bad DCFS has been that when I read I just sighed rather than getting worked up and outraged.
JB … you really need to make DCFS a priority.
Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Feb 11, 20 @ 2:04 pm
Not this again…
Comment by Not the Onion Tuesday, Feb 11, 20 @ 3:06 pm
Marc Smith…..tell us the names of the providers and the DCFS personnel involved.
Comment by Charlie Brown Tuesday, Feb 11, 20 @ 3:56 pm