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The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services can delay reports for years.
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The state of Illinois is rolling out a new app to help parents of abused and neglected children communicate with their Department of Children and Family services caseworkers and with other service providers.
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Volunteers are needed to support children experiencing abuse and neglect, or who are part of the foster care system.
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A McLean County program that supports abused and neglected children is expanding to Logan County.
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Illinois lawmakers could soon make it easier for children in foster care to live with their relatives or other people close to them.
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The head of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said the agency has made big gains in reducing chronic staff shortages this year.
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In a progress report compiled by DCFS for fiscal year 2023, the agency noted that “unprecedented staff turnover impacts the accuracy, comprehensiveness, and consistency of ongoing assessments of risk and safety.”
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Heidi Mueller, who has served as director of the Illinois Dept. of Juvenile Justice since 2016, was selected after a national search. She will take the reins of the scandal-plagued agency beginning February 1.
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The department’s budget is growing as new leadership is being recruited. Advocates hope those changes signal more improvements to come.
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The resignation comes a week after a blistering report from the Illinois auditor general highlighting delays in reporting child abuse to other authorities, protecting children allegedly abused and finding placements for kids.