Troubled families and abused children are more vulnerable than ever in Illinois, as concerns from a growing number of lawmakers and non-profit groups mount.

State Representative Jed Davis (R-Yorkville) is outraged that persons investigating family situations for the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) may be dangerously under-qualified.

After issuing a press release last week after reviewing DCFS documents, Davis is more convinced than ever that interns that work for the department, but are not adequately trained to be certified, are making life-changing decisions for Illinois families.

“Without question, I’m correct on the following undeniable truths,” Rep. Davis said:

1. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) owes Illinois families an apology for misrepresenting the truth regarding the DCFS intern debate.

2. Official DCFS documents prove a Child Welfare Employee License (CWEL) does not satisfy the certification required under Illinois law, 225 ILCS 420 (Public Act 85-206), as argued by DCFS.

3. The DCFS, Davis contends, broke the law by allowing uncertified interns to investigate Illinois families, resulting in children being removed from homes.

“Last week, I sounded the alarm: DCFS has allowed uncertified interns to conduct child abuse investigations, in clear violation of state law,” Davis said. “I noted plainly and truthfully that a CWEL is not 85-206 certification. DCFS didn’t respond with evidence or facts — they responded by attacking my credibility, calling my statement ‘demonstrably legally false’ and stating I have ‘both the law and facts wrong.”

As long ago as 2017, Davis said, the independent oversight authority for DCFS, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) cited a DCFS adoption case in which an uncertified DCFS employee was handling cases, despite not yet completing “the certification required to serve in her position.”

That is just a sample of what is continuing in 2025, Davis insisted.

“The DCFS argues the certification required for adoption specialists does not apply to child protective investigators. But it’s hard to believe investigators — who hold the power to remove children from their homes — would be held to a lower standard than adoption staff,” Davis contested.

“Does any Illinois family believe this argument is reasonable? The very suggestion is frightening,” he said.

The DCFS’s documents acquired by Rep. Davis show that the agency has allowed individuals without certification to investigate and make recommendations concerning child abuse cases.

“The debate is over. DCFS leadership has broken the public trust and betrayed Illinois families,” said Rep. Jed Davis. “When the very documents DCFS wrote prove they’ve misled the public and violated the law, they forfeit the moral authority to continue leading this department.”

Criticism mounts as the Agency ignores crucial reporting requirements

Davis’s criticism of the DCFS adds to growing concerns about the agency’s effectiveness from other sources, for other reasons – including the life and death of children under the agency’s care.

The group “Justice for Kids” has been sounding the alarm for defenseless minors within the state’s child welfare system.  The group says that Illinois’ DCFS consistently fails to fulfill its legal obligation to publish detailed reports whenever a child dies or is seriously injured while in the DCFS’ care and authority.

Last week, attorney Julianna Walo wrote on the Justice for Kids’ website a scathing critique entitled “The Hidden Crisis at Illinois DCFS: Over 1200 Child Deaths Unreported.”

In her report, Walo writes that since 2018, the DCFS has neglected to produce more than 1200 legally mandated public reports analyzing child deaths and over 3000 serious injuries, according to a recent investigation by the Illinois Answers Project.

“These reports aren’t simply bureaucratic paperwork; they are critical instruments designed to uncover systemic failings, provide transparency to the public, and guide reforms to prevent future tragedies,” Walo wrote.

Lining up with Rep. Davis’s demands for agency reform, on behalf of “Justice for Kids,” Walo spells out the changes that must be made immediately:

“… First and foremost, the agency needs to make a public pledge to be completely transparent going forward and start publishing all unfinished reports on child fatalities and critical injuries right away. These reports are crucial for spotting failure trends, guiding policy, and averting further harm,” she writes.

Then Walo adds, “Additionally, some of the severely damaged public trust would be restored. The Illinois legislature also needs to improve the enforcement of reporting laws. This entails severe sanctions for noncompliance as well as improved safeguards for those who come forward with information about unreported child fatalities or dangerous practices.”

Indeed, this summer, it was discovered that an 18-year-old girl in a DCFS-determined foster home was allegedly murdered in 2024 by her caretaker and the caretaker’s mother.

Yet Governor JB Pritzker continued to defend the agency and its practices.

When asked by The Illinoize’s Patrick Pfingsten why the DCFS is withholding information, Governor Pritzker replied defensively,

“We are required when local law enforcement, and I’m talking specifically now about the state’s attorney’s office there. When we’re asked by the prosecutors not to reveal, not to interfere, we have to do that,” Pritzker said.

“Obviously we’re seeking information from the prosecutors because they are doing a lot of investigation, and we have continued to do whatever investigation we’re allowed to do. (Note: a DCFS spokesperson said no internal investigation would take place until after the trial.) “We have every interest in finding out what went wrong here. We know only a few things. I think they’ve all been made public. The things that we know, we try to act on those immediately, whatever it is that we know.”

The DCFS is facing criticism on every side, and those criticisms are backed with documentation. The Governor, who leads the state’s Executive Branch, has the authority and responsibility for state agencies such as the DCFS. The Illinois General Assembly has authority to enact legal barriers and enforce accountability.

The questions being asked about the DCFS can’t be delayed or put on a shelf for future focus. Who is making the decisions about families and innocent, abused children?  Qualified persons? Interns? Uncertified personnel? Who is determining what is or is not reported as required by law?

As the DCFS scandal becomes more covered in the news, Illinoisans are growing more aware of how their own innocent families and neighbors are in danger of false accusations and heavy legal expenses resulting from unqualified persons investigating their homes. At the same time, faultless, abused children’s lives and welfare are being endangered as reporting requirements seem to be ignored.