Pritzker dodges question about whether child welfare director should step down

[April 28, 2022]  By Andrew Hensel | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker wouldn't say if it's time for his child welfare director to resign after being found in contempt of court nine times.

At an unrelated bill signing ceremony in Springfield Wednesday, Pritzker was asked if it's time for Illinois Department of Children and Family Services director Marc Smith step down.

Smith has been held in contempt of court nine times for problems regarding improperly placing children.

House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, Monday called for Smith to resign.

“Unfortunately, contempt of court orders against DCFS has become business as usual for the Pritzker administration," Durkin said in a statement. "Governor Pritzker clearly isn’t bothered by the ninth contempt of court charge against DCFS Director Marc Smith and has done nothing about it, that is simply unacceptable."

Pritzker did not answer whether Smith should resign but gave reasons for why the department has been struggling.

"Five hundred beds were let go under the previous governor, five hundred residential beds," Pritzker said. "You cannot snap your fingers and put those back. It takes years to build back residential beds for these kids."

State Rep. Charles Meier, R-Okawville, said Pritzker has not done what he promised.

"J.B. campaigned on all the things he was going to do and how he was going to straighten things out, and this is a typical example of how the agency has not improved," Meier said. "The director should be fired and we need to make true positive improvements."

In fiscal year 2020, the governor's budget spent around $1.2 billion on DCFS. The budget that starts July 1 spends around $1.8 billion on the agency.

Meier said the problems have nothing to do with money.

"There are innocent children dying because of this administration and their lack of taking ownership of this problem," Meier said. "He said he was going to change this three and half years ago and where are the changes?"

Smiths' most recent contempt charge came on April 22 and carries a fine of $1,000 per day to the agency for every day the issue is not resolved.

This charge involves a 15-year-old boy who was left in a locked psychiatric hospital on Jan. 31, after he was approved for discharge.

Pritzker said that even with the contempt charges, his administration has still found beds for these children.

"Yeah, you know there are these contempt findings but understand that in each one of the cases, we have found residential beds for each one of those cases," Pritzker said. "Even though those are literally the most severe cases of psychiatric needs."

Durkin, like Meier, addressed the amount of time Pritzker has had to address the department's problems.

"The governor has had three and a half years to get this agency under control – he owns this ongoing tragedy," Durkin said. "Since the governor has failed to take action, I call on Director Smith to resign for the good of the children in this state who depend on DCFS.”

Andrew Hensel has years of experience as a reporter and pre-game host for the Joliet Slammers, and as a producer for the Windy City Bulls. A graduate of Iowa Wesleyan University and Illinois Media School, Andrew lives in the south suburbs of Chicago.