State Rep. Jed Davis’ House Bill 4263 would require the
Department of Children and Family Services to take and submit
photos of each new child placed in its care. The photo will
remain in the child's permanent file and accessible to the judge
assigned to the case.
“Through the system, a lot of times we kind of lose the humanity
behind it,” said Davis, R-Yorkville. “People just become files,
numbers, names, and we’re trying to introduce a photograph into
the record of the court of each foster child so that as the
judge is looking at all the documents of the cases there's also
a picture.”
Davis said he has reached out to DCFS officials to gauge their
interest in an effort to bypass the legislature.
The much embattled agency is in a transition stage, with
Department of Juvenile Justice Director Heidi Mueller taking
over as director of DCFS on Feb. 1.
"In my role as Director of DJJ, I have witnessed firsthand the
critical importance of a strong and supportive safety net for
our state's most vulnerable residents, and the tragedy that
results when there are holes in that net,” Mueller said in a
news release.
If Davis' measure progresses through the General Assembly, he
said he doesn't expect any opposition.
“For too long children have been falling through the cracks of
our foster care system. This simple bill will significantly
improve accountability and transparency for one of our most
vulnerable populations,” Davis said.
Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield Jan. 16.
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
![](column_spacer.png)
|
|