Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0418
Illinois General Assembly

Previous General Assemblies

Full Text of HR0418  100th General Assembly

HR0418ham001 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 


 
HR0418HAM001LRB100 12763 KTG 26726 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 418

2    AMENDMENT NO. ___. Amend House Resolution 418 by replacing
3everything after the heading with the following:
 
4    "WHEREAS, The Department of Children and Family Services
5("DCFS" or "Department") is responsible for providing child
6protective services and programs to abused, neglected, and
7dependent children and their families; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The shooting death of 17 year-old Laquan McDonald
9by a Chicago police officer on October 20, 2014 shed light on
10the inefficiencies that plague the DCFS foster care program as
11media reports revealed the instability and abuse Laquan
12McDonald experienced throughout his youth as he moved through
13the foster care system; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Last month's suspicious death of 16 month-old
15Semaj Crosby, whose body was found in her family's Joliet home

 

 

HR0418HAM001- 2 -LRB100 12763 KTG 26726 a

1a day and a half after DCFS case workers visited the home to
2investigate an allegation of child neglect, has elicited sharp
3criticism on how DCFS investigates reports of child abuse and
4neglect; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Illinois has an interest in ensuring that all
6reports of child abuse and neglect are thoroughly investigated
7and that the children of this State have access to adequate and
8efficient protective services and programs; therefore, be it
 
9    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
10HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the
11Auditor General is directed in accordance with Section 3-2 of
12the Illinois State Auditing Act to conduct a performance audit
13on the Department of Children and Family Services to review and
14assess the Department's protocols for investigating reports of
15child abuse and neglect; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That the audit include a review of abuse and
17neglect investigations conducted by the Department of Children
18and Family Services in Fiscal Year 2015, Fiscal Year 2016, and
19Fiscal Year 2017, including, but not limited to, a review of:
20        (1) the status of abuse and neglect investigations;
21        (2) the final determination or findings made by the
22    Department for abuse and neglect investigations;
23        (3) the time frame within which the Department

 

 

HR0418HAM001- 3 -LRB100 12763 KTG 26726 a

1    completed or closed abuse and neglect investigations;
2        (4) for sampled cases, recommendations made by the
3    Department to families who were the subject of an abuse or
4    neglect investigation, including any services provided by
5    the Department to the child or family; and
6        (5) demographic information on abuse and neglect
7    investigations, including the age, race, and gender of
8    children who were subjects of the abuse or neglect
9    investigations, and, if available, the zip code and county
10    where the abuse or neglect was alleged to have occurred;
11    and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That the Auditor General compile a detailed
13report that includes a full summary on the number of lawsuits
14or other legal actions filed against the Department within the
15past 3 fiscal years that concern an abuse or neglect
16investigation and the number of lawsuits the Department settled
17within the past 3 fiscal years that concern an abuse or neglect
18investigation; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That the Department of Children and Family
20Services cooperate fully and promptly with the Auditor General
21in the conduct of this audit; and be it further
 
22    RESOLVED, That the Auditor General is not allowed or
23authorized to release or disclose in his report any information

 

 

HR0418HAM001- 4 -LRB100 12763 KTG 26726 a

1that is prohibited from public disclosure under the Abused and
2Neglected Child Reporting Act or under any other State or
3federal law; and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as
5soon as possible and submit his report, including his findings
6and recommendations, upon completion in accordance with the
7provisions of Section 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act;
8and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be delivered to
10the Auditor General and the Department of Children and Family
11Services.".