Following the release of another scathing audit of Illinois’ Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS), Director Marc Smith announced today that he will step down from his leadership position on December 31. In response to Smith’s resignation announcement, State Senator Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) issued the following statement:
“Here in McHenry County, we have a constant reminder of the failings of DCFS, as the senseless and avoidable death of AJ Freund is never far from people’s minds. The problems at this agency are vast, and simply replacing the Director will not solve them. The fact that many of the findings in the most recent Auditor General’s audit of DCFS are repeat findings clearly illustrates the agency is not taking these findings to heart and making necessary changes, and the fact that the new report identifies even more problems than the last audit is unacceptable. Until our Governor recognizes the dire need for a structural rebuild of DCFS from the ground up, I fear it is only a matter of time until another child experiences a tragic outcome due to negligence by the agency that is supposed to protect them.”