Lake County Gazette

Illinois state Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) is demanding that lawmakers in Springfield prioritize the safety of children involved with Illinois’ child welfare system.

“It was just over four years ago when authorities found the body of 5-year-old AJ Freund—a constituent of mine–wrapped in plastic in a shallow grave in rural Woodstock,” Wilcox said at a recent press conference, quoted in a news release from his office. “DCFS [Department of Children & Family Services] had many hotline calls about the family’s treatment of the children, there was a doctor who reported serious and suspicious bruising on AJ during an ER visit, and DCFS visited the home many times. Yet in the end, this boy was left defenseless in a house with monsters and he ultimately died from injuries to his skull and brain due to multiple blunt-force trauma inflicted by his parents.”

Wilcox was joined by Senate Republicans in urging Democratic lawmakers to get their priorities in order to prevent such situations from reoccurring.

State statistics show that deaths of children with DCFS involvement have increased—from an average of 100 deaths from 2015-2018 to an average of 130 from 2018-2022. Just in 2022, 171 deaths occurred of children meeting the criteria for a DCFS investigation.

Wilcox called out Democrats over their laxness on the issue.

“Our constituents elect us to represent them in Springfield, and their care and wellbeing should be in the forefront of our minds during policy discussions,” he said in the press conference. “Too many legislators seem to have forgotten that.”

Wilcox also noted that Republicans’ repeated demands for an overhaul of DCFS “have fallen on deaf ears.”

“Not only are Democrats refusing to act, but Governor Pritzker also recently re-appointed DCFS Director Marc Smith to continue leading the agency,” Wilcox said. “It is inexcusable that Democrats refuse to prioritize the care of children within DCFS.”

In addition to the care of at-risk children who depend on DCFS involvement for safety, Republicans also criticized Democrats for other “misplaced priorities,” including promoting green energy over dealing with high energy costs.