Danielle Gomez, supervising attorney with the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian | Linkedin.com
Danielle Gomez, supervising attorney with the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian | Linkedin.com
The Illinois Senate Subcommittee on Children and Family Services is advocating for Senate Bill 106 as part of a plan to improve operations at the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
The bill would require the agency to submit annual reports to lawmakers that show the placement of children through the system, especially those hospitalized or those placed in psychiatric facilities.
“Hospital emergency rooms are not designed to deal with psychiatric crises,” supervising attorney with the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian Danielle Gomez told WSIL. “Those youth are frequently subjected to chemical and mechanical restraints while they’re there.”
Gomez said the agency only placed seven kids in neighboring states’ care facilities in 2006, but by fiscal year 2019, 96 kids were placed in these programs outside of Illinois.
In addition to SB 106, the committee has also passed a proposal for youth in care to receive financial aid. Senate Bill 163 is designed to provide assistance to youth in DCFS who apply for the federal student aid.
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