New report shows how many kids on DCFS radar died in last 18 months
Of the kids dying from abuse and neglect between July 2021 and June 2022, many died from natural causes. But 18 were homicides and 30 were accidents.
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Of the kids dying from abuse and neglect between July 2021 and June 2022, many died from natural causes. But 18 were homicides and 30 were accidents.
We have now uncovered new documents that may reveal there may have been more to the motive behind Amaria's murder.
State Rep. Lakesia Collins grew up in the DCFS system, but she was not aware how overwhelmingly often Illinois foster parents are cleared of abuse and neglect allegations.
This news is not sitting well with the family of the 8-year-old girl, whose mother is charged with her murder.
Surveillance video captured footage of what happened – but the 8-year-old's mom is not allowed to see it.
The higher court did say however, that the lower court judge – former Cook County Public Guardian Patrick Murphy - was trying to address a widespread problem and that Smith has fallen "woefully short."
Foster parents accused of abuse and neglect have the vast majority of their allegations closed without findings against them.
"Hunter was the life of the party," said Hunter's uncle and former foster father, Keil Quigley. "He always had a smile. He had beautiful blue eyes."
The agency investigated allegations of violence, sexual abuse – and finally, the death of a child this past August.
We have been asking every day for five weeks to find out how he died and who dropped the ball.
"At what point is enough is enough? Obviously, whatever they are doing isn't working."
Three different downstate counties investigated this family over the years, but now there are questions over whether they all knew what was going on by neighboring agencies.
"I just want to know what happened to him. I just want to know what happened to my child."
DCFS cares for over 20,000 children with an annual budget of $1.5 billion.
9 children have since died in the care of DCFS since December.
Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert submitted 12 pages Monday of what he calls systemic failures by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
This latest case involves a 15-year-old girl who has been stuck in a psychiatric hospital even though she was cleared to be released on Jan. 14.
DeMarcus Osby spoke out only to CBS 2's Chris Tye about the child welfare system that he says failed his daughter.
Two months – that is how long it took for the state's child welfare agency to make contact with a child who was flagged at risk for neglect.
The eight-year-old's final words: "momma stop."
An 11-year-old abused girl, considered a risk to herself and others, has spent two months in what's considered a shelter and has been waiting months longer for a secure residential treatment center placement.
The department in charge of caring for the state's most vulnerable kids is failing them on everything from regular medical visits to home checks to the way the department is staffed, an audit said.
A new report into how the state manages those "returns home" is out.
The contempt orders all stem from the department's ongoing failures to place youth properly, such that they end up stuck in in psychiatric facilities long after they are ready to be released.
In the latest case, DCFS has kept a 15-year-old boy at a psychiatric facility even after it was determined to no longer be medically necessary as of Jan. 31, 2022.
Santa spoke with CBS News Chicago via Zoom, seemingly from a workshop near the North Pole.
The mercury isn't the only thing registering as chilly this December. Relations between Mayor Bandon Johnson and a majority of the City Council are frigid as the two sides remain deadlocked on the budget.
Aurora police said the victim was pumping gas around 3:44 a.m. when he was approached and shot at by a man who then fled the area.
One man's mission to make the South Side of Chicago bloom just won a major prize.
The same building was raided by federal immigration agents earlier this year, and now residents said they need more time and help to relocate.
The mercury isn't the only thing registering as chilly this December. Relations between Mayor Bandon Johnson and a majority of the City Council are frigid as the two sides remain deadlocked on the budget.
The new financial aid package is expected to shore up the U.S. agricultural sector, which has been hurt by tariffs and a trade war with China.
A group of organizations that offer summer jobs to young people is encouraging city leaders to keep the proposed corporate head tax in next year's city budget.
Two people who survived an early September U.S. attack on an alleged drug boat were waving overhead before they were killed in a now-controversial second strike, according to two sources.
The Supreme Court said Friday it will decide the legality of President Trump's executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship.
A condo owner in Country Club Hills says he's forced to sell his home after his condo association failed to reimburse him for repairs to his leaking roof. Edward Hadnott's condo has sat empty since a major roof leak in 2022.
The U.S. stopped minting pennies this week, and some groups have issued a warning about the headaches that can create for some businesses and consumers.
Why is one school in the west Chicago suburb of Lisle paying a water bill three times higher than another? The answer has to do with a private utility company.
The Food and Drug Administration is warning about additional cookware brands that could be leaching lead into your food.
Walgreens said it will close its office space in Chicago's Old Post Office building.
The newest measles vaccination numbers released by Chicago Public Schools shows immunizations are finally moving in the right direction.
Two pregnant Black women recently faced alarming neglect at hospitals in Indiana and Texas, highlighting racial disparities in maternal care.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed a bill aimed at protecting vaccine access in Illinois.
Roseland Community Hospital on Monday celebrated the opening of a new sickle cell treatment clinic.
Consumers with the imported pans should throw them away due to the severe health risks posed by lead, the agency warns.
U.S. Steel says it'll resume making steel slabs at its Granite City Works plant in Illinois amid strengthening demand.
Traffic at O'Hare International Airport is growing faster than expected, and this has Chicago city leaders wanting to make big changes to future construction plans at the airport.
Small Business Saturday was disrupted by the winter storm for many business owners in Chicago, but in the Rogers Park neighborhood, a group of business owners came together to draw customers.
Three different times over the past year, popular and longstanding Chicago stage theater spaces have made headlines for their demise. But it's not all bad news by any stretch.
A federal judge has called out an immigration enforcement agent for using artificial intelligence to write the narrative of a use-of-force report as just a small part of a scathing opinion that rebutted federal officials' narratives about appropriate force used against protesters and others during an ongoing immigration crackdown in Chicago.
Paramount Skydance's $30 per share offer comes just days after Netflix agreed to buy parts of Warner Bros. in a deal valued at nearly $83 billion.
The nominations for the 2026 Golden Globes were announced on Monday morning. Here are the nominees.
Landon Wallace, better known as Power 92 radio and Chicago Bulls mixer DJ Commando, died last week.
Thirty-five years after throngs headed to a theater near them to see "Home Alone," you can have a lovely cheese pizza, just for you, like Macaulay Culkin's Kevin McCallister character did.
Frank Gehry was known for designing the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
Initial reports indicated that the victim was pumping gas outside his vehicle when he was approached by a gunman, wearing a gray winter coat, brown pants, and brown shoes.
The mercury isn't the only thing registering as chilly this December. Relations between Mayor Bandon Johnson and a majority of the City Council are frigid as the two sides remain deadlocked on the budget.
President Trump on Monday announced a $12 billion aid package for American farmers, moving to support a sector that's been hurt by tariffs and a U.S. trade war with China.
A man was charged with impersonating a police officer and other counts after a chain of events that led to gunfire from real police officers in Aurora, Illinois.
The first of multiple weather systems arrives Monday night, creating light snow showers, flurries, and areas of patchy freezing drizzle.
The same building was raided by federal immigration agents earlier this year, and now residents said they need more time and help to relocate.
A driver suffered only "very minor" injuries when their SUV was struck by a Metra BNSF train in Hinsdale Monday morning.
Fear and concern is mounting as thousands of Catholic faithful prepare for the annual Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe pilgrimage in Des Plaines, amid an ongoing immigration crackdown in the Chicago area.
A federal trial began Monday to decide if Chicago police officers violated a man's civil rights when they shot him at the Grand Avenue CTA Red Line station in 2020.
Santa spoke with CBS News Chicago via Zoom, seemingly from a workshop near the North Pole.
A Chicago woman battling ALS said she's been struggling just to get a disabled parking space in front of her Bridgeport home.
Days after new Cook County Chief Judge Charles Beach ordered an urgent review of the county's electronic monitoring program, Sheriff Tom Dart said this crisis isn't new, and that he's been warning lawmakers of problems for years.
Charles Beach was sworn in on Monday as Cook County's first new chief judge in 24 years, and takes over amid a political firestorm over what appears to be systemic issues with how accused criminals are being monitored before trial.
Some Chicagoans found out the hard way on Monday that the overnight winter parking ban is in effect.
The electronic monitoring system in Cook County has come under increased scrutiny, after a woman was set on fire in a horrific arson attack on the Blue Line, with critics demanding answers as to why the suspect wasn't already behind bars.
Despite Sunday's loss and losing the top spot in the NFC North, fans said they're confident the Bears will bounce back.
Leo Carlsson scored two goals and rookie Beckett Sennecke had a goal and an assist in the Anaheim Ducks' 7-1 victory over the road-weary Chicago Blackhawks.
The Bulls have lost seven in a row, their most since an eight-game skid in the 2019-20 season.
Chicago faced third-and-1 from the 14 when Kingsley Enagbare stuffed Kyle Monangai for no gain. That set up the game-sealing interception.
The ninth-ranked Fighting Irish responded to getting dropped in the CFP rankings for the second consecutive week by turning down an invitation to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
A man has been charged with setting a fire in the apartment building where he lived to cover up the shooting death of his roommate last month in Cicero, Illinois.
A man was charged with impersonating a police officer and other counts after a chain of events that led to gunfire from real police officers in Aurora, Illinois.
A woman was found shot to death on Chicago's Southeast Side early Monday.
A man shot and wounded a teenage boy who he said showed a gun after breaking into his car in the West Chesterfield neighborhood on Chicago's South Side.
At least two people were killed, and 12 others were hurt, in shootings across Chicago this weekend, according to CPD.
