DCFS worker charged with stealing more than $1M and spending it at a casino
Shauntelle Pridgeon was responsible for reviewing and approving daycare providers for children under DCFS' supervision.
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Shauntelle Pridgeon was responsible for reviewing and approving daycare providers for children under DCFS' supervision.
A member of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking is speaking out about the treatment of foster children.
The teenage girl already had a history of being trafficked for sex – and DCFS placed her in a home with someone now accused of forcing her into prostitution.
Why were they there? The reason, the suit said, was that the state was out of placement beds.
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.
United Airlines flight 945 was diverted to Logan Airport due to an unruly passenger on Monday morning.
Chicago is the latest city to have reported airbag thefts, following Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
Chicago police said the suspect spat on two people and then spat at a third before battering them on April 15.
Speculative ticketing is when sellers don't yet have the tickets, but promise to deliver before the event.
CTA officials are still investigating what caused a Yellow Line train to derail last week in Rogers Park, as transportation experts continue to raise concerns about the state of the city's mass transit system and the impact on those who depend on it.
A federal appeals court panel has upheld former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's conviction on bribery and other corruption charges.
Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday nominated former Exelon executive and former federal prosecutor David Glockner as the city's next inspector general, replacing Deborah Witzburg, who stepped down last week when her four-year term expired.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are aiming to strengthen the "special relationship" the U.S. and United Kingdom have had since World War II.
Cole Allen was charged Monday in federal court with three counts including attempt to assassinate the president.
CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang was sitting next to President Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner when the chaos unfolded.
In the legal venue of anti-trust enforcement, the state is not taking on the Trump administration, but rather filling a void that state officials say the Trump administration has vacated.
A passenger on an American Airlines flight from New York to Chicago has been charged with making a false bomb threat that forced an emergency landing at Detroit Metro Airport last month, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Skyrocketing property taxes continue to be a hot-button issue in Cook County — particularly since last fall, when many residents saw their tax bills increase by 100% or more.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias this weekend issued a warning about a surge in text messages that falsely claim to come from his office or the DMV within it.
Tenants at a South Loop luxury high-rise that has been plagued with problems like broken elevators are vowing to fight five-day eviction notices.
A new $48 million wellness center opened Thursday in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. The goal is to improve the health and quality of life for people on the West Side of Chicago.
La Rabida Children's Hospital went all out for Earth Day on Wednesday, with volunteer cleanup efforts by staffers and activities for patients and families.
It has been several weeks since West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Illinois, abruptly shut down — and then on Wednesday, it just as swiftly partially reopened, with some services available.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 80% of deaths related to pregnancy are preventable, and Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
The United States has long struggled with understanding and finding ways to help treat mental illness. A new documentary, which is screening Saturday in Chicago, examines the reality of living with mental illness in America.
At a meeting on Tuesday, the Lincolnwood Village Board approved a pre-development agreement with the mall, providing a roadmap with the property owner for further preparations and government approvals for redevelopment.
The only remaining location of Pal Joey's pizzeria in Batavia, Illinois, will soon be going out of business, its owner announced this week.
Investment research firm Morningstar could move into the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago once Google is done renovating the former Illinois state government building.
Trader Joe's is planning to open a new location at the Lincoln Village Shopping Center in Chicago's North Park neighborhood, the office of Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th) recently announced.
The satirical news outlet The Onion has a new plan to take over conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars platforms and turn them into parodies.
Some youngsters got a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making opera Sunday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Matt DeCaro, an actor who was a familiar face on the Chicago stage for many years, died this weekend.
Jake was at the funeral for one of his closest friends when he learned of his parents' deaths, he said.
Tickets for the 2026 Ravinia Festival season went on sale Thursday morning.
The satirical news outlet The Onion has a new plan to take over conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars platforms and turn them into parodies.
Chicago police are asking for the public's help with identifying a man they said spat on two passengers and battered a third at a CTA Red Line stop on the Near North Side earlier this month.
Prosecutors say the suspect, 31-year-old Cole Allen, was armed with a shotgun and handgun when he allegedly stormed a security checkpoint near the ballroom where the white house correspondents' dinner was held
Surveillance pricing uses browsing history, spending habits, location, and other personal data to adjust prices for individuals.
Things become quieter with cooler temps to end the month. The latest in First Alert Weather.
At least 11 burglaries were reported between April 19 and 27 in the Washington Park, Bronzeville, Hyde Park, and Fuller Park neighborhoods.
High winds left damage, including downed trees and power lines, leaving hundreds without power on Monday night.
A Chicago man faces murder and attempted murder charges for the shooting that killed one CPD veteran and critically injured another.
Initial reports indicated that a Naperville police officer found a vehicle that was wanted in connection with a missing person who was reportedly experiencing a mental health crisis.
United Airlines flight 945 was diverted to Logan Airport due to an unruly passenger on Monday morning.
A woman has been arrested on federal charges in connection to the purchase of the gun that allegedly was used to kill Chicago police officer John Bartholomew and critically wound his partner at Swedish Hospital over the weekend.
There are so many issues with the DNA evidence in the case that Payne's conviction has been overturned, and a retrial has been ordered.
A mother in southwest suburban Morris, Illinois, is fighting for stiffer penalties for adults charged with grooming children. Some local lawmakers agree, saying Illinois' current law is too weak and puts kids in danger.
Almost 24 hours after a derailment made a mess of the Red, Purple, and Yellow lines in Chicago, the CTA continued to investigate the cause of the incident, and experts were raising concerns about what they called a troubling pattern.
There are 22 city of Chicago crews out on our roads filling potholes across the city day in and day out.
Michaels spent years as an advocate for sexual assault survivors, putting pressure on Congress and speaking out on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein survivors, like herself.
When Angel Reese returns to Chicago on Wednesday for the Dream's first preseason game, it won't just be about basketball. It will be about revisiting a chapter of her early career shaped by adversity, achievement, frustration, growth, and everything in between.
Sergeant Frank Veselak, at 100 years young, is a lifelong Chicagoan who served with the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1944 to 1946.
Justin Wrobleski tossed six scoreless innings, becoming the first Dodgers pitcher since 2009 to win his first four starts.
After the teams played nine scoreless innings, Lile advanced to third on Jorbit Vivas' groundout and scored when left fielder Tanner Murray injured his shoulder making a diving catch on Abrams' sinking liner.
The Chicago Bears ended up selecting seven players in the NFL Draft — three defensive players and four on the offensive side.
Chicago police on Monday were asking for help from the public in finding two suspects in a robbery on the CTA Red Line on Chicago's South Side earlier this month.
A man was in police custody Monday after a woman was found dead in a house in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and a man was found injured nearby.
Chicago police early Monday were investigating two break-ins at businesses just a few doors apart in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.
The inbound Dan Ryan Expressway was disrupted on Chicago's South Side early Monday after a pursuit all the way from Northwest Indiana led to a crash.
Two men were killed late Sunday in a shooting in Chicago's West Pullman neighborhood.
