DCFS licensed a three-time convicted felon as a foster parent and subsequently placed a 16-year-old sex trafficking victim into his care. DCFS placed the girl with the 24-year-old pimp, Erick Johnson, just months after he was released from federal prison after a 24-month sentence on a firearms charge. Before that, Johnson spent three years in state prison for two robbery convictions. Despite all that, he passed placement clearance and was approved by DCFS to become a foster parent. While the child was in his care, he profited from tax money as a foster parent while he forced the juvenile into prostitution by putting up an advertisement on a known sex website. The girl has been raped, trafficked, abused, beaten up , and she has been shot, leaving a bullet in her leg. Nearly a year ago, a DCFS hired psychologist told the child welfare agency that the girl needed to be in a “secure residential treatment sex trafficking program.” However, the girl has not received the treatment she needs for the trauma the agency’s carelessness caused.
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Author ArchiveThe Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) placed a child sexual assault victim into the care of a pimp with a lengthy criminal historyApril 12th, 2023
 No Comments  Human Trafficking, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Sexual AbuseFederal class action lawsuit alleging that the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) continually lacks placements for and has willfully and wrongly incarcerated hundreds of children in its careDespite three decades of litigation by the American Civil Liberties Union, broken promises, court orders, news reports, and letters from informed officials, DCFS continually lacks placements for children in its care, forcing some foster children to be wrongfully incarcerated. The recent lawsuit seeks to represent all individuals placed in DCFS care since Jan. 1, 2018, that spent at least seven consecutive days incarcerated after a court order for their release upon request. The plaintiffs estimated the class includes “well over 100 children.” The suit named DCFS Director Marc Smith, assistant deputy directors Lauren Williams and Ryan Goodwin, as well as former directors and senior agency officials as defendants. The lawsuit demands a jury trial and requests plaintiffs be awarded compensatory damages, costs and attorneys’ fees as well as punitive damages from the individual defendants named in the suit. Investigative Report Reveals Chicago Public School Employees Sexually Groomed and Sexually Assaulted Students and Failed to Properly Report Sexual Contact with StudentsThe Chicago Public Schools Office of the Inspector General conducted an investigation of Chicago’s Publics Schools, revealing hundreds of teachers and school officials sexually groomed and assaulted students. The investigation also found numerous incidents of teachers and school officials engaging in policy violations over the last four years by not properly reporting incidents of sexual grooming and sexual assault of students. Chicago Public Schools are governed by clear and specific reporting protocols in the event a teacher or other school official initiates improper sexual contact with a minor. Justin Grosz interviewed by Sun-Sentinel for series on human trafficking issues in FloridaThe Sun-Sentinel newspaper is publishing a four-part series that investigates the serious issue of sex trafficking at Florida hotels. Justin Grosz, co-founder of the Justice for Kids Division, has filed lawsuits against hotels where underage girls are suspected of having been trafficked for sex, and shares his insights in part one of the series. Click here to read part 2, which focuses on girls in foster care. New Law Provides Foster and Adoptive Families with Additional Resources to Care for Children Exposed to Trauma, Abuse, and NeglectPublic Act 102-926 provides intervention services for abused and neglected children in the Child Welfare System. Early exposure to trauma, abuse and neglect can damage a developing brain and lead to developmental disabilities. Historically, families involved in Illinois’ Child Welfare System struggled to navigate and attain necessary resources. The new law aims to expand eligibility under DHS’ Child Care Assistance Program to include foster parents or caregivers of youth in care, regardless of whether they are working or participating in employment or education programs. Families can seek these services through DCFS, but only for abused and neglected children under the age of three. School bus carrying a Chicago area high school hockey team hit and flipped on its side injuring 16 students; Police were warned driver was speeding excessively and swervingA school bus carrying 23 students from St. Ignatius College Preparatory in Chicago was struck by a tractor trailer, resulting in injuries to 16 children. Police in Warsaw, Indiana were warned that a truck was swerving and excessively speeding on a highway. The truck then ran a red light, striking the bus of 23 students, two coaches, and a driver, who were returning from a hockey tournament. The impact flipped the bus to its side, ejecting at least one student from the bus and injuring 16 other students between the ages of 14 and 17. Three students required surgery and are now in stable condition. Police referred charges against the driver to the Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, in Indiana, for operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury. BND: Foster parents want justice for child who died after IL DCFS removed him from their careChicago, IL foster care child abuse law firms have been following the devasting news about the death of two-year-old Hunter Drew. After the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services took protective custody from Hunter’s mom, he was placed with his aunt and uncle. Despite several improvements to his health and well-being since the move, Hunter was again moved to his dad’s and stepmom’s home about two months before his stepmom was accused of child abuse which allegedly led to his passing. Read more about this sad case of foster child death and child abuse here. A baby died in foster care in Marion. Now two social service agencies face negligence case.Stacie Schmerling and Lisa Elliott of Kelley Kronenberg’s Justice for Kids Division have filed a lawsuit against two social service agencies on behalf of the estate of an infant who died while in foster care in Marion County. Read more in this article from the Ocala StarBanner here. Distraught parents still waiting for answers from Homestead daycare after death of 9-month-old sonAnother tragic daycare death from overheating raises questions about daycare‘s negligence. Read more from WPLG Local 10 here. Another Sexual Abuse Cover-up by an Institution — the Southern Baptist ConventionAs reported by the New York Times, a nearly 300-page report on sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention has published online. Read more here. Miami Herald: Florida seized a disabled mom’s 4-day-old son: ‘I didn’t think this could happen in America’As reported by the Miami Herald, it was just two days after Alysha Princess Cesaire gave birth to her son when someone at Memorial Regional Hospital called the state’s child abuse hotline to express concerns that her physical disability — which causes her to use a walker and have difficulty speaking — rendered her an unfit mother. Justin Grosz Appointed to Florida’s Children First Board of DirectorsFlorida’s Children First (FCF), a statewide advocacy organization focused on protecting the legal rights of at-risk and foster care children, is proud to announce the addition of Justin Grosz to its Board of Directors. |
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