Dupage Policy Journal

Illinois State Rep. Amy Grant (R-Wheaton) has called for a "complete overhaul" of the Department of Children and Family Services after the agency's Director Mark Smith has been issued nearly a dozen contempt of court citations so far this year. 

Grant told the DuPage Policy Journal she doesn't think he's fit for the job. 

"If the department can't come out with some fixes for the state, he doesn't deserve to be in that post," Grant said. 

Her comments come after Smith received his 11th citation for again failing to properly place a child on May 19. According to Capitol News Illinois, the latest citation centered around an 11-year-old girl who's spent more than half her life in state custody and during that time has been bounced around from an abusive foster home, emergency foster homes, psychiatric hospitals, and shelters. Last month she was hospitalized for suicidal ideology and held in the emergency room two days past a court order requiring her to be moved to a psychiatric hospital or secure residential facility.

"A complete overhaul is needed, that goes by what was found in the audit and the need to update that antiquated system," Grant added. 

According to CBS News, Smith's tenth contempt citation centered around a young girl, who was sexually abused at a young age, and has been shuffled between shelters and psychiatric hospitals while in state care. Statements made in court suggest the girl has suffered because of the agency's failure to place her in a proper home. 

"I would like to see it fixed; it needs to be fixed for the benefit of everyone in the system," Grand said.

The ninth contempt citation stemmed from the treatment of a 15-year-old boy who was held in a psychiatric facility for months longer than deemed medically necessary instead of being placed in a foster home, according to CBS News.

CBS News questioned Gov. J.. Pritzker (D-IL) about how many more contempt charges it would take before action was taken following Smith's 8th contempt charge. Pritzker admitted he was "frustrated with the challenges," but said progress at the agency was being ignored. 

According to Smith's biography on the DCFS website, he served as acting director for a little more than two years before he was confirmed as director in 2021.