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Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday named his director of juvenile justice to take over the troubled Department of Children and Family Services.
Heidi Mueller, 49, will exchange Marc D. Smith, who has been on the helm since 2019 and has been held in contempt of courtroom quite a few instances for improper housing of younger individuals below the agency’s care. Smith, who introduced his resignation in October, will assist with the transition via January.
Mueller has been director of the Department of Juvenile Justice since 2016. The agency oversees the custody of younger individuals dedicated to the state by Illinois courts.
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“I have witnessed firsthand the critical importance of a strong and supportive safety net for our state’s most vulnerable residents and the tragedy that results when there are holes in that net,” Mueller stated in an announcement. She thanked Smith for “driving real progress at DCFS.”
Mueller, who at the moment makes $173,250, was chosen after a nationwide search. Pritzker stated her “transformative” work at Juvenile Justice has gained her nationwide consideration.
“Heidi’s care and compassion for the most at-risk young people in our state and her exceptional leadership are hallmarks of her career and I know that her passion and expertise will be a significant asset as we continue to improve our state’s child welfare system,” Pritzker stated in an announcement.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker greets constituents as he campaigns in Bellwood, Illinois, on Nov. 1, 2022. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service by way of Getty Images)
Smith, 54, whose wage is $210,000, started his tenure months into Pritzker’s first time period. The Democrat had pledged reforms, releasing an outdoor report on agency failures together with the deaths of three kids below its care in only a few months.
But the division continued to wrestle. In 2022, Smith was held in contempt of courtroom on quite a few events for failing to seek out correct placement for younger individuals within the agency’s care. Pritzker repeatedly blamed his Republican predecessor for the dismantling of personal social-service companies succesful of correct youth housing throughout a finances stalemate with Democrats in the Legislature from 2015 to 2017.
The scenario has seen little enchancment. DCFS’ personal annual report on placement launched final week confirmed that throughout the fiscal yr that ended final June, lots of of kids had been stored in so-called momentary quarters, in some instances for months, or held in psychiatric hospitals past want for remedy or juvenile incarcerations previous their launch dates as a result of DCFS had no place to place them.
The DCFS inspector basic’s annual report launched final week indicated that in the identical fiscal yr, 160 kids with some stage of involvement with the division had died.
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“The DCFS director has arguably the hardest and most important job in state government. Heidi Mueller has an outstanding reputation as a reform-minded manager and brings substantial child welfare experience to the task,” stated Charles Golbert, the Cook County public guardian, whose workplace has filed class-action lawsuits over prolonged placements in psychiatric hospitals and juvenile justice incarceration. He urged Mueller to make the enlargement of DCFS’s placement capability an pressing precedence.
Heidi Dalenberg, interim authorized director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which additionally has authorized motion towards DCFS, stated Mueller “must embrace the challenge of finding a safe place to stay — preferably with the child’s family members” and switch away from giant, institutional settings.
“This is a challenging job that requires a leader with vision and a commitment to transformational change,” Dalenberg stated.
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Robert Vickery, at the moment deputy director of applications at Juvenile Justice, will function interim director of the agency throughout a seek for Mueller’s everlasting alternative.
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