Kane County Reporter

Illinois State Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills) has called for "structural change and new leadership" at the Department of Children and Family Services after the agency's director was held in contempt of court for the 11th time so far this year.

According to Capitol News Illinois, Director Mark Smith was issued his 11th contempt citation for once again failing to appropriately place a vulnerable child. 

"If any individual, government public servant rejected a subpoena as often as he does, we'd be dragged into court by now," McLaughlin told the Kane County Reporter. "The fact that he doesn't respond to subpoenas is telling us how he does his job. If he can't fulfill the job in a required fashion, he needs to step down."

The latest contempt charge centers around an 11-year-old girl who had been in DCFS care since she was five. The girl has spent her time in the state's care being shuffled around from an abusive foster home, emergency foster homes, psychiatric hospitals, and shelters. Earlier this year she was taken to the emergency room after expressing suicidal thoughts and held there for a total of four days, two days past when a court ordered she be moved to a psychiatric hospital or a secure residential facility, Capitol News Illinois reported. 

"There are those that have worked with DCFS that talk about the problems and the agency has long been woefully underserving the children of Illinois. The governor should be the first one calling that out," McLaughlin said. 

Smith's 10th contempt citation, issued earlier in May, stemmed from a young girl who wasn't appropriately placed and instead was bounced around from shelters to psychiatric hospitals, CBS News reported. According to statements made in court, the girl, who was sexually abused at a young age, has struggled as a result of the agency's failure to find her a proper place to live. 

"We seem to have continued problems with children being underserved, not cared for and even injured with no changes being made to get things right," McLaughlin added. "We need structural change and new leadership."

According to CBS News, Smith's 9th contempt charge concerned a teenage boy who was held in a psychiatric facility for months longer than was deemed medically necessary. 

The news outlet questioned Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) following the 8th citation about how many more contempt charges it would take before action was taken to which Pritzker responded "you're ignoring all the progress that's been made at DCFS."

According to Smith's biography on the DCFS website, he was confirmed as director last June after holding the "acting director" title since April 2019.