SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Lawmakers grilling the Department of Children and Family Services director don't want to forget Deidre Silas.
Silas is the DCFS employee killed, allegedly by a man whose house she was visiting to check on children near Springfield. State Rep. Tony McCombie and director Marc Smith discussed implementation of a law passed in Silas' honor.
“Can I assume that the training has started for the pepper spray for your workers?, McCombie asked.
Smith said in response that the agency is developing training and policy protocols related to pepper spray.
McCombie then asked what the timeline is for developing protocols.
"We hope to have - I can't specifically say, because I don't want to be nailed down to a date, but we are absolutely working that - for new policies and procedures, there (is a) tremendous amount of protocols that have to take place," Smith replied.
That was not the only exchange which frustrated lawmakers on the Legislative Audit Commission. Smith contended that even with hundreds of unfilled positions, DCFS has enough staff members to meet its mission.
“You are delusional," said State Sen. Chapin Rose to Smith.
The commission looked into a blistering report of shoddy record keeping and even failing to take children to the dentist as well.
State Sen. Darren Bailey was asked about voting against budgets – including those which fund the Department of Children and Family Services.
“They asked for $142 million more to do their job adequately, and i asked (DCFS) director (Marc) Smith, if I am reading this right, at the end of FY 22,” with the fiscal year ending June 30 of this year, there’s going to be $12 million sitting on the table unspent.”
Noting Gov. JB Pritzker’s travels to New Hampshire, Maine, and Florida, Bailey, who is running against Pritzker in November, said Pritzker seems to be prioritizing campaigning for president over needy kids.
Bailey did not offer his own plan on how to handle DCFS issues nor did he say whom he would name director if elected.
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