(CHICAGO) WBBM NEWSRADIO -- More and more Illinois families of children with special needs are being turned away from residential facilities due to staff shortages statewide.
Children and teens with developmental disabilities and mental health issues are being turned away from many residential treatment facilities in Illinois.
"We now have a perfect storm where we have an increased need for services for the kids with the most need and we have less services available than were available before and nowhere for them to go," said Disability Rights attorney Matt Cohen said.
"And the State Board of Education has rules and procedures are preventing the ability of these families to get the services that they need."
He also said that these children aren't getting the help they need and the lack of space and resources have reached dangerous levels.
"It's a crisis. It's a tragedy. It's despicable. And we need the state board of education in the state legislature to take action immediately."
Cohen is calling on the state to better fund these services and to increase staff and better streamline the process in placing these children.
