A prestigious training program will no longer be available for Illinois Department of Children and Family Service (DCFS) investigators. The University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) has announced that it is ending its contract to provide much-lauded training program and simulations.
The program has included in-classroom learning as well as simulations of the conditions that the investigators could likely face in the field.
According to officials from UIS, the university had strongly recommended that DCFS offer new investigators a five-week training course at the program, but the Administration was only willing to offer training completed during a single week.
DCFS also has simulation labs at Northern Illinois University and on Chicago’s south side.
The topic of DCFS investigator training has been a focus recently, especially following the death of Deidre Silas, who was killed earlier in the year during a home visit. She was the second investigator killed in recent years while on the job.
The agency has also faced significant controversy this year, with numerous stories regarding children the agency has interacted with, leading to the DCFS director being held in contempt of court a dozen times.