Enhancing Child Protection in Foster Care Demands a Larger, More Expertly Trained Team
In the heart of the United States, Illinois finds itself at the centre of a profound discussion on child protection and welfare. The recent tragic death of Mackenzi Felmlee, an 18-year-old who spent four years in foster care, has brought to light several issues within the state's child protection system.
The Illinois state government has been taking steps to address the skilled labour shortages in the childcare sector. They are focusing on improving workforce integration and addressing the shortages through online platforms like "Kompass Erziehungsberufe," which helps interested individuals explore career entry options in daycare or full-day care programs. The aim is to expand and enhance daycare quality and availability by securing pedagogical personnel for both recruitment and long-term retention.
However, the system has faced criticism in the past. In the 1990s, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) ranked among the nation's worst child-protection systems. Yet, the Pew Commission on Foster Care widely praised Illinois for halving its foster-care population between 1997 and 2002.
Mackenzi lived with her foster family under the supervision of DCFS caseworkers, courts, and other service providers. Despite the numerous safeguards in place, such as mandatory health assessments, monthly face-to-face caseworker visits, biannual court review hearings, and background checks and home studies of prospective foster parents, she faced unimaginable trauma. Mackenzi was sex-trafficked by her mother and sexually exploited by a relative during her time in foster care.
Sara Font, a professor at Washington University's Brown School who studies the effects of the child welfare system and the criminal and juvenile legal systems on children and families, has been vocal about the need for a larger and differently trained workforce to keep children safe. She notes that child-protection work has little to offer our best and brightest: low pay, low prestige, long and unpredictable hours, hostile clients, and life-or-death decision-making with little preparation or support.
The tragedy of Mackenzi's death is not an isolated incident. Less than 15 percent of reports of maltreatment were substantiated nationwide in 2023, and deaths in foster care are less common than deaths of children who remain at home following maltreatment.
Moreover, one-fifth of child protection investigator positions in Illinois were unfilled. The state recently passed the KIND Act, which makes it easier to place children with relatives and pays those relatives, but this act further erodes safeguards by not banning applicants with substantiated histories of child abuse from becoming paid caregivers.
Ideological trends are at work in the field, with students and others increasingly embracing the belief that child protection is really "family policing"-a racist, punitive system that destroys far more lives than it saves. This belief, if unchecked, could have devastating consequences for vulnerable children like Mackenzi.
As we reflect on Mackenzi's life and the system that failed her, it is crucial to remember that the welfare of our children should always be our priority. We must continue to strive for a child protection system that is equipped, supported, and committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of every child in its care.
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