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A28 u.s. news
Dialuna 10 Januari 2022

Social workers’ field safety remains concern after killing

The attack on Silas also- ther’s home, forcing Knight fice has a worker shortage of
marked the 21st time since to check his grandparents’ more than 6% and agents on
2017 that caseworkers were home in the next county. Black’s team have caseloads
subject to “threats or acts of She decided that waiting for of 30 to 50 families per work-
violence” during 2.5 million a new police agency to ac- er, in many cases exceeding
home visits in Illinois, agency company her jeopardized the the limit of a 1988 federal
spokesman Bill McCaffrey boy’s safety. The boy’s father consent decree that limits to
said. met her at the second stop, 12 the number of new cases
and beat and kicked her so se- assigned monthly to each
Her death has raised ques- verely that she suffered brain worker.
tions of why case workers damage and died five months
are sent into potentially vola- later. The Knight tragedy also re-
tile environments alone, and sulted, with a push from the
whether understaffing — a Arnold Black, a child pro- DCFS employees’ union,
problem that has plagued tection specialist and super- the American Federation of
DCFS for decades despite a visor in the DCFS Urbana State, County and Munici-
(AP) — Illinois officials was unsuccessful. federal consent decree regu- office, said that any time a pal Employees Council 31, in
are seeking answers after lating it — affects the re- case worker or a supervi- office-based security guards
the killing last week of a Silas’ death is the second sponse of caseworkers in the sor believes there should be and improved access to law
state child welfare worker time in four-and-a-half years field. two workers on a home visit, enforcement records of peo-
during a home visit — the that state officials and the so- it’s approved. And there is ple to be visited.
second such tragedy to oc- cial work community are ask- “DCFS, if you’re sending no hesitancy to seek police
cur in less than five years. ing what should have been someone into a situation like backup, as outlined in the Black, a member of the AF-
done, but wasn’t, to prevent this, just send two at a time,” agency’s administrative pro- SCME committee which
Deidre Silas, an investigator it. DCFS investigator Pamela Silas’ father, Roy Graham, cedures on field safety. quarterly discusses issues
with the Illinois Department Knight, 59, died following a said last week. “Whether it’s with DCFS management,
of Children and Family Ser- brutal beating while attempt- a male and female or two “Sometimes, taking the po- said the workforce continues
vices, was stabbed to death ing to remove an endangered males or two females, either lice can agitate the client. to push for other changes it
last Tuesday when she re- child from his father in Sep- way, but send two per visit, You’ve got to know the fam- supports.
sponded to a call of possible tember 2017. not just one.” ily ... You have some fami-
endangerment of children in lies that are going to yell and Those changes include on-
a home in the central Illinois Like Silas, Knight was alone Police agencies historically scream at you for the first five going self-defense and de-
town of Thayer. when she was attacked. Of- have been willing and able to minutes, but then they’re go- escalation training from the
ficials at DCFS, which has help. That cooperation was ing to let you in,” Black said. Illinois State Police, public
A man related to one or more 23,000 children under its strengthened after Knight’s “But if it’s a newer case, or service announcements to
of the six children who were care, have not released details death. A law signed in 2018 if it’s in a rural area, I have familiarize the public with
at home at the time, 32-year- about the circumstances be- allows law enforcement offi- no problem pulling another caseworkers and their duties
old Benjamin Reed, is be- hind Silas’ visit to the home cers to cross into another ju- worker to go.” and a law enforcement da-
ing held in the Sangamon in Thayer, located 23 miles risdiction to back up a home tabase like in Cook County
County Jail without bond (37 kilometers) south of visit. Knight, who was based The problem, though, is that that records not only arrests
on first-degree murder and Springfield, but DCFS Di- in Sterling, did have police pairing workers stretches and convictions but any in-
other charges. An attempt by rector Marc Smith said last backup initially. the workforce, sometimes teraction police have with a
The Associated Press to reach week that agency protocol resulting in plucking em- particular address.
Reed’s attorney on Friday was followed. But the boy Knight was ployees from other offices,
seeking was not at his fa- Black said. The Urbana of- Newly hired investigators,
who make about $55,000 a
year, must successfully com-
plete a six-week “founda-
tions” training session that
includes safety precautions,
DCFS spokesman Bill Mc-
Caffrey said. Once in the
field, they continue under
a supervisor’s tutelage and
must complete a “workplace
and field safety” training ses-
sion within 90 days of start-
ing.

Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, a Chi-
cago Democrat and leader
on child-welfare issues, said
DCFS needs to build an in-
frastructure, with private sec-
tor cooperation, to recruit
and retain employees. She
anticipates more immediate
safety legislation when the
facts of Silas’ death are pub-
lic.

“If there are any other re-
sources we can give our
frontline workers, you’ll be
sure that we’re going to be
looking to see how we avoid
this kind of situation,” Fei-
genholtz said.