Defending Families Against DCFS

Does the foster care system endanger children? New book 'Wards of the State' asks that question

July 16th, 2025

More than 350,000 American kids are now wards of the state — that means the government has assumed the parental role for these foster children.
Author Claudia Rowe joins NPR's Here & Now to discuss her new book "Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care."

Does the foster care system endanger children? New book 'Wards of the State' asks that question More than 350,000 American kids are now wards of the state — that means the government has assumed the parental role for these foster children.

Illinois
August 18, 2023

Ex-Illinois DCFS Employee, 14 Others Charged In $3.2M Fraud Scheme

A former Illinois Department of Children and Family Services worker and 14 other people are accused of participating in a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than three-million dollars in state funds intended for childcare services.

A federal indictment claims Shauntele Pridgeon orchestrated the fraud scheme from 2016 to 2022 while serving as a Community Social Service Planner for DCFS in Chicago. Pridgeon directed millions of dollars in state funds to the co-defendants for nonexistent childcare services. The co-defendants then paid bribes and kickbacks to Pridgeon totaling around one-point-six-million dollars.

https://www.effinghamradio.com/2023/08/18/ex-illinois-dcfs-employee-14-others-charged-in-3-2m-fraud-scheme/ #

Ex-Illinois DCFS Employee, 14 Others Charged In $3.2M Fraud Scheme Chicago, IL-(Effingham Radio)- A former Illinois Department of Children and Family Services worker and 14 othe...

Illinois June 1st 2023
The state of Illinois made a nine-year-old girl pay for a month's stay in a psych hospital that she didn't need.
A bill totaling over $30,000.
She was in the care of the state child welfare agency, DCFS, who defends the practice.

DCFS charges 9 year old $30K, would-be adoptive mom says money is needed for child's future "A lot of the foster kids end up being homeless, they say. I can see why. DCFS is taking their money from them."