Embattled Illinois DCFS Resigning

The embattled director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is stepping down. The governor announced that Marc Smith will resign at the end of the year. Smith took over the beleaguered Illinois DCFS in 2019. His tenure was marred with controversy, including being held in contempt of court at least a dozen times for the agency’s failure to properly care for or protect children.

Illinois Deputy Minority Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) issued the following statement in response to the news that Marc D. Smith would be stepping down as the Director of DCFS:

“In light of the most recent compliance audit of DCFS, the need for new leadership within the Department became a clear necessity. Despite continuous promises to improve DCFS, the audit showed 23 examples of previously identified noncompliance were still taking place and an overall increase in noncompliance by the Department.

“It is time for DCFS to have new leadership and for that leadership to make long overdue reforms to ensure that the state’s most vulnerable children and families receive the care they deserve.”