Illinois DCFS Launches 4 Foster Care Reform Immersion Sites

On October 17, 2016, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) announced the first four foster care reform Immersion Sites and directors to localize decisionmaking. Currently, foster care decisionmaking takes place at DCFS offices in Chicago and Springfield. The Immersion Sites are Lake County, St. Clair County, the Mount Vernon area, and the Rock Island area. The goal is to reinvent the way the child welfare system approaches children and families through a more comprehensive set of services focused on housing, domestic violence, therapy; and other services to families. These first Immersion Sites will test this approach before . . .