For fourth time, DCFS director held in contempt of court

COOK COUNTY, Ill. (WAND) - DCFS director Marc Smith has been held in contempt of court for the fourth time since early January.

The Office of the Cook County Public Guardian said Smith failed to place a child in an appropriate setting in violation of court orders for the fourth time this year. He is facing a $1,000 fine per day after Judge Patrick T. Murphy made the contempt of court decision against him, with those fines applied until DCFS appropriately places the child.

Officials said this latest order involves the placement of a 16-year-old girl.

"Since November, DCFS shuffled this poor girl back and forth 25 times among various placements, including hospitals, shelters (including a shelter in Indiana), and temporary foster homes," a Public Guardian document said.

The court had granted custody of the child to DCFS on Sept. 28, 2021. According to the document, she was ready to be discharged from a locked psychiatric hospital at that time, but DCFS made her stay in the hospital for nearly two more months and until Nov. 18, 2021.

See the PDF document attached to this story for more information. A redacted contempt of court order from the Circuit Court of Cook County is also attached to this story.