Latest news with #IllinoisDepartmentofChildrenandFamilyServices
Chicago Tribune
03-06-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Homer Glen couple now face murder charges for November death of 2-year-old child
A Homer Glen couple has been charged with first-degree murder in the drug overdose death of their 2-year-old daughter last year, authorities announced this week. Edward Weiher, 49, and Alexa Balen, 28, were indicted Monday on first-degree murder charges, which allege they failed to seek timely medical care for their child, Trinity Balen-Weiher, after knowing the toddler was experiencing an overdose episode at their Homer Glen home in November, according to the Will County sheriff's office and Will County court documents. The charges state the couple allowed Trinity access to a controlled substance, which caused her death. The couple has also been charged with endangering the life or health of a child, a felony, in connection with Trinity's death as well as endangering the life or health of a child, a misdemeanor, for providing unsafe living conditions for another child in the home, the charges state. The other child, Balen's daughter, was subsequently placed in protective custody and later released to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the sheriff's office said. Weiher and Balen were also charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a felony. The Will County sheriff's office responded to a 911 call Nov. 6 about an unresponsive child. When police arrived, Weiher was giving chest compressions to Trinity on an ottoman in their living room, the sheriff's office said. The Homer Township Fire Department took Trinity to Silver Cross Hospital, where she died Nov. 7. An investigation at the Thorn Apple Drive home that Weiher bought for $900,000 found deplorable living conditions, which included garbage, rotting food, soiled diapers and clothing, medical waste and significant evidence of narcotics use, police and court documents said. The coroner's report from January states that Trinity died of fentanyl, cocaine and bromazolam intoxication, according to court documents. Detectives reviewed Balen's web search history, which included a search on how to stop an overdose, court records show. They also located a receipt for the overdose medication Narcan that the couple ordered to be delivered. Court documents also state Trinity would have begun overdosing for about three hours and 41 minutes before Balen called 911. Heroin and Xanax pills were discovered throughout the home, within reach of both children, the sheriff's office said. Police also found multiple doses of used Narcan near Trinity. Prosecutors retained an expert in medical toxicology and emergency medicine who opined that if paramedics were immediately on the scene, Trinity could have survived. 'If the EMS system were activated when the child became sleepy or symptomatic of an overdose there would be have been a chain of life-saving measures instituted,' Dr. Steven E. Aks said in court documents. 'Rapid administration of naloxone could have woken the child up and may have been lifesaving.' The parents in November were initially charged with a felony count of endangering the life or health of a child, two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and a misdemeanor count of endangering the life or health of a child, and were ordered held in custody. Earlier this year, the couple petitioned for pre-trial release, which was granted under several conditions, including home confinement, electronic monitoring and having no contact with any minor child. The couple's attorney, Cosmo Tedone, said they are not a flight risk and have been compliant with their pretrial conditions. Balen spent a month in an in-patient drug treatment facility, Tedone said. The couple has been on home confinement and electronic monitoring, is seeking medical help and has complied with weekly drug testing, Tedone said. They haven't tested positive for drugs, he said. Tedone said he will be fighting the upgraded charges and will review the state's expert witness report, which he believes to have holes. The case could go to trial sometime next year, Tedone said.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
Dixon's Hands Around the Courthouse aims to raise child abuse prevention awareness
Apr. 28—DIXON — About 100 people gathered outside the Old Lee County Courthouse in Dixon on Friday afternoon holding up blue pinwheels, the national symbol for child abuse prevention, at Shining Star Children's Advocacy Center's third annual Hands Around the Courthouse. The event called attention to April's Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month. The 2025 theme is "Powered by hope and strengthened by connection," said Aram Perry, deputy director of child protection at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. "The pinwheel in a symbol of hope," Shining Star Executive Director Jessica Cash said. But the month is "about more than ribbons and posters and our pinwheels. It's about real children, real pain, and real hope. Thanks to the work of Shining Star Children's Advocacy Center that hope is alive and growing," Lee County Assistant State's Attorney Bridget Schott said. ExpandAutoplay Image 1 of 6 Approximately 100 people attend "Hands Around the Courthouse" Friday, April 25, 2025, to bring attention to Child Abuse Prevention Month. The blue pinwheel is a national symbol of child abuse prevention. (Alex T. Paschal) Shining Star is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy center serving those in Lee and Ogle counties. The center works with area law enforcement, prosecutors and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to investigate allegations of child abuse and, particularly, child sex abuse. Schott said in her 14 years as a prosecutor across Illinois, the best CAC she's worked with is Shining Star. "Our community really comes out and supports Shining Star and, by doing so, we as a community are telling our children we believe you," she said. At the event, one community member, Mel Burgett of Dixon, was honored for his longtime support of the center. One of the ways he does that is by not accepting payment for catching moles in others yards. Instead, Burgett asks others to donate to the center, Cash said. One of many services Shining Star provides is conducting forensic interviews with a child whom they suspect has been abused. The interview is designed so the child only has to tell their story once to a forensic interviewer who knows the right questions to ask in a way that does not retraumatize the child. Law enforcement professionals who need to see the interview can watch on a monitor in a separate room, Cash said. In 2024, the center conducted 181 interviews with new children coming to the center, Cash said. On average, the agency provides services to about 300 children in Lee and Ogle counties each year. Within that 300, about 150 to 250 of them are new to the center, she said. "That's just here in our community and while the statistics are staggering, what's even more heartbreaking is that behind every number is a child. A child who is scared, silenced and often suffering in isolation," Schott said. In Illinois there are 40 CACs, including Shining Star, that also provide referrals to mental health services, medical exams, courtroom preparation, victim advocacy and more. At Shining Star, the agency has a full-time counselor, who will provide individual counseling, as well as two support groups for teenagers and the child's parents or caregivers. Cash noted that all of the center's services are completely free to the children and their caregivers. It's entirely funded through federal and state grants, as well as donations and fundraisers. Shining Star has a T-shirt fundraiser and a jail and bail fundraiser that are ongoing through April. On its website, there's an ongoing wish list of in-need items, including things such as juice boxes, individual snacks, fleece blankets and more. Monetary donations can also be made on its website. Suspected child abuse can be reported to the DCFS Hotline at 1-800-25-ABUSE.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
New Cincinnati archbishop faced past child abuse claim that authorities deemed 'unfounded'
A few hours after his introduction as Cincinnati's new archbishop, Robert G. Casey answered a question about his past that he said he knew was coming. He confirmed that in 2008 he faced an allegation of misconduct with a child, which authorities later determined to be "unfounded." The accusation, made while he was a parish priest in Chicago, was investigated by both local authorities and church officials. In response to a question from The Enquirer, Casey said in a statement that the claim was a false accusation, but he said he recognized that concerns about it may follow him to his new post in Cincinnati, where he will lead more than 400,000 Catholics. "As a consequence of this false allegation, I realize that I will have an asterisk next to my name for the rest of my life," Casey said. "There will be those that judge me because of this. When I said yes to this appointment as Archbishop of Cincinnati, I had to be at peace with knowing that my call to serve the church is greater than the asterisk." The accusation against Casey became public for the first time in 2018, when the priest became an auxiliary bishop in Chicago. Church officials at the time said they released information about it before his ordination as bishop "for the sake of transparency," according to The Chicago Sun-Times. The allegation was described as a claim of sexual misconduct with a child, but no other details were released. Church officials said they suspended Casey from ministry for four weeks while authorities from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services investigated the complaint and concluded it was "unfounded." "This means that credible evidence does not exist to support the allegation made," the Chicago archdiocese said in a 2018 statement. Casey returned to ministry when the investigation ended. The co-founder of Ohioans for Child Protection, Teresa Dinwiddie-Herrmann, issued a statement after Casey's appointment expressing hope the new archbishop would do more to "fully and transparently address the systemic issues of abuse in our archdiocese." The group was founded by Cincinnati Catholics in response to the church's handling of abuse allegations, which it deemed insufficient. When she learned later Wednesday about the previous accusation against Casey, Dinwiddie-Herrmann said it was "unfortunate" but she could not comment without additional information. Casey said in his statement and at his earlier press conference that he believed the church had taken great strides in addressing the problem of sexual abuse, but he said church officials must remain vigilant in protecting children. "I want to assure everyone in the archdiocese that I am firmly committed to robust processes and procedures for maintaining safe environments in our parishes, schools and ministries," Casey said. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: New Cincinnati Archbishop Casey faced 'unfounded' abuse claim in 2008
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
IL act to make it easier for relatives to foster
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 4781, the Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act into law, allowing the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to develop more flexible standards to certify grandparents and other relatives who are able to safely care for youth in DCFS's care. 'Children are more likely to thrive if they remain connected to their loved ones and community,' said Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Heidi E. Mueller. 'The KIND Act recognizes the significant role that families and communities play in the lives of children and youth and helps to equalize the cost of raising a child.' Gov. Pritzker's office says the KIND Act will enhance the child welfare system and improve support for relatives raising children and youth by: Equalizing payments to relatives with the rate provided to traditional foster parents Helping youth-in-care maintain connections with their families Tailoring services and supports to kinship families Engaging youth, their families and kinship caregivers in permanency planning to materially improve their overall experiences Making certain the wishes of youth and their families are taken into account when planning for the youth's future Treating adoption and guardianship as equally viable options when reunification with parents is not possible Henry County native selected 2025 Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Officials explain 9,300 children and youth in DCFS are living with relatives and many do not receive the same benefits as licensed foster caregivers due to outdated requirements. Relative caregivers are typically extended family members, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins, responsible for the safety, care and supervision of the child or youth. Licensed caregivers are foster parents who have met DCFS requirements and obtained a license to care for a child or youth in the child welfare system. The provisions of the KIND Act will allow for increased financial support to relative caregivers. According to Gov. Pritzker's office, through the KIND Act, DCFS will develop more flexible certification standards for relative caregivers while maintaining 'essential' safety and welfare standards. Unlike the traditional licensing process – initially designed for foster parents who may be unfamiliar to the child – certification allows for a less burdensome path for relatives to receive financial support. DCFS is currently drafting rules outlining the standards for relative caregiver homes and will adopt them in the coming months. Illinois lawmakers renew push for permanent daylight saving time Officials say as a result of certification, increased financial support and an enhanced network of supports for relative caregivers, more children and youth in Illinois will have the opportunity to grow up living with extended family members who they already know and love when reunification with their parents is not an immediate option. 'The KIND Act reflects a simple reality – children whose lives have been disrupted need stability and love wherever and whenever possible,' said Nora Collins-Mandeville, director of systems reform policy at the ACLU of Illinois. 'We know that placing youth in the child welfare system with relatives lessens the trauma associated with family separation, reduces the number of times a child is moved, enhances permanency options if youth cannot be reunified and results in higher placement satisfaction for youth in care; and delivers better social, behavioral, mental health and educational outcomes for youth than when they are placed in non-kin foster care. Providing appropriate resources to family members to get these positive outcomes is good policy for children and for the state of Illinois.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
05-02-2025
- General
- CBS News
Gov. JB Pritzker signs law to make it easier for children's relatives to become foster parents
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday signed legislation aimed at making it easier for relatives to become a child's foster parents. The Kinship in Demand (KIND) Act would allow the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services more flexibility in certifying grandparents and other relatives as foster parents for children in their family. "We want to put everything we have into helping kids find homes … so they can be safe, and be with loved ones, and grow and thrive in a family," DCFS director Heidi Mueller said. Currently, relative caregivers must go through the same certification process as traditional licensed foster parents who may be total strangers to a child, making it difficult for them to take in a related child as their own. Advocates said the new law creates a better connection for kids in DCFS care if they're placed with relatives in familiar homes. The KIND Act also makes sure related foster parents would get the same financial benefits as traditional licensed foster caregivers to help them pay for the care and supervision of a child in their care.
