{"id":2503253,"date":"2025-10-26T16:33:59","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T20:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/illinois-child-welfare-agency-to-update-number-of-missing-children\/"},"modified":"2025-10-26T16:36:05","modified_gmt":"2025-10-26T20:36:05","slug":"illinois-child-welfare-agency-to-update-number-of-missing-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/illinois-child-welfare-agency-to-update-number-of-missing-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Illinois child welfare agency to update number of missing children"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fillinois-child-welfare-agency-to-update-number-of-missing-children%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2503253&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Illinois Department of children adn Family Services (DCFS) is updating the reported number of missing foster children after a important increase was revealed.Public records show that while 16 foster children were missing in 2023,the number surged to 166 in 2024-a 935% increase. However, the agency has stated these figures are not fully accurate and delayed releasing updated data amid ongoing efforts to locate the records. <\/p>\n<p>Bailey Templeton, seeking transparency and answers, highlighted concerns about whether foster children are being properly tracked or if systemic issues have led to this rise. She calls for an independent audit to investigate missing children&#8217;s cases, including their state and federal benefits. <\/p>\n<p>DCFS explained they have a dedicated Child Intake Recovery Unit that tracks missing children by placement and duration, noting many disappear from group homes or residential facilities. Despite this, a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >2024 management audit found incomplete documentation<\/a> in 71% of cases, making oversight arduous. Additionally, only 15% of missing child cases resulted in timely notification to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as recommended.<\/p>\n<p>The agency is working to provide the most accurate and context-rich details, emphasizing efforts to collaborate with law enforcement and national centers when children go missing. Meanwhile,advocates urge greater accountability and attention to the issue.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Illinois child welfare agency to update number of missing children<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2382987\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; The number of missing <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/foster-care\/\">foster<\/a> children on the radar of the state&rsquo;s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/children\/\">child<\/a> welfare agency will be clarified this week as a potential <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/illinois\/\">Illinois<\/a> Statehouse candidate looks for answers.<\/p>\n<p>Public records obtained by Bailey Templeton from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services show in 2023, 16 children did not return to either previous placement or a new one. That number jumped 935% to 166 missing children in 2024.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3864402\/study-wine-tariffs-shows-consumers-will-pick-up-part-trumps-tab\/\">Study of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wine-tariffs-shows-consumers-will-pick-up-part-of-trumps-tab\/\" title=\"Wine tariffs shows consumers will pick up part of Trump&#039;s tab\">wine tariffs shows consumers<\/a> will pick up part of Trump&#8217;s tab<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3864403\/most-voters-against-federal-government-controlling-education-poll\/\">Most voters against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/most-voters-against-federal-government-controlling-education-poll\/\" title=\"Most voters against federal government controlling education: Poll\">federal government controlling education<\/a>: Poll<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/3864383\/scott-bessent-china-tiktok-deal\/\">Scott Bessent confirms China agreed to TikTok deal&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>An agency spokesperson told The Center Square the numbers are &ldquo;not completely accurate.&rdquo; Updated numbers were not immediately available through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/website-will-allow-parents-and-teachers-to-expose-classroom-radicalism\/\" title=\"Website Will Allow Parents and Teachers to Expose Classroom Radicalism\">public records requests<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Separate open records requests from both Templeton and The Center Square for updated numbers from the agency were due Friday. The agency delayed the release, saying &ldquo;the requested records have not been located in the course of routine search and additional efforts are being made to locate them.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The records were due to be produced within five business days of October 24, 2025,&rdquo; DCFS Freedom of Information Act told The Center Square in an email. &ldquo;I have requested the documents from the necessary division, and it is still working to gather documents, and the FOIA Office is still working to review the documents as well.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Templeton told The Center Square there needs to be answers.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Something has happened in the past two years that has made it either easier to lose foster children, or the followthrough or the tracking of these foster children is not being property done,&rdquo; Templeton said. &ldquo;So, we&rsquo;re missing a large amount of children and I feel like this should be getting attention that children are missing and that accountability and oversight should be happening as well.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for the agency said they want to ensure that they release the &ldquo;most accurate information&rdquo; and that there is a &ldquo;narrative&rdquo; around the data to be publicly released.<\/p>\n<p>The agency noted it has a Child Intake Recovery Unit, an entire division dedicated to assisting caseworkers in locating missing youth. The spokesperson also said they do track the youth in care that do go missing by where they are placed, how many days they are missing and the date.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Many of our children who are missing go missing from our group of homes or residential facilities,&rdquo; the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n<p>Templeton is demanding there be an outside audit of the issue.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;To look at what&rsquo;s going on with these children, to see if these children that are missing are receiving any state or federal benefits, where that money is going, things of that such,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Specifically, we need to find these children.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In a recent management&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.auditor.illinois.gov\/Audit-Reports\/Compliance-Agency-List\/DCFS\/25-Perf-Follow-Up-Rpt--DCFS-Search-for-Missing-Children.pdf\">audit<\/a>&nbsp;of DCFS&rsquo;s search for missing children, one recommendation made by the Illinois Auditor General in 2014 was partially implemented by 2024. The auditor&rsquo;s report said 71% of instances they checked where a child went missing, the initial forms could not be provided by the department to ensure accuracy.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Department Procedure 329, Locating and Returning Missing, Runaway, and Abducted Children, provides the documentation of supervisor reviews through the submission of the CFS 1014 form,&rdquo; the report said. &ldquo;As a result of the Department being unable to provide the 43 initial CFS 1014 forms noted above, the auditors also could not test documentation of supervisor reviews.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/3816432\/illinois-2022-redistricting-cautionary-tale-california-texas\/\"><strong>ILLINOIS&rsquo;S REDISTRICTING IN 2022 SERVES AS A CAUTIONARY TALE FOR CALIFORNIA AND TEXAS EFFORTS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>When a child goes missing, the agency told The Center Square it reports the matter to local law enforcement, the caseworker provides as much identifying information as possible, to include finger prints if available, and they contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, among other steps.<\/p>\n<p>In another partially implemented recommendation from the 2024 management audit, the auditor general&rsquo;s office found that in only 15% of instances where a child went missing, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were notified within three hours of when a child was reported missing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Illinois child welfare to update missing foster children count<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2869,"featured_media":2503254,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP24129746902261.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[65939,33402,32823,6413,33702],"class_list":["post-2503253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-agency-update","tag-child-safety","tag-child-welfare","tag-illinois","tag-missing-children"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP24129746902261.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2503253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2869"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2503253"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2503253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2503257,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2503253\/revisions\/2503257"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2503254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2503253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2503253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2503253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}