40th Anniversary Symposium
Director Bryan Samuels (April 2003- present)

Since his April 2003 appointment by Governor Rod R Blagojevich to lead the nation's oldest cabinet-level state child welfare agency, Bryan Samuels has instituted a series of reforms to better serve a changing foster care population, locate missing wards and equip child welfare professionals to manage real world challenges. Attention refocused on serving older youths in the child welfare system, including more educational and emotional support, as well as enhanced career-building services.

Samuels, who headed a Governor’s task force on Illinois child welfare reform prior to his appointment, also introduced new services for foster children who are educationally behind their peers and increased enrollments of youths into pre-kindergarten programs. In response to a Chapin Hall study indicating that many wards were behind academically from the time they enter care and remained at risk for educational failure, DCFS, the Chicago Public Schools and the State Board of Education recently announced a series of initiatives aimed at improving educational services for children in DCFS care. Among the new initiatives is an agreement to maintain and support a child's school of origin when that child's placement is disrupted and the child is temporarily placed in shelter care in the City of Chicago.

The Samuels administration also established innovative locating services have substantially reduced runaways and other DCFS children missing from authorized placements. Needs assessments for children have also expanded, including the implementation of a comprehensive physical, mental health, emotional and educational screening for all children as they enter care. During this time, the Department also became the first state agency to earn reaccreditation from the Council on Accreditation for Children and Family Services.