What Is A DCFS Investigation

If somebody reports to the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services (commonly referred to as “DCFS”) that they suspect a child is being harmed by abuse or neglect, DCFS may investigate the report, which may mean that they investigate you or someone you know. If DCFS is investigating you, it means that they are considering and will decide whether they believe there to be evidence that you have caused harm to the child by abuse or neglect.  

DCFS deciding to investigate you can start a long, complicated sequence of events that involves a lot of people and legal processes that will have significant and often deeply harmful impacts on you and your loved ones. People facing these possible impacts deserve to understand both the processes they have been required to participate in and their legal rights in those processes so that they can make informed decisions, seek appropriate support, and effectively advocate for themselves and their families. Whether you or someone you care about is currently being investigated or you or someone you care about faces an investigation in the future, it is important that you have the information contained in these materials. Having this information will put you in the best position to decide what support you might need and how to navigate these processes to advocate for what you believe is the best outcome for you and your family or to support loved ones if they are going through these processes.  

The system of reporting on and investigating people for suspected child abuse or neglect is one that was built on a foundation of structural racism, anti-Blackness, anti-Indigeneity, xenophobia, and white supremacy. This foundation allows those in power to weaponize the system against various populations. It is therefore especially important for Black, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and undocumented communities to understand the information in these materials and where they might be able to find support in navigating this system’s processes.