Rep. Davis appointed to DCFS Working Group

State Rep. Jed Davis, R-Newark, was recently appointed to serve on the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Working Group. This key group is bipartisan, consisting of select members from the Illinois House of Representatives and Illinois Senate. They are tasked with developing policies and solutions to help improve the state’s child welfare agency.

“My wife and I are foster parents, so the topic of child welfare hits close to home,” Davis said in a news release. “Together, we’ve lived the challenges and frustrations of working with the system, but love helping kids by providing stability during volatile situations. We need to ask the hard questions and remind Springfield child welfare isn’t about position or power, it’s about kids. Kids are the main characters and they sadly get dismissed or overlooked. Let’s work together to make DCFS a true asset for families and kids.”

DCFS was established on Jan. 1, 1964 as the nation’s first cabinet-level child welfare agency. Approximately 4,000 children were in care during the agency’s first year of operation, compared to a peak of 51,000 children during 1997, and 20,000 today.

For more information about Rep. Davis, call his district office in Yorkville at 331-867-8200. You may also call or text the Representative’s cell at 630-724-7600. Feel free to share any recommendations or suggestions as they relate to child welfare.