Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ordered an independent review of the state's child welfare agency and nominated a new director.
Pritzker on Wednesday said he has asked the University of Chicago's Chapin Hall policy research center to conduct a comprehensive review of how the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services' Intact Family Services Unit functions. The governor says he's also asked for recommendations in the next weeks. The order comes after several children have died who were under the agency's care.
Also Wednesday, Pritzker nominated Marc D. Smith to head the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Smith is an executive vice president at Aunt Martha's Health & Wellness, one of the state's largest service providers to those in crisis. He has also been a social worker and was a public service administrator with DCFS.
