Bailey blames Pritzker for Illinois DCFS failures

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Officials from the Department of Children and Family Services stood before lawmakers on Tuesday.

The state agency has been under recent scrutiny on their effectiveness when it comes to protecting children.

Eight children have died since December while cases of neglect or abuse were under investigation by DCFS.

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Among those testifying at a legislative audit was DCFS Director Marc Smith, who has been held in contempt of court a dozen times since January for the agency's failures in properly caring for or protecting children.

Gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey says the failures at DCFS are the fault of his opponent, Governor JB Pritzker.

"This is incompetence in tragic proportions. This is devastating. This is what people in the real world call a fireable offense — period," Bailey said.

FOX 32 Chicago reached out to Pritzker’s office for a response to Bailey. The statement says Bailey as a state representative voted against increasing funding for DCFS for several years.

Pritzker's campaign team says the funding would have allowed for the hiring of hundreds of additional staff.