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The National Association of Social Workers - Illinois Chapter (NASW-IL) is pleased to share that House Bill 1715 (an initiative of the chapter) has passed the Illinois House Child Welfare committee unanimously, marking a significant step forward in ensuring that the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) remains focused on its core mission of supporting families and protecting children.
What House Bill 1715 Does
HB 1715 is a cleanup bill that removes outdated statutory language granting DCFS the authority to establish its own law enforcement division. This provision was enacted over 40 years ago but was never operationalized and never used. The bill ensures that DCFS remains a human services agency, not a law enforcement entity—a crucial distinction in maintaining public trust and encouraging families to seek help when they need it most.
Why This Matters
Social workers and child welfare professionals understand the importance of trust when working with families in crisis. If DCFS were perceived as a law enforcement body, it could discourage families from reaching out for help, making it harder to protect vulnerable children. By removing this outdated provision, HB 1715 reinforces DCFS’s role as a support agency and ensures that any future discussion on granting law enforcement authority would require full legislative debate and approval.
Bipartisan Support and Next Steps
The unanimous passage of HB 1715 in committee demonstrates strong bipartisan recognition of the importance of keeping DCFS focused on social services rather than policing functions. The bill now moves to the full House for consideration. NASW-IL encourages lawmakers to continue their support for this critical measure.
NASW-IL’s Commitment to Child Welfare
As advocates for social workers and child welfare professionals, NASW-IL strongly supports policies that reinforce the role of social services in strengthening families and protecting children. We thank Representative Kelly Cassidy for sponsoring this bill and for her leadership in ensuring that DCFS remains a trusted partner to Illinois families.
How You Can Help
We encourage NASW-IL members and supporters to reach out to their state representatives to express their support for HB 1715. Keeping DCFS’s focus on support, not enforcement, is essential to its mission and the well-being of children and families across Illinois. Completing our action alert only takes seconds -but goes a long way to keeping legislators informed. Take action here: https://www.votervoice.net/NASWIL/Campaigns/122779/Respond
We will continue to monitor the bill’s progress and provide updates as it moves through the legislative process. Stay engaged, stay informed, and thank you for advocating!
As always, you can see a list of legislation we are supporting, opposing or monitoring on our legislative bill tracker here: https://www.naswil.org/billtracker