YORKVILLE, IL — “Without question, I’m correct on the following undeniable truths,” said Illinois State Representative Jed Davis:
- The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) owes Illinois families an apology for misrepresenting the truth regarding the DCFS intern debate.
- Official DCFS documents prove a Child Welfare Employee License (CWEL) does not satisfy the certification required under Illinois law, 225 ILCS 420 (Public Act 85-206), as argued by DCFS.
- DCFS broke the law: Uncertified interns are investigating Illinois families, resulting in children being removed from homes.
Rep. Davis continued, “Last week, I sounded the alarm: DCFS has allowed uncertified interns to conduct child abuse investigations, in clear violation of state law. I noted plainly and truthfully that a CWEL is not a 85-206 certification. DCFS didn’t respond with evidence or facts — they responded by attacking my credibility, calling my statement ‘demonstrably legally false’ and stating I have ‘both the law and facts wrong.’”
But two of DCFS’s own documents now prove Rep. Davis was right all along. A CWEL and certification for specialist positions are separate and distinct requirements.
Document #1: 2017 DCFS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Report
The OIG, an independent oversight authority for DCFS, in its 2017 report, investigated a case involving a DCFS adoption specialist. The OIG investigation revealed this specialist was already “handling cases” and even “had a case she was responsible for.” Therefore, she must have held a CWEL. However, this investigation also revealed she “had not completed the certification required to serve in her position.” (OIG Report, Page 187).
The OIG’s official investigation recommendation leaves no doubt on the CWEL versus certification debate: “All adoption staff are required to take this training and become certified.” DCFS agreed, affirmatively responding: “All Department adoption staff are required to take this training and become certified.”
“The bottom line is simple: A license is not the same as certification. A CWEL allows someone to provide child welfare services, but certification under Illinois law (225 ILCS 420) allows someone to investigate Illinois families and/or handle other specialty services. Certification requires educational credentials, professional experience, and specialty training. Interns, by definition, lack the professional experience and therefore cannot be certified, meaning interns cannot lawfully act as child protective investigators,” said Rep. Jed Davis.
DCFS argues the certification required for adoption specialists does not apply to child protective investigators. But it’s hard to believe investigators — who hold the power to remove children from their homes — would be held to a lower standard than adoption staff. “Does any Illinois family believe this argument is reasonable? The very suggestion is frightening,” said Rep. Jed Davis.
Document #2: 2017 DCFS Intern Training Protocol
This document is an official DCFS guide for training and using interns inside the agency. On page 8, it says:
“It is the responsibility of the Supervisor, with the input from the assigned Mentor, to determine the intern’s curriculum, level of competence, and whether the intern has completed his/her training and whether the intern will be recommended for promotion to a certified Child Protection Specialist (CPS).”
This quote means interns — including interns assisting with or even unlawfully conducting investigations, both of which require a CWEL — are not certified during their internship. Only later, if recommended, are they “promoted” to certified status after gaining the professional experience required to become a specialist. Again, certification is separate and distinct from holding a CWEL.
Rep. Jed Davis said, “Why else would an official DCFS document use the words ‘promotion to a certified’ when referencing someone holding a CWEL if a CWEL is 85-206 certification, as DCFS asserted last week?”
“DCFS recently told me this intern protocol is outdated and was redesigned. I requested the updated protocol. A simple request, but here I am a week later still waiting for the redesigned protocol,” said Rep. Jed Davis. “Either way, it doesn’t change the facts represented here. In 2017, certification was a promotion within DCFS for someone already holding a CWEL, clearly two separate, distinct, and necessary credentials.”
Together, these documents expose the magnitude of the systemic problem at DCFS and dismantle the narrative DCFS has been pushing.
Rep. Jed Davis is supporting a complete investigation of DCFS’s misconduct on the intern issue.
“If DCFS suddenly decided to implement unlawful policies, the people of Illinois deserve to know why, when, and how DCFS was able to implement those policies,” said Rep. Davis. “My colleagues and I need to understand how and where this breakdown occurred so we can create appropriate legislative responses.”
The Bottom Line
These documents are not third-party opinions — they are official DCFS documents, created by the agency itself, directly contradicting its own recent public claims.
DCFS and the Governor’s office said Rep. Jed Davis was wrong; DCFS’s own records prove he was right:
- A CWEL license does not equal 85-206 certification.
- DCFS has allowed individuals without certification — including interns — to investigate child abuse cases.
This summary isn’t a matter of interpretation — it’s in their own words, in their own documents.
“The debate is over. DCFS leadership has broken the public trust and betrayed Illinois families,” said Rep. Jed Davis. “When the very documents DCFS wrote prove they’ve misled the public and violated the law, they forfeit the moral authority to continue leading this department.”
At this point, there are only three possible explanations for their behavior:
- They are knowingly lying to the public,
- They are trying to shield themselves from legal and political fallout, or
- They are grossly negligent in their operations.
“Whatever the reason, Illinois children — our greatest asset — are the ones paying the price. This issue isn’t a political squabble; it’s about protecting both innocent children and parents’ rights while holding our state’s most powerful department accountable,” said Rep. Jed Davis. “Illinois families deserve leaders who follow the law — not distort and twist it — and who protect children instead of protecting political reputations. If DCFS leadership cannot restore credibility and trust immediately, then Illinois families should rightly conclude they need to step aside.”
Rep. Jed Davis requests swift and immediate action, either reinvestigating or vacating pending cases where child abuse investigations were completed by interns. DCFS can neither rewrite history nor change the facts established by these documents.
To view the full document, please contact Rep. Davis’ office at [email protected].