Committee debates bill letting DCFS caseworkers seek warrants when they cannot see children

Representative Watkins introduced House Bill 83, “child welfare modifications,” saying the measure grew out of recent, fatal child-welfare cases and would give DCFS caseworkers a narrowly drawn ability to obtain a warrant to see children when they cannot get eyes on a child after a report. “This bill...gives, the DCFS caseworker the ability to get a warrant,” Watkins said.

The bill, as described by Watkins, would permit a DCFS caseworker to seek a warrant when there has been a report of abuse or severe neglect and the caseworker cannot contact the household, cannot get anyone to answer the door or call, and therefore cannot confirm whether children are safe. Watkins told the committee the tool is intended to be “very narrowly directed” and that caseworkers should work with police when executing any warrant.

Committee members asked how the warrant standard would work in practice.…