SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D – Deerfield) joined Wheeling Village President Patrick Horcher earlier this week in touring three Wheeling manufacturing facilities.

“Manufacturing is a major industry in the area, with hundreds of local residents working in the field,” Morrison said. “As a state legislator, I believe it’s important to talk to local employers and make sure the state is doing everything possible to attract and retain good businesses like these.”

Morrison toured Creation Technologies, Wieland Metals and Argon Medical Devices. Together, the companies employ more than 500 individuals at their Wheeling facilities.

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Join State Senators Julie Morrison and Terry Link for a Legislative Update Town Hall, taking place on Thursday, August 3 at 7 p.m. at the Indian Trails Public Library.

Questions?
Please contact Senator Morrison's office in Deerfield at (847) 945-5200. 

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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D – Deerfield) held the first in a series of summer hearings today in response to continued failures at the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

The hearing, held at the Bilandic Building in downtown Chicago, focused on 17-month-old Semaj Crosby, who was found dead in late April in her Joliet-area home. The death of Semaj uncovered a host of failures and questionable practices at DCFS, including reports of an incentive program for case workers who closed the most cases in a month.

“When our system fails a child, it is a reflection on all of us,” Morrison said. “Simply blaming DCFS for their failures will not enact the change this agency so desperately needs. Today we began the important work of shedding light on the causes of this tragedy. We will use what we learn to make sure we have not just policies but practices that ensure DCFS will protect children in Illinois.”

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State Senator Julie Morrison (D – Deerfield) joined the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and a host of child welfare advocates recently in announcing the launch of the Illinois Early Childhood Court Team, known as Safe Babies Court.

The new initiative will bring together the court system, DCFS and a host of child welfare organizations, including the Ounce of Prevention and the Erikson Institute, to change outcomes among abused and neglected infants and toddlers.

“Safe Babies Court will transform the way we respond to the abuse of some of our most vulnerable young children,” Morrison said. “Studies have shown the effectiveness of programs that integrate data-driven strategies to fully address and treat exposure to traumatic experiences.”

The Safe Babies Court model was first utilized in South Florida and later adopted by Zero to Three, a national organization devoted to advancing the healthy development of babies and young children.

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