SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield), Chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, released the following statement this afternoon after news that Gov. Pritzker has nominated Marc D. Smith to lead the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS):

“Today’s announcement by the governor begins what I hope will be a new chapter for an agency that has been marked by instability for years. DCFS has failed to live up to its primary role, which is first and foremost the safety of children. Audit findings and high-profile deaths of toddlers who had been visited by DCFS staff only highlight the systemic dysfunction at this agency.

“In the weeks ahead, I look forward to learning more about Director Smith and working with him on the critically important task of restructuring DCFS from the ground up. The lives of Illinois children are too important for anything less.”