Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is replacing the long-time watchdog of Illinois’ troubled child welfare system.
Denise Kane has been the inspector general of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) for 24 years.
But Rauner quietly announced last week that he’s replacing her at the end of the month.
Ben Wolf is with the ACLU - which has monitored DCFS under a court order for decade.
“I never doubted for a moment that her heart was focused on the best interest of the children and not on anything else,” he said.
A new inspector general comes in just as Kane recently published a scathing report about the previous director of DCFS who resigned after a corruption investigation -- and questions of the agency’s handling of child deaths related to abuse and neglect.
A Rauner spokeswoman says the report was not a factor in replacing Kane.
