County's child advocate sues state, DCFS

Cook County Public Guardian Robert F. Harris filed suit Tuesday against the governor and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, asking a judge to halt a budget plan to slash psychological services for roughly 100 wards who were turned over to the state after they were sexually and otherwise physically abused. Harris told the Sun-Times it's his understanding that a state budget plan is moving forward to halt $4 million in psychological services statewide for DCFS wards, including about $2 million in Cook County. Such services range from one-on-one counseling to "respite care" for foster parents who need expert child care with particularly traumatized children