Mental health and child welfare are two issues that are inextricably linked. Across the country, numerous youth and family services organizations attempt to provide crucial care for children, adolescents, and families facing various difficulties.
Whether the individuals are suffering from mental health issues, addiction, behavioral challenges, or other obstacles, child and youth wellbeing is an essential service every community needs.
Organizations that strive to meet these needs must prioritize safety, quality services, and adherence to professional and ethical standards to keep homeless and dependent girls and boys safe.
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Failing to meet these expectations could place children and families at risk of abuse, neglect, medical malpractice, or even sexual abuse. An Illinois residential treatment facility abuse lawyer from Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help you hold these organizations accountable when they fail to meet professional and ethical standards.
You have the right to be treated fairly, so suffering harm from a residential treatment center or youth welfare organization could entitle you to compensation. Our team can increase your chances of securing a settlement if you have suffered harm from a family or child welfare organization.
About Children’s Home and Aid
Children’s Home and Aid is a statewide organization in Illinois providing comprehensive support services for children and families. The agency focuses on foster care, adoption, early childhood education, and family counseling programs.
Overview
Children’s Home & Aid Society of Illinois is a private charitable organization devoted to child welfare in many communities throughout the state. Recently, it rebranded as Brightpoint.
This organization is dedicated to many youth services, including child welfare, mental health support, foster care, child care, residency for homeless and dependent children, and more.
Although Children’s Home & Aid is now Brightpoint, it has helped children and families thrive for decades in Illinois. The organization believes that challenges children face do not always become life-altering crises.
There are multiple locations throughout the state from which Children’s Home & Aid operates, but the main Brightpoint headquarters is located at 200 W Monroe Street, Suite 2100, Chicago, IL 60606.
Ownership and Affiliations
The company’s legal business name is the Children’s Home & Aid Society of Illinois. It operates in 69 counties across the state and serves roughly 30,000 families each year. Brightpoint’s various offices and programs provide youth services, foster care, early childhood care, access to mental health professionals, and support for emotionally disturbed children.
Brightpoint recently acquired El Hogar Del Niño, another youth services organization that provides early childhood care and education to Latino families in Chicagoland. Now that El Hogar Del Niño is affiliated with Children’s Home & Aid, it will have additional resources to serve more families.
Notable Legal Actions Against Children’s Home and Aid
The Illinois Children’s Home & Aid organization aims to put families and children in a better position to succeed. Instead of letting problems become life-altering crises, the programs at Brightpoint seek to help children find an identity that feels optimistic and warm.
Unfortunately, this company has hurt some families and children. In these cases, the staff or mental health professionals affiliated with Children’s Home & Aid failed to protect the children, youth, and families from harm. Here are some notable cases involving the Children’s Home & Aid Society of Illinois.
Sexual Abuse of Minors Due to Negligent Supervision
A lawsuit was filed against the organization due to its failure to monitor the status of two minors under its jurisdiction and take action when there were signs of sexual abuse. The two children were surrendered by the mother, who had issues with drug use and neglect. Both were placed with a man the mother claimed was the father of one of them.
While under the care of this man, Eric Nichols, both children were sexually abused. Nichols was found guilty of criminal sexual conduct and was sentenced to two 15-year terms to be served consecutively.
With the help of Illinois sexual abuse lawyers, a public guardian filed a lawsuit against Children’s Home & Aid for failing to monitor the children. According to DCFS standards, Nichols was an unlicensed caregiver, so the agency was supposed to visit his home at least twice per month. The lawsuit alleges that this did not occur.
Additionally, the suit claims caseworkers ignored obvious red flags, such as the conditions in the home and the excessive number of moves that occurred while the children were in Nichols’ custody. The lawsuit sought damages for negligence on behalf of each child, as well as willful and wanton misconduct for each child from Nichols [1].
Fatal Negligence in Home Monitoring Leads to Toddler’s Death
Semaj Crosby was only 17 months old when she was found dead in a home, surrounded by piles of garbage and placed underneath a ripped-up couch.
According to the lawsuit, the house was infested with mice, rodents, and even cockroaches, and multiple squatters were found in it. The little girl was living with her mother, Sheri Gordon, who was supposed to receive assistance and regular checkups from Children’s Home & Aid due to her cognitive limitations.
The lawsuit blames the organization for negligence and wrongful death in failing to remove the child from the home. The caseworkers were also obligated to report the conditions of the house but failed to do so, even though they had visited just days prior. The lawsuit is being filed on behalf of the girl’s father, James Crosby [2].
Negligent Post-Surgical Care Leads to Teen’s Death
Marjorie O-Casek, acting as special administrator of Carla Thompson’s estate, filed suit. The lawsuit named multiple parties, including the Children’s Home & Aid Society of Illinois.
Thompson was a ward of the state who resided at this organization. She underwent a tonsillectomy and was released back to the care of this agency, where she fell into cardiac and respiratory failure. Thompson was readmitted to the hospital but eventually died of bronchopneumonia.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants failed to respond to the victim’s complaints of symptoms after her surgery and ignored the signs of bronchopneumonia. The suit also claims that the medical professionals who did the surgery were negligent as they cut her uvula and caused an infection [3].
Understanding Your Rights
If you or your child have participated in programs or facilities operated by Children’s Home & Aid, there are certain rights protected by state and federal laws. When these rights are violated, and individuals suffer abuse, neglect, or other types of harm, they could have grounds for a lawsuit against the at-fault party.
As the lawsuits mentioned previously show, this organization has not always succeeded in serving children and helping families thrive.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can help you seek compensation and pursue justice against the negligent organization. Our residential treatment facility abuse lawyers have experience with many types of abuse, including sexual abuse, neglect, and medical malpractice.
When your case involves these areas of concern, you need an experienced lawyer to ensure your claim has a chance.
You must also consider the statute of limitations in Illinois when filing your claim. For most personal injury cases, plaintiffs have two years to pursue legal action. However, if the case involves criminal sexual misconduct, there is no statute of limitations for a civil claim.
Secure Expert Legal Representation!
With the right legal representation, you can build a strong case against Brightpoint or whatever organization caused you harm. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers will investigate the circumstances of your case, assess legal damages, gather evidence, negotiate for fair compensation, and represent you in court if necessary.
Our process starts with a free consultation. During this conversation, you can ask a qualified attorney questions about your specific case and the claims process. Once you are satisfied with the answers, we can discuss the possibility of seeking compensation for damages such as lost income, medical bills, emotional distress, physical pain, or loss of enjoyment of life.
We also operate with a contingency fee arrangement. Instead of making you pay upfront for legal services, our attorneys only receive payment out of the settlement if they recover compensation on your behalf. This incentivizes your lawyer to work hard and lowers the financial barrier to pursuing legal action.
If you or your child has suffered due to the services of the Children’s Home & Aid Society of Illinois, whether it was during foster care, child care, counseling sessions, or educational programs, you may have a legal case. Call us today at 888-424-5757 or complete the online form to request your free consultation with a Chicago personal injury lawyer.
Resources: [1] REFORM, [2] CBS News, [3] Casetext
All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.
