Stuck Kids

Illinois Children Languish in Psychiatric Hospitals

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services struggles to find appropriate homes for young people with mental illness, often holding children and teens in psychiatric hospitals even after they’ve been cleared for release.

Illinois Lawmakers Demand Explanation on Children Stuck in Psychiatric Hospitals

A call for state welfare officials to appear at a public hearing follows our ProPublica Illinois investigation.

Where Is “Home” for Children in State Custody?

Many of us have distinct memories of our own childhood homes. That’s not the case for hundreds of children trapped in Illinois psychiatric hospitals.

Every Day, a Child is Held Beyond Medical Necessity in Illinois

Hundreds of children and teens in state care are held each year in psychiatric hospitals for weeks or months at a time — even though they have been cleared to leave.

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