Parents sue child services for taking custody
A Tinley Park, Illinois couple is suing the Department of Children and Family Services, claiming they removed their toddler from their home for no cause.
The 21-page suit seeking at least $50,000 in compensation was filed Wednesday by lawyers for the Family Defense Center, a not-for-profit organization based in Chicago that represents parents against the child welfare system.
The lawsuit charges that authorities “tore a healthy and happy toddler from her innocent parents.” Then, it alleges, child welfare investigators “held the toddler hostage until the parents agreed to forfeit their constitutional rights to live without unwarranted restrictions.”
A spokesman with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.
On Sept. 17, 2006, Nataleigh Evans took a tumble while learning to walk and hit her head on a coffee table, the lawsuit said. When a red bump appeared, her mother, Jennifer Evans, took her to a pediatrician who made an allegation of abuse to the DCFS hot line.
Information from: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local...
