Illinois DCFS Welcomes Families to the 2024 Illinois State Fair And Encourages Visitors to be Superheroes to Children by Becoming Foster Parents or Working for DCFS

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, August 7 - The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services' tent at the 2024 Illinois State Fair will be bustling with activity this year as representatives from the agency will be on hand to welcome families and share information about the department's programs and services.

 

Visitors to the tent, located on Central Ave., will learn how they can transform a child's life through foster care, adoption or guardianship and speak to agency employment recruiters and fill out applications to become part of the DCFS team. Free gun locks will also be distributed to keep children safe in homes where firearms are present.

 

In keeping with the Illinois State Fair 2024 theme, "It's Showtime," visitors are invited to walk the red carpet and take pictures in front of a superhero-themed backdrop. There will be games and a "make and take" activity area where children can create their own superhero masks.

 

DCFS also welcomes hundreds of foster, adoptive and guardianship families to the fair with discounted parking, admission, concession and carnival ride coupons so they can enjoy the day together.

 

"The Illinois State Fair is a perfect place for families to enjoy a day of fun and make memories that will last a lifetime," said Illinois DCFS Director Heidi E. Mueller. "This year our theme is, ‘Be a child's superhero- transform a child's life,' which speaks to the heart of our agency's mission, both in the work our incredible team does every day, as well as the heroic efforts of our dedicated foster parents who open their hearts and homes to thousands of children who are in need of a loving family."

 

The Illinois State Fair runs August 8-18 in Springfield. For more information about Illinois DCFS, including becoming a foster parent, employment opportunities or services available, visit dcfs.illinois.gov.

 

About the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Currently celebrating 60 years as the nation's first cabinet-level child welfare agency, DCFS is responsible for protecting children from abuse or neglect by responding to reports received by the Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-252-2873 (1-800-25-ABUSE) or childabuse.illinois.gov (non-emergency). With the goal of keeping children safe, DCFS strengthens and supports families with a wide range of services. In the event a child must be removed from the home, DCFS makes every effort to reunite them with their family. When the best interest of the child makes this impossible (less than 4% of the time), DCFS is committed to pursuing guardianship and fictive kin as primary options.