The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Governor JB Pritzker have released statements about the death of a 3-year old boy in Macoupin County last week.
Hunter Lee Drew died last week after being thrown against a wall at a home in Carlinville and then was driven around in a vehicle without medical attention after the incident, according to charging documents against 33 year old Ashley N. Bottoms of Carlinville who is accused of Involuntary Manslaughter and Endangering the Life of a Child causing Death in Drew’s death.
According to reports by WICS Newschannel 20 and the State Journal Register, Drew’s family had contact with DCFS in the year prior to his death about him being placed back into his father’s care.
In a statement released today by William McCaffery of DCFS, the department says that they were ordered by a court to reunify the child with his father in August after the department completed a service plan and home safety checklist. McCaffery says a DCFS caseworker visited the home 6 times in the months of September and October to ensure the child’s safety.
In a statement released by Governor Pritzker’s office, it says that the person responsible for Drew’s death and treatment should be held fully accountable. The statement went on to note the Governor’s re-investment in DCFS after the department was hollowed out under former governor Bruce Rauner’s tenure and budget impasse, saying General Assembly Republicans have not once voted for increased funding for DCFS for the past 3 years.
Drew had previously lived with his aunt and uncle for a year before being placed back into his father’s home. Funeral services have been set for Hunter Drew in Girard.
A preliminary hearing for Ashley N. Bottoms has been set in Macoupin County Court for November 10th. She remains held at the Macoupin County Jail on $250,000 bond.