IL IL - Andrew Freund, 5, Crystal Lake, 17 April 2019

[AgeofAquaruis]

I googled to see if there was any info on kids dying with a DCFS history....

Nearly 100 Children Who Were Watched By Illinois DCFS Died, New Report Says

Well Surprise, surprise. NOT.

 

[Trish51]

Me either. I was surprised to see so much being released. It reinforced for me how we read the situation. Would they release all that info on a case if they believed AJ to be alive??

I wonder if the dad being a lawyer and/or who he or the family knew has anything to with why they released it. Was it a CYA situation? Did someone put the heat on them?

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

I was reminded of Susan Smith's 'crying'. It feels like she knows something.
MOO

Have to add -- if this turns out to be the worst scenario-- how sad that she's expecting again.
And will the younger brother have to go into foster care ?

My dear friend and her husband tried for so many years. They'd have been good parents and would've provided a stable home. But no baby.

And others who cannot shake their habits or worse-- mistreating children on purpose-- keep having more.
Just stop.
It's so hard on these little ones, yanked from home to home.

Me too Susan Smith Redux.

 

[Jim_M]

SMH. Poor Andrew born with drugs in his system but IDCFS thought giving him back to mother was a good idea. Poor Andrew has been on their radar since birth. But wait there's more. mother is pregnant again.
Pretty safe to Say DCFS screwed up big time.
I better stop and sit on my hands now.

I have been watching you ‘sitting on your hands’ and having a laugh at you sitting on your hands.

Now, I’m sitting on my hands, and awaiting a suspect to be named. Meanwhile, you will please continue voicing so many of my thoughts.

Really, you are doing just fine.

ETA: on, not in

 

[Mrs Henry]

Mom makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Terri Horman-esque, in those sideways glaces at the camera.

://www.facebook.com/nwherald/videos/661448944297483/?hc_location=ufi

Both parents give me bad vibes. The family dynamic is odd as the father is nearly twice her age and seems off, perhaps it is stress but time will tell. Add in addiction, domestic violence, and potential hoarding (the attorney for the mom as well as other articles talk about the condition of the home), and there is some awful dysfunction/enabling behavior going on.

 

[kkdj]

Yeah...

Do innocent parents ever lawyer up and stop cooperating?

yes.
But I don't think that's the case here. imo

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

I keep hoping for answers but I’m really afraid of what those answers will be. This poor little boy.

 

[ilovechili]

Since when does child services share such info? Even when someone is arrested they don't. And certainly not to the media.

This is odd to say the least.

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

Since when does child services share such info? Even when someone is arrested they don't. And certainly not to the media.

This is odd to say the least.

I think it's because the neighbors have said they reported abuse,and neglect to them before.
Can't put that cat back in the bag.

 

[OhThatVictoria]

Since when does child services share such info? Even when someone is arrested they don't. And certainly not to the media.

This is odd to say the least.

There were social media posts leaking information. Maybe it left them no choice.

 

[Stunned]

How can parents who are responsible for a child's "disappearance" ever think they won't get caught?

Because some don’t.

 

[Stunned]

Several neighbors say they called them about these children, DCFS denies getting this.
How many times have we seen this happen,and it turns out they did drop the ball?

Sometimes they don’t. This helps them live with their guilt. They thought about calling! See it all the time!

 

[SpanishMossAntiques]

I worked PT for the State of Florida as a Juvenile Detention Officer. I worked with many DCFS Investigators. It's not that easy to simply remove a child from a home - to take them away from their parents. There needs to be clear, objective evidence of abuse - something that can be very difficult to prove in certain situations. When you run a drug test on a child and it comes up positive for illicit substances, that's a relatively easy case because the evidence speaks for itself. But, a child has bruises and there are no witnesses to what had happened, and the parents provide a tangible story in this regard then the Investigator is left without much of a choice - you can't take a child from its parents because he was rough-housing with the family dog. Remember, the Investigator has to prove intent! Many times those who have observed the abuse (neighbors, friends, relatives) just keep quiet when confronted by DCFS Investigators. So in those cases, the Investigators need hospital reports of the nature of the victim's injuries, etc.

 

[Stunned]

Mom of Missing 5-Year-Old Not Talking to Cops: Attorney

Sigh.


The mother of a missing Crystal Lake boy is no longer speaking to police, her recently acquired defense attorney said Friday, after her lawyer said authorities might be considering her a suspect in the child’s disappearance.

Joann Cunningham was cooperating with cops until her defense attorney, George Kililis, got the impression she was being treated as a suspect, he told reporters outside the home of Andrew Freund Jr., who was reported missing Thursday. He said he is not representing the boy’s father Andrew Freund Sr.

Sigh....that says a lot!

 

[Knox]

I think it's because the neighbors have said they reported abuse,and neglect to them before.
Can't put that cat back in the bag.

Been said in many cases before, we still get the typical "No Comment". Very odd and within 24 hours of his disappearance?

 

[Stunned]

Read that! Born with opiates in his system, has been removed from home before...

Boom! There it is! Poor baby!

 

[Stunned]

DCFS, which has the job of protecting children from abuse, released the following statement Friday: “The department’s involvement Andrew Freund began with his birth in 2013 and continued on and off through the end of 2018. The last contact between DCFS child protection staff and Andrew’s family was in December of 2018 while investigating allegations of abuse and neglect.”

DCFS released a timeline highlighting interactions between DCFS and Andrew’s family. “Indicated” means there was credible evidence to substantiate neglect. “Unfounded” means there was not sufficient evidence to prove the allegations.

• -In October 2013, DCFS investigated an allegation of neglect by the mother, which was indicated. Andrew was born with opiates in his body.

• -The following month, DCFS took Andrew into protective custody. He was placed in a foster home and not returned to his own home until June of 2015. The case was closed in April 2016.

• -In March 2018, DCFS investigated allegations of neglect by the father and mother, but concluded they were unfounded. The mother agreed to re-enter treatment.

• -On Dec. 18, 2018, DCFS investigated another allegation of abuse and neglect by the mother, and the boy was temporarily removed by police, but was returned to the home after the allegations were ruled unfounded. There was no evidence to support allegations of deplorable conditions in the home, and bruising on the child was attributed to the dog.

• On Thursday, Andrew’s younger brother was placed in another home under a DCFS safety plan.

Yay, she's pregnant again!!!

Hate to say it, but job security for me! These horrible parents. Neuter them!

 

[alexwood]

Since when does child services share such info? Even when someone is arrested they don't. And certainly not to the media.

This is odd to say the least.

I believe that DCFS released the information on AJ in response to a quote from the article linked below. The article was subsequently updated, with this quote removed:

"Several neighbors said they previously had concerns about Andrew and his younger sister, and claimed they called the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services about them. DCFS said they are unable to confirm those neighbors' claims."


In the "updated" article, this quote was substituted in place of the above-quoted reference by neighbors who said they had called DCFS in the past:

"The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said they have been involved with the family on and off since AJ's birth in 2013. DCFS said AJ's younger brother was place in a different home Thursday after their parents reported AJ missing."

Missing Crystal Lake boy Andrew 'AJ' Freund: 5-year-old did not leave home on foot, police say

 

[Stunned]

I have been watching you ‘sitting on your hands’ and having a laugh at you sitting on your hands.

Now, I’m sitting on my hands, and awaiting a suspect to be named. Meanwhile, you will please continue voicing so many of my thoughts.

Really, you are doing just fine.

ETA: on, not in

Mine also!

 

[Stunned]

I think it's because the neighbors have said they reported abuse,and neglect to them before.
Can't put that cat back in the bag.

So many people claim this when it hits the fan. Including mandatory reporters. They don’t. Sadly, to little to late, damage done.