Celebrating Five Years of Making an Impact: IDCFS Chicago Child Protection Training Academy

In 2024, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) celebrated a significant milestone: the fifth anniversary of the DCFS Child Protection Training Academy (CPTA) Chicago Simulated Learning Program (SIMS Lab). The SIMS Lab provides frontline child welfare workers with hands-on training in simulated realistic learning environments, equipping them to better protect Illinois’ most vulnerable children. This innovative approach to child welfare training has gained national recognition. Since its inception in 2019, more than 600 staff members have been trained at the Cook County SIMS Lab in Chicago, a testament to the program’s impact.

SIMS Labs are implemented statewide by the DCFS Office of Learning and Professional Development under the leadership of Chief Learning Officer Monico Whittington-Eskridge and have been a cornerstone of child protection training since August 2015. The first DCFS SIMS Lab opened in Springfield that same year, and through a partnership with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work, the program expanded to Cook County in April 2019.

The Chicago SIMS Lab, located at the DCFS Cook South Regional Office, operates under the DCFS-University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Workforce Development inter-governmental agreement. The Lab is staffed by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work professionals, led by Victor Lasko, Sr. Statewide Director of Workforce Development, and Marshae Terry, Simulation Program Director. The partnership between DCFS and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is further enhanced by the Child and Family Research Center, which contributes valuable research data for all DCFS SIMS Labs statewide.

Each SIMS Lab offers a meticulously designed training experience for DCFS frontline child welfare workers. From the moment a worker enters the Lab, they find themselves in a realistic home environment complete with bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living area. This setting helps workers identify child safety concerns, assess risks, and recognize family strengths. To enhance the experience, trained actors simulate interactions with families, providing workers an opportunity to practice their skills in a controlled yet realistic setting.

Beyond the home environment, the SIMS Labs feature a multi-purpose room that can replicate various scenarios, such as medical consultations with healthcare professionals or staff supervision meetings where critical decisions are made. Additionally, a court simulation allows workers to practice testifying in temporary custody hearings, providing valuable experience in a legal setting. These comprehensive simulations offer new and veteran frontline workers alike a safe space to learn, train, and refine their skills.

The actors involved in the simulations undergo rigorous training for their specific roles. Their training is refreshed quarterly to ensure each simulation remains unique and offers a rewarding learning experience for every participant.

The success of the SIMS Labs has fueled their expansion across Illinois and DCFS anticipates opening two new Labs by the end of 2024. These new locations, at Illinois State University in Bloomington and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, will join the existing DCFS Labs located in Chicago and Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. This expansion aims to establish a SIMS Lab in every region, increasing access to this vital training and enhancing DCFS’ capacity to meet its evolving professional development needs. Additionally, the expansion will allow for the creation of specialized simulated learning environments, such as Intact and Permanency programs.

DCFS is also broadening its SIMS programming through partnerships with other universities and agencies, including the Illinois State Police, to focus on staff safety and the use of Motivational Interviewing in child welfare. The introduction of new tools like Immersive Learning, which features four distinct virtual reality home environments, further enriches DCFS’ experiential learning program.

As the SIMS Labs continue to grow and evolve, they remain a vital resource for training DCFS frontline workers, ensuring they are well-prepared to serve and protect the children and families of Illinois. We join the country in celebrating National Child Welfare Workforce Development Month and celebrate our Office of Workforce Development Team for their dedication to annually training hundreds of child welfare workers and foster and adoptive parents.

For more information on the DCFS simulation program please email Monico.Whittington-Eskridge@illinois.gov.