DCFS investigated Joliet mother’s family, allegations unfounded

JOLIET – The family of a Joliet mother accused of killing her 8-month-old baby was investigated by state child protective services as early as 2016, but officials determined that allegations of domestic abuse were unfounded.

In 2016, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services conducted two overlapping investigations into the family of Shanquilla Shantell Garvey, 24, of Joliet, as well as one investigation last November, DCFS spokeswoman Alissandra Calderon said.

Garvey has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly injuring her baby, Cherish Freeman, and for allegedly causing skull fractures that led to the infant’s death.

Investigators determined that hotline calls to DCFS alleging domestic abuse in Garvey’s family were unfounded. The state agency is investigating Cherish’s death, as well as a domestic abuse incident from November involving an unnamed “paramour” of Garvey’s and her sons.

Cherish’s father, Justin Freeman, is suing Lydia Home Association and Safe Families For Children Alliance, both of which do business as Safe Families for Children, for allegedly ignoring his warnings of abuse faced by Cherish and for putting her in harm’s way by releasing her to Garvey.

In a statement Monday, Quantas Ginn, Safe Families spokesman, said they have not seen the lawsuit and Lydia Home Association was not involved in Garvey’s case.

“We want to underscore the fact that the program is voluntary and parents always retain full custody of their children. The program is not part of the state foster care system. We cannot deny the rights of a parent who requests the return of their child,” Ginn said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and loved ones of the child involved in this tragedy.”

In August 2016, Garvey reportedly checked herself into a hospital after expressing concern about her well-being, Calderon said. She put her two daughters in the care of a relative, who then put them in the care of Garvey’s sister while she was in the hospital for about a week.

On Aug. 18, 2016, a hotline call led to DCFS involvement in Garvey’s family. Garvey’s living arrangements were unstable, and she ended up with her children in a Joliet shelter, Calderon said.

While the first investigation was pending, DCFS was contacted again after Garvey and the father of her three children allegedly were involved in a domestic altercation in a parking lot with the children present in September 2016.

The allegation of harm to a child was investigated and ruled unfounded.

Many details of the DCFS investigations have been expunged because the allegations made in the hotline calls were determined to be unfounded. Calderon said that under the Abused and Neglected Child Act, unfounded reports are expunged after one year.

Garvey reportedly contacted the Safe Families program on her own, and they accepted her case and arranged for a volunteer host family to temporarily take her children, Calderon said.

Calderon said Safe Families is a national program with volunteer host families in the Joliet area.

“While DCFS has one or more contracts or grants with that organization, it operates independently of DCFS and is not a ‘placement’ provider for DCFS,” Calderon said.

DCFS received a report of domestic abuse in November after Garvey’s sons visited her over a weekend. One of Garvey’s sons alleged he was pushed against a wall. After another son of hers began crying, Garvey’s boyfriend allegedly pushed the other son to the ground by shoving his neck.

Calderon said a DCFS investigator found no marks or injuries on the children. Her sons were turned over to a paternal grandfather. Garvey’s daughters, including Cherish, were not harmed. Investigators still are examining the case.

DCFS was contacted again in December regarding injuries to Cherish, who was unresponsive when emergency personnel arrived, Calderon said.

On Dec. 20, Joliet police responded to a report of a baby who stopped breathing at the Bel-Air Motel in Joliet.

Cherish was sent to two hospitals for her injuries and died Christmas Eve. Garvey initially was arrested and charged with severely beating her daughter. The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office then upgraded the charge to murder.

Freeman has blamed Safe Families for allegedly releasing Cherish back to Garvey against his warnings, against their own policies and procedures and for failing to report allegations of abuse to DCFS.

“[They] reportedly failed to obtain her father’s consent to release Cherish back to her mother – a reported failure that cost baby Cherish her life,” Freeman’s attorneys said in a news release.

Calderon said Garvey was not evaluated by DCFS at the time that the temporary placement of her children was terminated by Safe Families and they were returned to their mother.

Garvey reportedly had gone to a hospital voluntarily, where an evaluation was performed without DCFS involvement. Medical personnel said that they “provided that Ms. Garvey’s conditions did not pose a risk of harm to herself or children.”