NEWS
For Immediate Release
February 2, 2025
CHICAGO – The Dinizulu Law Group has filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against Uhlich Children’s Advantage Network (UCAN) and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) on behalf of the Estate of Dominique Whitfield, a 15-year-old girl who tragically died after being deprived of her life-sustaining medication while in foster care.
The complaint alleges gross negligence, failure to supervise, and willful and wanton misconduct by UCAN and DCFS in the wrongful death of Dominique (a foster child in the DCFS system being managed by UCAN a private foster care agency), a child with Type 1 diabetes who required insulin three times a day to survive. The lawsuit contends that UCAN, a private foster care agency contracted by DCFS, approved multiple unstable placements for Dominique, despite knowing she needed specialized medical care. UCAN placed her in a foster home where she was repeatedly denied access to her insulin—a decision that led to her preventable death from diabetic ketoacidosis on January 21, 2024.
According to the lawsuit, Dominique was removed from her biological mother’s home at age 8 due to concerns over her medical care and placed under DCFS custody. However, rather than ensuring her safety, DCFS and UCAN a private foster care agency contracted by DCFS shuffled her between placements, repeatedly placing her in unsafe environments where she was mistreated.
The lawsuit highlights that UCAN a private foster care agency contracted by DCFS knew or should have known that the foster home where Dominique ultimately died was unsuitable. Despite prior incidents where her insulin was withheld, UCAN returned her to the same home, where she once again faced medical deprivation as a form of control. The foster caregiver locked away Dominique’s insulin and refused to give it to her, using the life-sustaining medication as a tool of manipulation.
Furthermore, the lawsuit states that in the days leading up to her death, Dominique made desperate attempts to access her medication, calling both her caregiver and UCAN employees, who failed to intervene. Even after a missing person report was filed, neither UCAN nor DCFS took adequate steps to ensure Dominique’s safety.
“This lawsuit seeks to hold UCAN and DCFS accountable for their blatant failures that led to the preventable death of a vulnerable child,” said Yao O. Dinizulu, attorney for the Estate of Dominique Whitfield. “This was not an accident. Dominique was a child who knew she needed insulin to survive—she begged for it, she fought for it, and she was ignored. UCAN and DCFS were responsible for ensuring her safety, yet their actions led directly to her death. This case is not just about justice for Dominique—it’s about exposing a broken system that continues to endanger the lives of children in foster care.”
For media inquiries, please contact:
Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd.
221 North LaSalle Street, Suite 1100
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Phone: (312) 384-1920
Email: [email protected]
