DECATUR — Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other child advocates on Wednesday called for more resources to bolster the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services’ efforts to prevent tragedies such as the death of Ta’Naja Barnes, a Decatur 2-year-old who had been in foster care months before she died.

Pritzker, in a news conference at the Macon County Office Building, said the state agency needs more funding and more caseworkers. His budget proposal to the General Assembly includes money for 126 more, which he described as only a start.

“When you’re talking about DCFS, you’re talking about the children who are the most at-risk of the at-risk children,” Pritzker said.

The Chicago Democrat was joined at the Decatur event by representatives from DCFS, Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, Macon County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital. He produced a proclamation designating April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Illinois and joined in planting blue pinwheels downtown to represent abused children.

Currently, each caseworker on average manages 10 to 15 cases. Illinois DCFS Regional Administrator Maria Miller said this range varies based on the role of the caseworker. An intact family caseworker manages about 10 cases at any given time, handling situations where families are still together and DCFS is providing services to the family as a whole. Permanency caseworkers handle about 15 cases per worker where children are under the care of DCFS, Miller said.

“These are the people who have the pain of losing a child in their care, who feel the grief and outrage that we all feel when we hear that news,” Pritzker said. “Despite the sorrow, these caseworkers come back to work the next day. They re-dedicate themselves to protect our children and our families.”

Police say Ta’Naja died Feb. 11 from a combination of cold, malnutrition and neglect at the hands of her mother and mother’s boyfriend. Both have pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder. DCFS had returned the child to the couple in August and the case was closed in October.

DCFS had contracted with a local nonprofit, Webster-Cantrell Hall, to manage care of the girl and her younger half-brother. Webster-Cantrell has referred all questions back to the state agency.

Lawmakers held a hearing called by state Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, weeks after Ta’Naja’s death to look at what happened and what might have been done differently. The agency is also conducting an investigation into the matter.

Ta’Naja’s death was followed by that of 2-year-old Ja’hir Gibbons, who was beaten to death March 18. A contract worker was supposed to check on him and his 5-year-old brother two days earlier, but revealed after Ja’hir’s death that he was not present at the time of the inspection. The boy’s mother and her boyfriend have been charged in connection with his death.

Pritzker has also ordered an independent review of DCFS, to be conducted by the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall policy research center.

“Getting all of our families on a healthy path will be a guiding mission of my administration,” Pritzker said.

A number of lawmakers have also called for an overhaul of the agency. A report from the Office of the Inspector General found 98 children involved with DCFS have died in the last two years.

The hiring process for the caseworkers has started, but the Pritzker said his main goal is to get this done before the end of the fiscal year ending July 1.

Pritzker and other child advocates said more volunteers are needed, either as foster parents or advocates like those who work with CASA.

CASA Executive Director Julia Livingston said the organization is one of 15 resources that work with each case DCFS handles. The nonprofit was created to work with families and help children receive services to cope with past and current traumas. CASA also serves as a go-between for families and the court system.

Volunteers of CASA have worked with 278 of the 584 children currently in foster care. A six-week training course is required for those seeking to volunteer. The course provides education on child welfare, how to file a court report, cultural competency and a variety of topics, and no prior experience in the court system is necessary.

The past couple of years have been especially difficult for CASA because of a rise in abused and neglected children, Livingston said.

“Ultimately, we’re seeking to find a solution for the best possible safe and permanent home for each of the children we are assigned to,” she said. “We (the public) really all need to do more to help.”