Morgan County Sheriff Negotiates DCFS Contract Worth Up to $163,000

Sheriff Mike Carmody arrived at the Morgan County board meeting Monday with a proposal that could put a dedicated child-protection deputy on the road: a grant contract with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services worth up to $163,000, covering both a new vehicle and a full deputy's salary assigned entirely to DCFS casework.

The funding would move through two distinct phases. At launch, the grant would deliver approximately $114,800. That figure would rise to roughly $163,000 during the window when a new vehicle is being procured and purchased. Once the vehicle acquisition is complete, the contract value would normalize to around $115,000 per year to sustain the deputy position going forward.

For families in Morgan County, the concrete stakes are a faster, more coordinated response when children are in danger. DCFS investigations routinely require law-enforcement presence: executing court-ordered custody changes, removing a child from an unsafe home, or securing evidence before it disappears. Routing those calls through an already-stretched patrol rotation adds delay and uncertainty. Carmody told commissioners the dedicated deputy arrangement helps DCFS "do its job," pointing to the operational advantage of an officer who knows local families and county resources rather than working those calls cold.

The assigned deputy would also function as a regional resource. Under the proposed terms, the position could extend to neighboring counties when child-protection investigations crossed jurisdictional lines or required mutual aid, amplifying the contract's reach beyond Morgan County alone.

The negotiations are also about reversing a recent setback. Morgan County had previously operated under four-year DCFS agreements, but the state recently condensed that arrangement to two years. Carmody told the board he is pushing to restore the longer-term structure, which would give the sheriff's office a planning horizon stable enough to support fleet purchases, deputy training, and multi-year staffing commitments.

No signed contract was before the board at the April 6 meeting. Commissioners will need to review contract language, any matching requirements tied to the grant funds, and state reporting obligations before the deal closes. Whether the deputy salary and vehicle purchase land in the 2026 budget or get phased into the next fiscal year will depend on how quickly final documents are completed and executed.