McHenry Times

Reacting to the sexual abuse allegations at Aunt Martha's Integrated Care Center, Rep. Steve Reick stated, "Even though allegations of abuse surfaced in August of 2023, it was not until May of this year that DCFS took action to remove children from Aunt Martha’s ICC." He made the statement in a July 8 Facebook post.

"Even though allegations of abuse surfaced in August of 2023, it was not until May of this year that DCFS took action to remove children from Aunt Martha's ICC," said Steven E Reick, State Representative for 63rd District (R), according to Facebook. "I'm calling for immediate hearings by the House Adoption and Child Welfare Committee to find out who knew what, when they knew it and how high in the agency that knowledge went."

In his Facebook post, Reick shared a link to a news release about the situation at Aunt Martha’s Integrated Care Center (ICC), with a longer statement from the representative. According to Reick, "Once again our child welfare system is having a bright light directed at it for failing children in its care. I understand that a criminal case is ongoing, but it’s not too early to find answers as to how these alleged perpetrators were hired in the first place. The most recent case involves a staffer who served four years in a federal penitentiary for armed robbery. How did this not show up on a background check?"

Screenshot of Rep. Steve Reick's July 8 Facebook post | State Representative Steve Reick's Facebook page

CBS News reported on the incident at Aunt Martha’s, stating that former college football star Trulon Henry has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing a young girl in the care of Aunt Martha’s Integrated Care Center. Henry was a manager of the facility. CBS News also reported that Henry’s arrest came after Antonio Hopkins was arrested and charged with abuse of a child. Hopkins worked for Aunt Martha’s through a third-party security firm. There are 170 other pending investigations of the center, CBS News Chicago reported.

Reick’s statement continued: "What’s being done to keep kids safe in this environment? The fact that they’ve been removed from Aunt Martha’s does not guarantee that they’re in a better place. DCFS cannot be allowed to conduct its own investigation of these practices; the General Assembly needs to exercise its oversight role. We can’t wait for the criminal cases to run their course because of what else may be out there now that puts children at risk," he said in the news release.

Steve Reick is a longtime resident of Illinois. He graduated from Herscher High School and attended the University of Illinois, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accountancy. He earned a Juris Doctor and master’s degree in accountancy and taxation from the University of Georgia. He was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 2016 and now represents the 63rd House District, according to his official biography.