• Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
      • Paint The Polls Black
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · News

Child Welfare Worker Fatally Stabbed During Home Visit, CPS Community Posts In Solidarity

DCFS workers on Facebook expose flawed policies and procedures by sharing photos of pens and clipboards after the death of Deidre Silas.
Child Welfare Worker Fatally Stabbed During Home Visit, CPS Community Posts In Solidarity
By Bry'onna Mention · Updated January 10, 2022

On January 4, Deidre Silas, 36, an investigator with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services was stabbed to death during a home visit. According to Kiro7News, Silas was conducting a welfare check on six children, ages 1 to 7, in the smalltown of Thayer, when she was attacked. 

Authorities reportedly arrived at the scene and found what appeared to be blood near the door. Upon forced entry into the home, Silas was found dead inside. It is unclear whether the children witnessed the murder.

Shortly after, with a search warrant and collected evidence, police were able to locate Benjamin H. Reed, 32—who lived at the home—at a local hospital being treated for a cut on his hand. Authorities arrested and charged Reed with the murder of Silas. Reed is currently in custody with a bond set at $5 million. 

Silas’ family described her as a go-getter who fought for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. She recently joined the department in August after working in the behavioral health field for seven years at the Department of Juvenile Justice. She is survived by her husband and two children. 

Roy Graham knew something was wrong when his daughter's phone sent him to voicemail, so he did what any dad would do. He tried to find her.

Graham drove to the house his daughter said she'd be investigating for DCFS. It was covered in crime scene tape. Her car was out front. pic.twitter.com/N06T1roQJD

— Jordan Elder (@JordanElderTV) January 6, 2022

The last investigator to be killed on duty was four year ago, according to DCFS Director Marc Smith. ABCNews7 reported, Smith said the agency trains its staff in how to approach various situations, including going into a volatile environment. Staff members decide whether to go alone, in pairs, or summon police protection.

Silas’ husband, Andre Silas’ shared his pain and frustration with news cameras, stating “There should be preventative measures in place, and if they can’t use my wife’s example to figure out what they need to do as far as getting that training, getting those protocols in place, then I don’t know what else needs to happen.” He continued, “Don’t take her death for granted. Use it for information and make sure you guys come up with something to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

A small movement forming on Facebook by child welfare professionals brings awareness to both Silas’ death and the flawed policies and procedures within the child welfare workplace.

Photos of just a pen and paper followed by varying hashtags #WeSupportDeidreGraham #WeSupportDeidreSilas, and #WeSupportDeidreSilasGraham have begun circulating, with the caption: Pen and paper is what your Child Welfare workers are provided with when they go to a home to investigate abuse and neglect. Today, I post this picture in honor of Deidre Silas, an Illinois CPS worker that was killed while conducting a home visit as part of her job. I ask that if you know a worker out doing this job to please post a picture of a pen and paper in support of them. People need to know the job being done to protect those who can’t protect themselves. You may use this picture if you need. Pray for the workers and the families they come into contact with everyday.

Pen and paper is what your Child Welfare workers are provided with when they go to a home to investigate abuse and…

Posted by C.M. Sexton on Saturday, January 8, 2022

Donate to the Silas’ family GoFundMe here.

TOPICS:  hate crimes workplace violence
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now