Letter to the Editor: Chairperson of Illinois Statewide Foster Care Advisory Council Supports Keefe

My name is Carol Sheley. I am the chairperson of the Illinois Statewide Foster Care Advisory Council (SWFCAC) and have served on the council since 2014. Our council is a state-level board that advocates for the needs of foster families in Illinois and advises the director of the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services. I am writing to express my overwhelming support of Ken Keefe for the Mahomet-Seymour school board.

As a foster parent and a fellow council member, Ken Keefe has been a strong advocate for children for years. I have personally witnessed his hard work ethic and commitment. He would be an extremely valuable member of the Mahomet-Seymour school board because he is an extremely valuable member of our council.

As a member of SWFCAC, Ken has served as the chair of the Policy and Legislative committee for the past few years and last summer he was elected Vice Chair of the council at-large. During his time on the council, he has played critical roles in analyzing and drafting changes to Illinois legislation and DCFS policy. I could talk about several cases where Ken led a team of council members to methodically research an issue, develop and present solutions to the council, and follow through to see that important changes become real. For example, he recently led the effort to significantly rewrite the council’s bylaws to better align with current Illinois law. I am certain he can bring that skillset to your local school board.

One of the issues that Ken and I have discussed and I know he is focusing on in his campaign is school board transparency. The SWFCAC is a public body and we are subject to the Open Meetings Act (OMA). In his role as Policy committee chair, Ken has regularly been involved in ensuring that the council is following the law, especially OMA. There have been several times where he has politely pointed out that a conversation about council business needs to stop in a private setting and be conducted during an official meeting to make sure that the public can both witness and participate in the deliberation.

Another area where I think Ken can be of great help to the school board is understanding topics around at-risk children and children with special needs. His time as a foster parent has given him hands-on experience advocating for his own special needs children with the schools and state agencies. He will have a much broader perspective than the average candidate on children facing trauma, children living in poverty, or families struggling with addiction.

I cannot understate how much I think Ken Keefe will be an asset to the Mahomet-Seymour school board. If you haven’t spoken with him personally, I strongly suggest you do. You will find he is a passionate, intelligent, and engaging person. Everyone would be wise to cast your vote for Ken on April 2nd.

Carol Sheley

Chair, Illinois Statewide Foster Care Advisory Council