(The Center Square) – In the wake of the deaths of two Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) case workers, efforts are underway to better protect them.

Deidre Silas was stabbed to death in January when she responded to a call of possible endangerment of children near Springfield. Silas’ death was the second time in less than five years the department has dealt with a fatal incident. 59-year-old Pamela Knight died after a brutal beating while attempting to remove a child from a home in Carroll County in 2017.

Senate Bill 4165 would allow a DCFS worker to be trained to carry spray protective devices such as mace and pepper spray on child neglect calls.

“The goal with this bill is to give that person that is going to encounter this in the future the opportunity to potentially escape because right now they are totally defenseless,” the bill’s chief sponsor, state Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, said.

If approved, Illinois State Police would be responsible for the training of DCFS workers on how to effectively use pepper spray. The bill, which has bipartisan support, would require DCFS to provide funding for the training program.

According to DCFS, Silas’ death marked the 21st time since 2017 that caseworkers were subject to threats or acts of violence during 2.5 million home visits in Illinois.

There is also legislation that increases penalties for crimes against DCFS workers. The Knight-Silas Bill proposes that DCFS employees be granted the same protections as police, firemen, private security employees and other first responders, with the charges increasing to a Class 1 felony offense for a person who causes harm, permanent disability or disfigurement to a DCFS employee.

State Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, said this type of legislation is long overdue.

“Supporting our DCFS workers does not just mean attending their funeral,” McCombie said. “It means doing everything within our power to make sure those funerals never happen in the first place.”