CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services caseworker and supervisor responsible for investigating complaints of neglect and abuse against Andrew “AJ” Freund and his younger brother have been placed on administrative duty. The employees will not be able to handle any casework while DCFS completes a thorough review of all cases handled by them and addresses any possible shortcomings, according to a statement from DCFS.
DCFS also has released a timeline of visits and interactions with Andrew Freund’s family prior to his death as well as investigators’ rulings regarding those cases.
The agency has been called on to provide answers into their work with AJ’s family after Freund, 5, was first reported missing on April 18. His body was found on Wednesday and his parents, JoAnn Cunningham, 36, and Andrew Freund Sr., 60, face murder charges in connection with his death.
DCFS was called to the 5-year-old boy’s home at 94 Dole Avenue in Crystal Lake on the day his father called 911 to report he and Cunningham woke up to find the boy gone. Caseworkers observed ripped floors, food lying around and clothes and garbage everywhere, according to the DCFS report. A DCFS investigator spoke with police and took AJ’s 4-year-old brother into protective custody. AJ’s younger brother was initially placed with a licensed foster parent and is now staying with a relative.
“The younger brother was examined by a medical professional, appeared healthy and showed no obvious visible signs of abuse or neglect,” according to DCFS.
Prior to that visit, DCFS made contact with the family in December 2018, when Cunningham was arrested on a driving while license suspended charge and authorities noticed a large bruise on AJ and the home in disrepair. While in the emergency room, AJ told the physician, “maybe someone hit me with a belt. Maybe mommy didn’t mean to hurt me,” according to a DCFS timeline of interactions with AJ’s family that was released to Patch over the weekend.
In the timeline, which spans back before AJ Freund was born, DCFS details its findings during several visits in recent years. DCFS was first called to 94 Dole Avenue on June 7, 2012, regarding inadequate supervision. Cunningham accused of abusing prescription drugs and neglecting her foster child, according to DCFS. The report was found to be unfounded and was expunged.
Later that year, the DCFS hotline received a call regarding environmental neglect and injurious environment for Cunningham’s oldest son, who is now 18 years old. In that call, Cunningham was accused of abusing prescription drugs and reportedly had mental health issues. That report was unfounded and expunged, according to DCFS.
Shortly after that, the older son’s grandmother filed a petition with McHenry County to gain custody of the child.
On Oct. 14, 2013, Andrew “AJ” Freund was born. Both the AJ and Cunningham tested positive for opiates and benzodiazepines. DCFS was called and Andrew was removed from his mother’s care during the investigation, according to DCFS.
A month later, DCFS took protective custody of Andrew and was granted temporary custody of the infant in juvenile court. The Youth Service Bureau of Illinois was assigned to provide services to Cunningham and Andrew Freund Sr. while AJ Freund remained in foster care with a relative for the next 18 months.
During this time, DCFS reported that Cunningham and Andrew Freund Sr. participated in parenting classes, drug treatment and continued to participate in methadone maintenance and individual counseling through a drug treatment program, according to DCFS. In June 2015, Andrew was returned to his mother’s custody.
In between June 2015 and April 2016, Youth Services Bureau workers made 26 unannounced visits to 94 Dole Avenue and did not observe any signs of abuse or neglect. In August 2015, Andrew Freund’s father’s drug test was invalid.
In April 2016, DCFS closed its juvenile court case for Andrew Freund.
The family the went nearly two years without any interactions with DCFS, but on March 21, 2018, DCFS received a hotline report. The caller alleged a substantial risk of physical injury for the children at 94 Dole Avenue. Cunningham, according to the report, was brought to the emergency room after being found unresponsive in a car. AJ reportedly had “odd bruising” on his face, according to DCFS.
A DCFS investigator tried to contact the parents on March 21, March 29, and April 9 but could not get through to Andrew Freund Sr. or Cunningham.
On April 25, 2018, an investigator met with Cunningham, AJ and his younger brother, and Cunningham was interviewed while the boys played outside in the driveway at the home. The DCFS investigator “observed the boys to be clean and did not find signs of maltreatment.”
On May 17, a DCFS investigator completed a final safety assessment of the home and found both boys to be clean and dressed appropriately. Cunningham reported a history of drug use and said she was currently receiving treatment. The home was clean, neat and adequately furnished, according to DCFS.
The investigator also verified that Cunningham was taking part in a drug treatment program and marked the March 2018 report as unfounded. The investigation was closed, according to DCFS.
Later that year, on Dec. 18, 2018, DCFS received a hotline report regarding environmental neglect for both boys. According to the report, Andrew had bruises, welts and cuts. Police were called to the home and saw a large bruise on Andrew’s hip. Police also reported the ceiling was falling down, the floor was torn up and that they noticed a smell of urine in the children’s bedroom.
Cunningham was arrested for driving on a suspended driver’s license and both children were taken into protective custody.
A DCFS investigator interviewed both boys at the police department. AJ’s younger brother would not talk with police. He appeared to be healthy and well-cared for, according to DCFS. Andrew was interviewed and reported he received the bruise when the family’s dog pawed him.
A DCFS investigator spoke with Cunningham and she said they were remodeling the home and admitted the residence did smell like dog feces and urine. Andrew Freund Sr. posted bond for Cunningham on the driving while license suspended charge and she was released from custody.
That same day, a physician at the emergency room examined Andrew and could not determine how his bruise was caused. The doctor reported the injury could have been caused by a dog, belt or a football.
During the examination, Andrew told the doctor, “Maybe someone hit me with a belt. Maybe mommy didn’t mean to hurt me.”
A DCFS investigator contacted Andrew Freund Sr. to pick the children up from hospital until the home environment could be assessed and he was asked
to remain in the home as a safety precaution, according to the report.
The next day, a DCFS investigator conducted an unannounced home visit. The living room and dining room were cluttered with clothes and toys. The kitchen was clean and the floor was missing tile. The ceiling was not falling and investigator noticed a slight odor of dog urine but no feces or urine was observed on the floor. Andrew Freund Sr. reported to the investigator that he did pick the children up from the hospital last night. He also denied any corporal punishment and he denied Cunningham was using drugs.
On Dec. 20, 2018, the DCFS investigator spoke to a past investigator for the family regarding her case and findings. A couple weeks later, DCFS determined the report was unfounded due to lack of evidence regarding the original allegations of cuts, welt and bruises on AJ.
The next time DCFS was called was on April 18, the day Andrew was reported missing.
Moving forward, DCFS is conducting a “comprehensive review” of its interactions and cases with Andrew’s family.
“As we move forward, we will be fully transparent with the public as we seek to address
any possible shortcomings in this incident and understand how we can better serve the
state’s vulnerable children and families,” according to a DCFS statement.
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