Chicago Heights Teen Missing for Nearly 3 Weeks

Family believes Chance Anderson-Barnes, 14, may have been coerced by biological siblings to leave home

Mar. 26, 2026 at 10:10pm

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Danielle VanVliet, the adoptive mother of 14-year-old Chance Anderson-Barnes, is pleading for her son to come home after he went missing from their Chicago Heights home on March 8. VanVliet believes Chance may have been coerced by his biological siblings, with whom he had recently reconnected, to leave the family's home. Chance has been living with the VanVliet family since he was 9 years old and was adopted at 12. Police are treating Chance as a runaway, but his family is desperate to find him and is seeking help from the community and law enforcement.

Why it matters

This case highlights the challenges faced by adopted children in reconnecting with their biological families and the potential risks when those relationships are not properly managed. Chance's story also sheds light on the difficulties adoptive families can encounter when navigating complex family dynamics and the limitations of law enforcement in cases of runaway minors.

The details

Chance was last seen on March 8 in Chicago Heights. His adoptive mother, Danielle VanVliet, says she believes he is with his biological siblings in Chicago and may have been coerced to leave home. VanVliet says Chance's behavior changed about two months ago after he connected with more of his biological siblings on Facebook, and they began 'coaching' him on how to report his adoptive parents to the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The family has faced other recent traumas, including a house fire and VanVliet's husband's heart transplant, which may have made Chance more susceptible to his siblings' influence.

  • Chance was last seen on March 8 in Chicago Heights.
  • Two months ago, Chance's behavior began changing after connecting with more of his biological siblings on Facebook.

The players

Chance Anderson-Barnes

A 14-year-old boy who has been missing from his Chicago Heights home since March 8. He was adopted by the VanVliet family at age 12 after living with them since age 9.

Danielle VanVliet

Chance's adoptive mother, who is a beloved social worker at Homewood-Flossmoor High School.

Chicago Heights Police

The law enforcement agency investigating Chance's disappearance, who are treating him as a runaway.

Chicago Police

The law enforcement agency assisting in the search for Chance after he was reportedly spotted in Chicago.

Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)

The agency that conducted a review of the VanVliet family after Chance's biological siblings began 'coaching' him to report his adoptive parents.

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What they’re saying

“Chance has been the joy of my life.”

— Danielle VanVliet, Chance's adoptive mother

“At 14, you want to know who your people are, but they were feeding him things that weren't true. They all knew how to get in contact with me. They had my phone number, Facebook.”

— Danielle VanVliet, Chance's adoptive mother

“The story is about how these brown kids are being failed through the system. Every system fails these kids, and it's just awful.”

— Danielle VanVliet, Chance's adoptive mother

What’s next

The VanVliet family is seeking to hire a private investigator and a lawyer who can help them obtain a protective order against Chance's biological siblings, in hopes of requiring him to be returned to their custody.

The takeaway

This case highlights the complex challenges faced by adopted children and their families when navigating relationships with biological relatives, especially when those relatives may be attempting to unduly influence the child. It also underscores the need for greater support and resources for adoptive families to help them address these types of situations.