Section 25.488  Licensure of Persons Named in Reports of Child Abuse or Neglect

Pursuant to Section 21B-75(b) of the Code, the State Superintendent, in consultation with SEPLB, may initiate the suspension or revocation of a license, endorsement, or approval for abuse or neglect of a child or for an act of sexual misconduct, as defined in Section 22-85.5 of the Code.  Accordingly, each applicant for the issuance, registration, reinstatement, or renewal of an Illinois professional educator license, an educator license with stipulations, or substitute teaching license or for the addition of another credential (e.g., endorsement, approval, designation), including any credential issued under Subpart G, shall be required to indicate on the relevant form whether that applicant has ever received an indicated finding of neglect or abuse or of an act of sexual misconduct from a state agency responsible for child welfare in Illinois or any other state if the indicated finding in the report was not reversed on appeal.

a)         Each individual providing an affirmative response to this question shall be ineligible to receive, register, reinstate, or renew a license or to receive an additional credential until the individual provides to the State Superintendent of Education:

1)         an official copy of the report, including the child's age and sex, the report number assigned by the Department of Children and Family Services or comparable out-of-state agency, the date of the report, and the status of the report ("indicated", "unfounded", or other) with supporting documentation for the determination;

2)         a personal statement that meets the requirements outlined in Section 25.480(a) that includes a detailed explanation of the individual's relationship to the child;

3)         character references that meet the requirements outlined in Section 25.480(b), in which the authors clearly indicate that they have knowledge that the applicant has been found to be a perpetrator of child abuse or neglect but can also attest to the individual's good character, as defined in Section 21B-15 of the Code, and rehabilitation; and

4)         an explanation of the status of any request to expunge, amend, or remove the report from the responsible state agency's records.

b)         The State Superintendent shall review the documentation provided by the applicant pursuant to subsection (a) and determine whether issuance, renewal, reinstatement, or registration of a license or issuance of one or more additional credentials, as applicable, is appropriate based on whether the evidence of good character, as defined in Section 21B-15 of the Code, and rehabilitation provided is convincing when taken together with the gravity of the offense, the individual's age and background at the time of the offense, and any criminal penalty that was imposed.

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 5954, effective April 11, 2023)