Section 309.30  Recruitment of Adoptive Families

a)         The Department shall make special efforts for the diligent recruitment of potential adoptive families that will accept sibling groups for placement and encourage and support sibling contact when siblings must be separated.  The Department shall provide training for all prospective adoptive parents and private/subsidized guardians regarding the importance of maintaining sibling relationships and the child's sense of attachment to his/her siblings, the importance of maintaining sibling relationships over the child's lifespan, and the impact on the child if those relationships are severed.

b)         In addition, special efforts shall be made to recruit potential adoptive families that reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of the children for whom adoptive homes are needed. Special efforts shall include contacting and working with community organizations and religious organizations and may include contracting with those organizations, utilizing local media and other resources, and conducting outreach activities. [20 ILCS 505/7(c)]

(Source:  Amended at 40 Ill. Reg. 720, effective December 31, 2015)