Section 315.70  The Critical Decisions

Although all Department decisions affecting children and families are important, the Department identifies the following decisions that require approval of the casework supervisor, as the most critical ones affecting children and families:

a)         deciding whether services can prevent placement away from parents or primary parent figure or deciding whether to remove children from the home of parents or primary parent figure;

b)         deciding whether to recommend the return of children to the home of parents or primary parent figure from a placement away from parents or primary parent figure;

c)         deciding whether to decrease the frequency or the duration of parent and/or sibling visits with the child and whether the visits should be supervised;

d)         deciding whether to release the name, address, and telephone number of the foster parent/relative caregiver to the parent and/or siblings placed apart;

e)         deciding whether to change children's placements;

f)         deciding whether to seek termination of parental rights and seek an alternate permanent home;

g)         deciding if children are prepared for partial or total independence; or

h)         deciding whether children shall be placed apart from siblings who are also placed in substitute care or who have been adopted or are in subsidized guardianship.

(Source:  Amended at 40 Ill. Reg. 743, effective December 31, 2015)