Section 403.8  Child Care Services

a)         Each child shall be provided with clothing that fits properly, is appropriate for the season, and is comparable to that worn by other children of similar age in the community.

b)         Each child shall be given training and direction in good health and nutrition practices appropriate for the child's age level.

c)         Each child shall be provided with essential individual toilet articles and linens.

d)         Each child shall be given the opportunity to participate in extracurricular, enrichment, cultural and social activities that are appropriate for the child's normal growth and development.  This includes the opportunity to develop social relationships and to pursue hobbies and personal interests through participation in neighborhood, school and other community and group activities.  Except when the needs of the child and group indicate otherwise, children shall have the opportunity to exchange visits with friends in the community. When participation of a child or youth less than 18 years of age in an extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, or social activity requires a caregiver's consent, the group home shall use normalcy parenting and the reasonable and prudent parent standard when determining whether to allow participation.  Youth 18 years of age and older do not require a guardian's consent to participate in these activities; group home staff should guide and support the youth in identifying and locating appropriate activities for the youth's continued growth and development. 

e)         The group home shall use normalcy parenting and the reasonable and prudent parent standard when determining whether to allow  a foster child to visit overnight with friends or relatives of the child.

f)         If a child suffers an injury participating in an activity approved by the group home and the designated group home staff approving the activity acted in accordance with the reasonable and prudent parent standard, the Department shall hold the group home harmless from liability. 

g)         Travel

1)         The group home is authorized to approve the child's travel within the State of Illinois.  When in-state travel will exceed 48 hours, the group home must notify the permanency worker of the trip and provide the child's location and contact information.

2)         The group home is authorized to approve the child's out-of-state travel of up to 29 days. Out-of-state travel of 30 days or more must be approved by the DCFS Guardian.  When out-of-state travel will exceed 48 hours, the group home must notify the permanency worker of the trip and provide the child's location and contact information.

3)         The group home shall ensure that planned travel for the child does not interfere with school, court, medical and other important services/treatment required in the child's service plan.

h)         Personal allowance money shall be available to children based upon the child's age and ability to manage the money.  Adolescents may be allowed to earn additional spending money.

i)          The group home shall assist the child in the proper handling of money and personal property.

1)         The group home or supervising agency holding a child's funds shall have procedures to ensure the safety of those funds.  Amounts of $300 and over shall be deposited in an insured account.  The group home or supervising agency shall provide annual reports on the status of each child's insured account to the child's caseworker.

2)         Personal financial transactions or transfer of a child's personal property among others in the group home shall be prohibited.  This prohibition does not apply to the common practice in families of transferring outgrown clothes or equipment.

3)         The group home shall assure that the child's personal belongings acquired by or given to the child during placement (such as clothing, books and school items, medications, Medicaid Card, toys, gifts, private collections, lifebook materials and photographs, child's private savings, allowances and other personal items) follow the child's placement and are returned to the child when the child changes placement or leaves DCFS care.

j)          Every child shall have the opportunity to learn to assume some responsibility for himself or herself and for group home duties in accordance with his or her age, health and ability.  No child shall be permitted to do tasks that are hazardous, dangerous or potentially harmful to the child.

k)         Work assignments shall not interfere with regular school programs, study periods, recreation or sleep.

l)          The supervising child welfare agency shall immediately be notified of any situation that affects the provision of care to the child.

(Source:  Amended at 42 Ill. Reg. 20337, effective October 31, 2018)