Section 316.30  Administrative Case Review System

a)         The Department has an administrative case review system for all the children in placement and their families. Administrative case reviews are conducted for children living in foster family homes, relative homes, group homes, childcare institutions, youth emergency shelters, or detention, correctional, mental, or physical health related facilities. In addition, the Department may elect to conduct administrative case reviews on other groups of children as fiscal and staffing resources permit.

b)         Case reviews are conducted in order to:

1)         assure that parents and the children or youth (if participating in the planning) are involved in and collaborating with developing the case plan, understand and discuss the plan, and know what is expected of them;

2)         review sibling placement by ensuring:

A)        siblings are being placed together whenever possible;

B)        when siblings are placed apart, efforts continue to locate a placement that will accept all of the children;

C)        contact and visitation between siblings is taking place as required and occurring in accordance with the Visitation and Contact Plan;

D)        efforts are made to support contact between siblings in substitute care with siblings who are not in substitute care (e.g., because of adoption, legal guardianship, emancipation, or adulthood);

3)         review whether the Department's continuing intervention is necessary;

4)         review whether services, including placement services, are necessary, relevant, coordinated, and appropriate and address the health and safety needs of the child or youth;

5)         identify services needed but that are not being provided to the child, family or foster parents and the reasons why they are not being provided;

6)         review the disability status of a child or youth to determine the need for and/or appropriateness of specialized services;

7)         review the appropriateness of the child's educational placement and the child's educational progress and recommend changes to the caseworker;

8)         review health information regarding the child or youth and family;

9)         review any special physical, psychological, educational, medical, emotional, or other needs of the child or youth or /the family that are relevant to a permanency or placement determination;

10)       review, for any youth age 16 or over, programs or services that will enable the youth to prepare for independent living;

11)       review whether the Department, the child welfare contributing agencies, the family, the substitute care provider, if any, and the child or youth are complying with the case plan and, if they are not complying, whether changes in the case plan or goals are needed;

12)       review whether there is progress in resolving the child's or youth's and family's issues, whether the progress is satisfactory, and whether the child can safely return home;

13)       review whether the projected month for achieving the permanency goal should be changed;

14)       review the appropriateness of the permanency goal and recommend changes to the goal (if appropriate);

15)       review and finalize the case plan for the next period, including an analysis of:

A)        the appropriateness of the services contained in the case plan and whether those services have been provided and, if not, why;

B)        whether reasonable efforts by the Department, and reasonable progress by the family, have been made to achieve the goal;

C)        whether the plan and goal have been achieved;

16)       refer the case for a child and family team meeting when one has not been conducted. (See 89 Ill. Adm. Code 315.120 (Family Meetings)); and

17)       report findings and make recommendations.

c)         The Department shall provide training for all Administrative Case Reviewers, supervisors, and managers regarding the importance of maintaining sibling relationships and the child's or youth's sense of attachment to /the siblings, the importance of maintaining sibling relationships over the child's lifespan, and the impact on the child and youth if those relationships are severed.

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 12195, effective August 1, 2024)