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foster care. |
(4) According to a 2017 fact sheet published by Child |
Trends, in 2015 African-American children represented 50% |
of Illinois' foster care population even though they only |
make up 15% of the State's general child population. |
(5) In contrast, white children represented 38% of the |
foster care population in 2015 even though they make up |
52% of the State's general child population. |
(6) Hispanic children are underrepresented in |
Illinois' foster care system as they only accounted for 9% |
of the foster care population in 2015 despite making up |
24% of the general child population. |
(7) Unfortunately, the disproportionate number of |
African-American children in foster care is a national |
dilemma. |
(8) According to an April 13, 2020 report published by |
the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT Data Center, |
even though "the share of children who are black and in |
foster care remains much smaller than it was nearly a |
decade ago . . . black children are still overrepresented |
among youth in foster care relative to the general |
population" as they account for 23% of all kids in foster |
care even though they only represent 14% of the total |
child population in the United States. |
(9) In light of these grim statistics, the General |
Assembly finds the need for a separate advisory commission |
|
that is exclusively focused on identifying those causes |
and factors that contribute to the overrepresentation of |
African-American children in Illinois' foster care system |
and the policy measures needed to safely reduce the number |
of African-American children in foster care and keep them |
with their families.
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Section 10. Advisory Commission on Reducing the |
Disproportionate Representation of African-American Children |
in Foster Care. |
(a) The Advisory Commission on Reducing the |
Disproportionate Representation of African-American Children |
in Foster Care is created and shall have the following |
appointed members: |
(1) One member appointed by the Governor or his of her |
designee. |
(2) One member appointed by the Speaker of the House |
of Representatives or his or her designee. |
(3) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the |
House of Representatives or his or her designee. |
(4) One member appointed by the President of the |
Senate or his or her designee. |
(5) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the |
Senate or his or her designee. |
(6) The Department on Aging, the Department of |
Children and Family Services, the Department of Human |
|
Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the |
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the |
Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the |
Department of Public Health, the State Board of Education, |
the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community |
College Board, the Department of Human Rights, the Capital |
Development Board, the Department of Corrections, and the |
Department of Labor shall each appoint a liaison to serve |
ex officio on the Commission. |
(7) One member from the Task Force on Strengthening |
Child Welfare Workforce for Children and Families. |
(8) One member from the Child Endangerment Risk |
Assessment Protocol Advisory Committee. |
(9) Two members representing nonprofit organizations |
that advocate for African-American children or youth to be |
appointed by the Governor or his or her designee. |
(b) The Governor or his or her designee shall appoint the |
chairperson or chairpersons. |
(c) Each member appointed to the Commission shall have a |
working knowledge of Illinois' child welfare system. The |
members shall reflect regional representation to ensure that |
the needs of African-American families and children throughout |
the State of Illinois are met. |
(d) Members shall be appointed within 60 days after
the |
effective date of this Act. The Advisory Commission shall hold |
its
initial meetings within 60 days after at least 50% of the
|
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members have been appointed. |
(e) Vacancies on the Advisory Commission shall be filled |
in the same manner as initial appointments. Appointments to |
fill vacancies occurring before the expiration of a term shall |
be for the remainder of the unexpired term. Members shall |
serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for actual |
necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their |
duties. |
(f) The Department of Children and Family Services shall |
provide administrative support to the Advisory Commission.
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Section 15. Duties. The Advisory Commission shall be a |
coordinating and advocating body that acts on behalf of the |
interests of African-American children who are at risk of |
placement within the State's child welfare system. The |
Advisory Commission shall advise the Governor and the General |
Assembly, as well as work directly with State agencies, to |
identify those causes and factors that contribute to the |
overrepresentation of African-American children in foster |
care. In addition, the Advisory Commission shall collaborate |
with State agencies and other social services organizations to |
develop effective strategies, policies, services, and programs |
that are aimed at providing African-American children and |
their families with the resources and preventive services they |
need to stay out of foster care and the child welfare system |
generally. The Advisory Commission shall also assist in the |
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development of child welfare policies and practices that |
advance more equitable outcomes for African-American children |
and their families who have contact with the Department of |
Children and Family Services. In furtherance of these |
purposes, the Advisory Commission shall do the following: |
(1) Regularly track and analyze State and local data |
on
the racial disproportionality of children in foster |
care in order to develop effective policies to
prevent |
African-American children's placement in foster or |
substitute care. |
(2) Examine and develop strategies and policies to |
address the 2018 data released by the University of |
Illinois' Children and Family Research Center, School of |
Social Work, which showed racial disproportionality during |
5 key stages of the child welfare decision-making process: |
investigated maltreatment reports; protective custody; |
indicated maltreatment reports; entries into substitute |
care; and timely exits from substitute care. |
(3) Assist in the development of cultural competency |
training programs for child welfare caseworkers to |
eliminate racial bias and cultural misconceptions about |
African-American families and communities during the child |
welfare decision-making process. |
(4) Monitor and comment on existing and
proposed |
legislation that affects African-American children who are |
at risk of placement in the child welfare or juvenile |
|
justice systems. |
(5) Identify best practices to safely increase the |
number of family or relative placements for |
African-American children who enter the child welfare |
system. |
(6) Collaborate with other State agencies and social |
services agencies in the development of programs that |
improve African-American families access to preventive and |
supportive services, including, but not limited to, mental |
health and substance use disorder services, medical care, |
legal assistance, housing assistance, and family |
counseling.
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Section 20. Reporting requirements. The Advisory |
Commission shall submit an initial report on its findings and |
recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly one |
year after it convenes its first meeting and every 2 years |
thereafter.
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon |
becoming law.
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