SB2628eng 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2628 Engrossed LRB100 18775 KTG 34011 b

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Strengthening the Child Welfare Workforce for Children and Families Act.

Section 5. Purpose. It is the purpose of this Act to create a task force to study the compensation and workload of child welfare workers to determine the role that compensation and workload play in the recruitment and retention of child welfare workers, and to determine the role that staff turnover plays in achieving safety and timely permanency for children.

Section 10. Task Force on Strengthening the Child Welfare Workforce for Children and Families.

(a) As used in this Act:

"Child welfare workers" or "staff" means child welfare caseworkers, child welfare specialists, and child welfare specialist supervisors.

"Child welfare services job" mean an employment position as a child welfare caseworker, child welfare specialist, or child welfare specialist supervisor.

(b) The Task Force on Strengthening the Child Welfare Workforce for Children and Families is created to do all of the following:

(1) Perform a policy and literature review regarding: (i) compensation and caseload standards in the field of child welfare; (ii) staff turnover rates; and (iii) the impact compensation, caseload, and staff turnover have on achieving safety and timely permanency for children.

(2) Survey employers in the public and private sector to determine:

(A) how many child welfare service jobs exist;

(B) the compensation paid to child welfare workers;

(C) how many child welfare service jobs are filled and how many are vacant;

(D) how many child welfare service jobs are filled by persons who have at least 18 months in the position;

(E) the rate of turnover for child welfare workers; and

(F) the causes of turnover for child welfare workers.

(3) Conduct a detailed time log analysis for child welfare workers to determine how much time is available to complete each administrative task and how much time is actually spent to complete each administrative task. The time log analysis shall expressly ask child welfare workers the following question for each administrative task, "Is this task duplicative of one that you have already completed?".

(4) Develop recommendations on how to (i) improve the recruitment and retention of child welfare workers; and (ii) reduce the turnover rates for child welfare workers.

(c) Members of the Task Force shall include:

(1) 2 members appointed by the Governor;

(2) 2 legislative members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be designated as Co-Chairperson;

(3) 2 legislative members appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be designated as Co-Chairperson;

(4) 2 legislative members appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom shall be designated as Co-Chairperson;

(5) 2 legislative members appointed by the Senate Minority Leader, one of whom shall be designated as Co-Chairperson;

(6) the Director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, or his or her designee;

(7) the Director of Children and Family Services, or his or her designee;

(8) the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, or his or her designee;

(9) the Principal Investigator for the Child Protection Training Academy at the University of Illinois;

(10) a person appointed by a labor union that represents State employees;

(11) a current private sector employee appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

(12) a person representing a non-profit, statewide organization that represents private sector child welfare providers.

(d) The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority shall provide administrative and other support to the Task Force.

(e) The Department of Children and Family Services shall hire an independent consultant to aid in the collection, cataloguing, and analysis of child welfare data and whose services shall conclude when the Task Force is dissolved.

(f) The Task Force shall consider contracting with a qualified company, university, or other entity with demonstrated experience studying and improving human resources management.

(g) The Task Force shall meet no less than 6 times.

(h) The Task Force shall submit a preliminary report to the General Assembly and the Governor no later than October 1, 2019, and a final electronic report, along with recommendations and any proposed legislation, to the General Assembly and the Governor by January 1, 2020.

The reports to the General Assembly shall be filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate in electronic form only, in the manner that the Clerk and the Secretary shall direct.

(i) The Task Force is dissolved on January 1, 2021.

Section 15. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1, 2021.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.