101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB2296

 

Introduced 10/30/2019, by Sen. Julie A. Morrison

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 505/5  from Ch. 23, par. 5005

    Amends the Children and Family Services Act. In a provision permitting the Department of Children and Family Services to refer any child or family to services available from other agencies in the community if the conditions in the child's or family's home are reasonably likely to subject the child or family to future reports of suspected child abuse or neglect, provides that if the family chooses to receive family preservation services and there are children under the age of 6 living in the household, those children shall be enrolled in appropriate early childhood education services. Effective immediately.


LRB101 14933 KTG 64267 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2296LRB101 14933 KTG 64267 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Children and Family Services Act is amended
5by changing Section 5 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 505/5)  (from Ch. 23, par. 5005)
7    Sec. 5. Direct child welfare services; Department of
8Children and Family Services. To provide direct child welfare
9services when not available through other public or private
10child care or program facilities.
11    (a) For purposes of this Section:
12        (1) "Children" means persons found within the State who
13    are under the age of 18 years. The term also includes
14    persons under age 21 who:
15            (A) were committed to the Department pursuant to
16        the Juvenile Court Act or the Juvenile Court Act of
17        1987, as amended, and who continue under the
18        jurisdiction of the court; or
19            (B) were accepted for care, service and training by
20        the Department prior to the age of 18 and whose best
21        interest in the discretion of the Department would be
22        served by continuing that care, service and training
23        because of severe emotional disturbances, physical

 

 

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1        disability, social adjustment or any combination
2        thereof, or because of the need to complete an
3        educational or vocational training program.
4        (2) "Homeless youth" means persons found within the
5    State who are under the age of 19, are not in a safe and
6    stable living situation and cannot be reunited with their
7    families.
8        (3) "Child welfare services" means public social
9    services which are directed toward the accomplishment of
10    the following purposes:
11            (A) protecting and promoting the health, safety
12        and welfare of children, including homeless,
13        dependent, or neglected children;
14            (B) remedying, or assisting in the solution of
15        problems which may result in, the neglect, abuse,
16        exploitation, or delinquency of children;
17            (C) preventing the unnecessary separation of
18        children from their families by identifying family
19        problems, assisting families in resolving their
20        problems, and preventing the breakup of the family
21        where the prevention of child removal is desirable and
22        possible when the child can be cared for at home
23        without endangering the child's health and safety;
24            (D) restoring to their families children who have
25        been removed, by the provision of services to the child
26        and the families when the child can be cared for at

 

 

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1        home without endangering the child's health and
2        safety;
3            (E) placing children in suitable adoptive homes,
4        in cases where restoration to the biological family is
5        not safe, possible, or appropriate;
6            (F) assuring safe and adequate care of children
7        away from their homes, in cases where the child cannot
8        be returned home or cannot be placed for adoption. At
9        the time of placement, the Department shall consider
10        concurrent planning, as described in subsection (l-1)
11        of this Section so that permanency may occur at the
12        earliest opportunity. Consideration should be given so
13        that if reunification fails or is delayed, the
14        placement made is the best available placement to
15        provide permanency for the child;
16            (G) (blank);
17            (H) (blank); and
18            (I) placing and maintaining children in facilities
19        that provide separate living quarters for children
20        under the age of 18 and for children 18 years of age
21        and older, unless a child 18 years of age is in the
22        last year of high school education or vocational
23        training, in an approved individual or group treatment
24        program, in a licensed shelter facility, or secure
25        child care facility. The Department is not required to
26        place or maintain children:

 

 

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1                (i) who are in a foster home, or
2                (ii) who are persons with a developmental
3            disability, as defined in the Mental Health and
4            Developmental Disabilities Code, or
5                (iii) who are female children who are
6            pregnant, pregnant and parenting, or parenting, or
7                (iv) who are siblings, in facilities that
8            provide separate living quarters for children 18
9            years of age and older and for children under 18
10            years of age.
11    (b) (Blank).
12    (c) The Department shall establish and maintain
13tax-supported child welfare services and extend and seek to
14improve voluntary services throughout the State, to the end
15that services and care shall be available on an equal basis
16throughout the State to children requiring such services.
17    (d) The Director may authorize advance disbursements for
18any new program initiative to any agency contracting with the
19Department. As a prerequisite for an advance disbursement, the
20contractor must post a surety bond in the amount of the advance
21disbursement and have a purchase of service contract approved
22by the Department. The Department may pay up to 2 months
23operational expenses in advance. The amount of the advance
24disbursement shall be prorated over the life of the contract or
25the remaining months of the fiscal year, whichever is less, and
26the installment amount shall then be deducted from future

 

 

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1bills. Advance disbursement authorizations for new initiatives
2shall not be made to any agency after that agency has operated
3during 2 consecutive fiscal years. The requirements of this
4Section concerning advance disbursements shall not apply with
5respect to the following: payments to local public agencies for
6child day care services as authorized by Section 5a of this
7Act; and youth service programs receiving grant funds under
8Section 17a-4.
9    (e) (Blank).
10    (f) (Blank).
11    (g) The Department shall establish rules and regulations
12concerning its operation of programs designed to meet the goals
13of child safety and protection, family preservation, family
14reunification, and adoption, including, but not limited to:
15        (1) adoption;
16        (2) foster care;
17        (3) family counseling;
18        (4) protective services;
19        (5) (blank);
20        (6) homemaker service;
21        (7) return of runaway children;
22        (8) (blank);
23        (9) placement under Section 5-7 of the Juvenile Court
24    Act or Section 2-27, 3-28, 4-25, or 5-740 of the Juvenile
25    Court Act of 1987 in accordance with the federal Adoption
26    Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980; and

 

 

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1        (10) interstate services.
2    Rules and regulations established by the Department shall
3include provisions for training Department staff and the staff
4of Department grantees, through contracts with other agencies
5or resources, in screening techniques to identify substance use
6disorders, as defined in the Substance Use Disorder Act,
7approved by the Department of Human Services, as a successor to
8the Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, for the
9purpose of identifying children and adults who should be
10referred for an assessment at an organization appropriately
11licensed by the Department of Human Services for substance use
12disorder treatment.
13    (h) If the Department finds that there is no appropriate
14program or facility within or available to the Department for a
15youth in care and that no licensed private facility has an
16adequate and appropriate program or none agrees to accept the
17youth in care, the Department shall create an appropriate
18individualized, program-oriented plan for such youth in care.
19The plan may be developed within the Department or through
20purchase of services by the Department to the extent that it is
21within its statutory authority to do.
22    (i) Service programs shall be available throughout the
23State and shall include but not be limited to the following
24services:
25        (1) case management;
26        (2) homemakers;

 

 

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1        (3) counseling;
2        (4) parent education;
3        (5) day care; and
4        (6) emergency assistance and advocacy.
5    In addition, the following services may be made available
6to assess and meet the needs of children and families:
7        (1) comprehensive family-based services;
8        (2) assessments;
9        (3) respite care; and
10        (4) in-home health services.
11    The Department shall provide transportation for any of the
12services it makes available to children or families or for
13which it refers children or families.
14    (j) The Department may provide categories of financial
15assistance and education assistance grants, and shall
16establish rules and regulations concerning the assistance and
17grants, to persons who adopt children with physical or mental
18disabilities, children who are older, or other hard-to-place
19children who (i) immediately prior to their adoption were youth
20in care or (ii) were determined eligible for financial
21assistance with respect to a prior adoption and who become
22available for adoption because the prior adoption has been
23dissolved and the parental rights of the adoptive parents have
24been terminated or because the child's adoptive parents have
25died. The Department may continue to provide financial
26assistance and education assistance grants for a child who was

 

 

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1determined eligible for financial assistance under this
2subsection (j) in the interim period beginning when the child's
3adoptive parents died and ending with the finalization of the
4new adoption of the child by another adoptive parent or
5parents. The Department may also provide categories of
6financial assistance and education assistance grants, and
7shall establish rules and regulations for the assistance and
8grants, to persons appointed guardian of the person under
9Section 5-7 of the Juvenile Court Act or Section 2-27, 3-28,
104-25, or 5-740 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 for children
11who were youth in care for 12 months immediately prior to the
12appointment of the guardian.
13    The amount of assistance may vary, depending upon the needs
14of the child and the adoptive parents, as set forth in the
15annual assistance agreement. Special purpose grants are
16allowed where the child requires special service but such costs
17may not exceed the amounts which similar services would cost
18the Department if it were to provide or secure them as guardian
19of the child.
20    Any financial assistance provided under this subsection is
21inalienable by assignment, sale, execution, attachment,
22garnishment, or any other remedy for recovery or collection of
23a judgment or debt.
24    (j-5) The Department shall not deny or delay the placement
25of a child for adoption if an approved family is available
26either outside of the Department region handling the case, or

 

 

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1outside of the State of Illinois.
2    (k) The Department shall accept for care and training any
3child who has been adjudicated neglected or abused, or
4dependent committed to it pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act or
5the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
6    (l) The Department shall offer family preservation
7services, as defined in Section 8.2 of the Abused and Neglected
8Child Reporting Act, to help families, including adoptive and
9extended families. Family preservation services shall be
10offered (i) to prevent the placement of children in substitute
11care when the children can be cared for at home or in the
12custody of the person responsible for the children's welfare,
13(ii) to reunite children with their families, or (iii) to
14maintain an adoptive placement. Family preservation services
15shall only be offered when doing so will not endanger the
16children's health or safety. With respect to children who are
17in substitute care pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987,
18family preservation services shall not be offered if a goal
19other than those of subdivisions (A), (B), or (B-1) of
20subsection (2) of Section 2-28 of that Act has been set, except
21that reunification services may be offered as provided in
22paragraph (F) of subsection (2) of Section 2-28 of that Act.
23Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to create a
24private right of action or claim on the part of any individual
25or child welfare agency, except that when a child is the
26subject of an action under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act

 

 

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1of 1987 and the child's service plan calls for services to
2facilitate achievement of the permanency goal, the court
3hearing the action under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act
4of 1987 may order the Department to provide the services set
5out in the plan, if those services are not provided with
6reasonable promptness and if those services are available.
7    The Department shall notify the child and his family of the
8Department's responsibility to offer and provide family
9preservation services as identified in the service plan. The
10child and his family shall be eligible for services as soon as
11the report is determined to be "indicated". The Department may
12offer services to any child or family with respect to whom a
13report of suspected child abuse or neglect has been filed,
14prior to concluding its investigation under Section 7.12 of the
15Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. However, the child's
16or family's willingness to accept services shall not be
17considered in the investigation. The Department may also
18provide services to any child or family who is the subject of
19any report of suspected child abuse or neglect or may refer
20such child or family to services available from other agencies
21in the community, even if the report is determined to be
22unfounded, if the conditions in the child's or family's home
23are reasonably likely to subject the child or family to future
24reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. Acceptance of such
25services shall be voluntary. The Department may also provide
26services to any child or family after completion of a family

 

 

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1assessment, as an alternative to an investigation, as provided
2under the "differential response program" provided for in
3subsection (a-5) of Section 7.4 of the Abused and Neglected
4Child Reporting Act.
5    The Department may, at its discretion except for those
6children also adjudicated neglected or dependent, accept for
7care and training any child who has been adjudicated addicted,
8as a truant minor in need of supervision or as a minor
9requiring authoritative intervention, under the Juvenile Court
10Act or the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, but no such child shall
11be committed to the Department by any court without the
12approval of the Department. On and after January 1, 2015 (the
13effective date of Public Act 98-803) and before January 1,
142017, a minor charged with a criminal offense under the
15Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 or
16adjudicated delinquent shall not be placed in the custody of or
17committed to the Department by any court, except (i) a minor
18less than 16 years of age committed to the Department under
19Section 5-710 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, (ii) a minor
20for whom an independent basis of abuse, neglect, or dependency
21exists, which must be defined by departmental rule, or (iii) a
22minor for whom the court has granted a supplemental petition to
23reinstate wardship pursuant to subsection (2) of Section 2-33
24of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. On and after January 1,
252017, a minor charged with a criminal offense under the
26Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 or

 

 

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1adjudicated delinquent shall not be placed in the custody of or
2committed to the Department by any court, except (i) a minor
3less than 15 years of age committed to the Department under
4Section 5-710 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, ii) a minor
5for whom an independent basis of abuse, neglect, or dependency
6exists, which must be defined by departmental rule, or (iii) a
7minor for whom the court has granted a supplemental petition to
8reinstate wardship pursuant to subsection (2) of Section 2-33
9of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. An independent basis exists
10when the allegations or adjudication of abuse, neglect, or
11dependency do not arise from the same facts, incident, or
12circumstances which give rise to a charge or adjudication of
13delinquency. The Department shall assign a caseworker to attend
14any hearing involving a youth in the care and custody of the
15Department who is placed on aftercare release, including
16hearings involving sanctions for violation of aftercare
17release conditions and aftercare release revocation hearings.
18    As soon as is possible after August 7, 2009 (the effective
19date of Public Act 96-134), the Department shall develop and
20implement a special program of family preservation services to
21support intact, foster, and adoptive families who are
22experiencing extreme hardships due to the difficulty and stress
23of caring for a child who has been diagnosed with a pervasive
24developmental disorder if the Department determines that those
25services are necessary to ensure the health and safety of the
26child. The Department may offer services to any family whether

 

 

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1or not a report has been filed under the Abused and Neglected
2Child Reporting Act. The Department may refer the child or
3family to services available from other agencies in the
4community if the conditions in the child's or family's home are
5reasonably likely to subject the child or family to future
6reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. Acceptance of
7these services shall be voluntary. However, if a family chooses
8to receive family preservation services and there are children
9under the age of 6 living in the household, those children
10shall be enrolled in appropriate early childhood education
11services. The Department shall develop and implement a public
12information campaign to alert health and social service
13providers and the general public about these special family
14preservation services. The nature and scope of the services
15offered and the number of families served under the special
16program implemented under this paragraph shall be determined by
17the level of funding that the Department annually allocates for
18this purpose. The term "pervasive developmental disorder"
19under this paragraph means a neurological condition,
20including, but not limited to, Asperger's Syndrome and autism,
21as defined in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and
22Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American
23Psychiatric Association.
24    (l-1) The legislature recognizes that the best interests of
25the child require that the child be placed in the most
26permanent living arrangement as soon as is practically

 

 

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1possible. To achieve this goal, the legislature directs the
2Department of Children and Family Services to conduct
3concurrent planning so that permanency may occur at the
4earliest opportunity. Permanent living arrangements may
5include prevention of placement of a child outside the home of
6the family when the child can be cared for at home without
7endangering the child's health or safety; reunification with
8the family, when safe and appropriate, if temporary placement
9is necessary; or movement of the child toward the most
10permanent living arrangement and permanent legal status.
11    When determining reasonable efforts to be made with respect
12to a child, as described in this subsection, and in making such
13reasonable efforts, the child's health and safety shall be the
14paramount concern.
15    When a child is placed in foster care, the Department shall
16ensure and document that reasonable efforts were made to
17prevent or eliminate the need to remove the child from the
18child's home. The Department must make reasonable efforts to
19reunify the family when temporary placement of the child occurs
20unless otherwise required, pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act
21of 1987. At any time after the dispositional hearing where the
22Department believes that further reunification services would
23be ineffective, it may request a finding from the court that
24reasonable efforts are no longer appropriate. The Department is
25not required to provide further reunification services after
26such a finding.

 

 

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1    A decision to place a child in substitute care shall be
2made with considerations of the child's health, safety, and
3best interests. At the time of placement, consideration should
4also be given so that if reunification fails or is delayed, the
5placement made is the best available placement to provide
6permanency for the child.
7    The Department shall adopt rules addressing concurrent
8planning for reunification and permanency. The Department
9shall consider the following factors when determining
10appropriateness of concurrent planning:
11        (1) the likelihood of prompt reunification;
12        (2) the past history of the family;
13        (3) the barriers to reunification being addressed by
14    the family;
15        (4) the level of cooperation of the family;
16        (5) the foster parents' willingness to work with the
17    family to reunite;
18        (6) the willingness and ability of the foster family to
19    provide an adoptive home or long-term placement;
20        (7) the age of the child;
21        (8) placement of siblings.
22    (m) The Department may assume temporary custody of any
23child if:
24        (1) it has received a written consent to such temporary
25    custody signed by the parents of the child or by the parent
26    having custody of the child if the parents are not living

 

 

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1    together or by the guardian or custodian of the child if
2    the child is not in the custody of either parent, or
3        (2) the child is found in the State and neither a
4    parent, guardian nor custodian of the child can be located.
5If the child is found in his or her residence without a parent,
6guardian, custodian, or responsible caretaker, the Department
7may, instead of removing the child and assuming temporary
8custody, place an authorized representative of the Department
9in that residence until such time as a parent, guardian, or
10custodian enters the home and expresses a willingness and
11apparent ability to ensure the child's health and safety and
12resume permanent charge of the child, or until a relative
13enters the home and is willing and able to ensure the child's
14health and safety and assume charge of the child until a
15parent, guardian, or custodian enters the home and expresses
16such willingness and ability to ensure the child's safety and
17resume permanent charge. After a caretaker has remained in the
18home for a period not to exceed 12 hours, the Department must
19follow those procedures outlined in Section 2-9, 3-11, 4-8, or
205-415 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
21    The Department shall have the authority, responsibilities
22and duties that a legal custodian of the child would have
23pursuant to subsection (9) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court
24Act of 1987. Whenever a child is taken into temporary custody
25pursuant to an investigation under the Abused and Neglected
26Child Reporting Act, or pursuant to a referral and acceptance

 

 

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1under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 of a minor in limited
2custody, the Department, during the period of temporary custody
3and before the child is brought before a judicial officer as
4required by Section 2-9, 3-11, 4-8, or 5-415 of the Juvenile
5Court Act of 1987, shall have the authority, responsibilities
6and duties that a legal custodian of the child would have under
7subsection (9) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court Act of
81987.
9    The Department shall ensure that any child taken into
10custody is scheduled for an appointment for a medical
11examination.
12    A parent, guardian, or custodian of a child in the
13temporary custody of the Department who would have custody of
14the child if he were not in the temporary custody of the
15Department may deliver to the Department a signed request that
16the Department surrender the temporary custody of the child.
17The Department may retain temporary custody of the child for 10
18days after the receipt of the request, during which period the
19Department may cause to be filed a petition pursuant to the
20Juvenile Court Act of 1987. If a petition is so filed, the
21Department shall retain temporary custody of the child until
22the court orders otherwise. If a petition is not filed within
23the 10-day period, the child shall be surrendered to the
24custody of the requesting parent, guardian, or custodian not
25later than the expiration of the 10-day period, at which time
26the authority and duties of the Department with respect to the

 

 

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1temporary custody of the child shall terminate.
2    (m-1) The Department may place children under 18 years of
3age in a secure child care facility licensed by the Department
4that cares for children who are in need of secure living
5arrangements for their health, safety, and well-being after a
6determination is made by the facility director and the Director
7or the Director's designate prior to admission to the facility
8subject to Section 2-27.1 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
9This subsection (m-1) does not apply to a child who is subject
10to placement in a correctional facility operated pursuant to
11Section 3-15-2 of the Unified Code of Corrections, unless the
12child is a youth in care who was placed in the care of the
13Department before being subject to placement in a correctional
14facility and a court of competent jurisdiction has ordered
15placement of the child in a secure care facility.
16    (n) The Department may place children under 18 years of age
17in licensed child care facilities when in the opinion of the
18Department, appropriate services aimed at family preservation
19have been unsuccessful and cannot ensure the child's health and
20safety or are unavailable and such placement would be for their
21best interest. Payment for board, clothing, care, training and
22supervision of any child placed in a licensed child care
23facility may be made by the Department, by the parents or
24guardians of the estates of those children, or by both the
25Department and the parents or guardians, except that no
26payments shall be made by the Department for any child placed

 

 

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1in a licensed child care facility for board, clothing, care,
2training and supervision of such a child that exceed the
3average per capita cost of maintaining and of caring for a
4child in institutions for dependent or neglected children
5operated by the Department. However, such restriction on
6payments does not apply in cases where children require
7specialized care and treatment for problems of severe emotional
8disturbance, physical disability, social adjustment, or any
9combination thereof and suitable facilities for the placement
10of such children are not available at payment rates within the
11limitations set forth in this Section. All reimbursements for
12services delivered shall be absolutely inalienable by
13assignment, sale, attachment, or garnishment or otherwise.
14    (n-1) The Department shall provide or authorize child
15welfare services, aimed at assisting minors to achieve
16sustainable self-sufficiency as independent adults, for any
17minor eligible for the reinstatement of wardship pursuant to
18subsection (2) of Section 2-33 of the Juvenile Court Act of
191987, whether or not such reinstatement is sought or allowed,
20provided that the minor consents to such services and has not
21yet attained the age of 21. The Department shall have
22responsibility for the development and delivery of services
23under this Section. An eligible youth may access services under
24this Section through the Department of Children and Family
25Services or by referral from the Department of Human Services.
26Youth participating in services under this Section shall

 

 

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1cooperate with the assigned case manager in developing an
2agreement identifying the services to be provided and how the
3youth will increase skills to achieve self-sufficiency. A
4homeless shelter is not considered appropriate housing for any
5youth receiving child welfare services under this Section. The
6Department shall continue child welfare services under this
7Section to any eligible minor until the minor becomes 21 years
8of age, no longer consents to participate, or achieves
9self-sufficiency as identified in the minor's service plan. The
10Department of Children and Family Services shall create clear,
11readable notice of the rights of former foster youth to child
12welfare services under this Section and how such services may
13be obtained. The Department of Children and Family Services and
14the Department of Human Services shall disseminate this
15information statewide. The Department shall adopt regulations
16describing services intended to assist minors in achieving
17sustainable self-sufficiency as independent adults.
18    (o) The Department shall establish an administrative
19review and appeal process for children and families who request
20or receive child welfare services from the Department. Youth in
21care who are placed by private child welfare agencies, and
22foster families with whom those youth are placed, shall be
23afforded the same procedural and appeal rights as children and
24families in the case of placement by the Department, including
25the right to an initial review of a private agency decision by
26that agency. The Department shall ensure that any private child

 

 

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1welfare agency, which accepts youth in care for placement,
2affords those rights to children and foster families. The
3Department shall accept for administrative review and an appeal
4hearing a complaint made by (i) a child or foster family
5concerning a decision following an initial review by a private
6child welfare agency or (ii) a prospective adoptive parent who
7alleges a violation of subsection (j-5) of this Section. An
8appeal of a decision concerning a change in the placement of a
9child shall be conducted in an expedited manner. A court
10determination that a current foster home placement is necessary
11and appropriate under Section 2-28 of the Juvenile Court Act of
121987 does not constitute a judicial determination on the merits
13of an administrative appeal, filed by a former foster parent,
14involving a change of placement decision.
15    (p) (Blank).
16    (q) The Department may receive and use, in their entirety,
17for the benefit of children any gift, donation, or bequest of
18money or other property which is received on behalf of such
19children, or any financial benefits to which such children are
20or may become entitled while under the jurisdiction or care of
21the Department.
22    The Department shall set up and administer no-cost,
23interest-bearing accounts in appropriate financial
24institutions for children for whom the Department is legally
25responsible and who have been determined eligible for Veterans'
26Benefits, Social Security benefits, assistance allotments from

 

 

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1the armed forces, court ordered payments, parental voluntary
2payments, Supplemental Security Income, Railroad Retirement
3payments, Black Lung benefits, or other miscellaneous
4payments. Interest earned by each account shall be credited to
5the account, unless disbursed in accordance with this
6subsection.
7    In disbursing funds from children's accounts, the
8Department shall:
9        (1) Establish standards in accordance with State and
10    federal laws for disbursing money from children's
11    accounts. In all circumstances, the Department's
12    "Guardianship Administrator" or his or her designee must
13    approve disbursements from children's accounts. The
14    Department shall be responsible for keeping complete
15    records of all disbursements for each account for any
16    purpose.
17        (2) Calculate on a monthly basis the amounts paid from
18    State funds for the child's board and care, medical care
19    not covered under Medicaid, and social services; and
20    utilize funds from the child's account, as covered by
21    regulation, to reimburse those costs. Monthly,
22    disbursements from all children's accounts, up to 1/12 of
23    $13,000,000, shall be deposited by the Department into the
24    General Revenue Fund and the balance over 1/12 of
25    $13,000,000 into the DCFS Children's Services Fund.
26        (3) Maintain any balance remaining after reimbursing

 

 

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1    for the child's costs of care, as specified in item (2).
2    The balance shall accumulate in accordance with relevant
3    State and federal laws and shall be disbursed to the child
4    or his or her guardian, or to the issuing agency.
5    (r) The Department shall promulgate regulations
6encouraging all adoption agencies to voluntarily forward to the
7Department or its agent names and addresses of all persons who
8have applied for and have been approved for adoption of a
9hard-to-place child or child with a disability and the names of
10such children who have not been placed for adoption. A list of
11such names and addresses shall be maintained by the Department
12or its agent, and coded lists which maintain the
13confidentiality of the person seeking to adopt the child and of
14the child shall be made available, without charge, to every
15adoption agency in the State to assist the agencies in placing
16such children for adoption. The Department may delegate to an
17agent its duty to maintain and make available such lists. The
18Department shall ensure that such agent maintains the
19confidentiality of the person seeking to adopt the child and of
20the child.
21    (s) The Department of Children and Family Services may
22establish and implement a program to reimburse Department and
23private child welfare agency foster parents licensed by the
24Department of Children and Family Services for damages
25sustained by the foster parents as a result of the malicious or
26negligent acts of foster children, as well as providing third

 

 

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1party coverage for such foster parents with regard to actions
2of foster children to other individuals. Such coverage will be
3secondary to the foster parent liability insurance policy, if
4applicable. The program shall be funded through appropriations
5from the General Revenue Fund, specifically designated for such
6purposes.
7    (t) The Department shall perform home studies and
8investigations and shall exercise supervision over visitation
9as ordered by a court pursuant to the Illinois Marriage and
10Dissolution of Marriage Act or the Adoption Act only if:
11        (1) an order entered by an Illinois court specifically
12    directs the Department to perform such services; and
13        (2) the court has ordered one or both of the parties to
14    the proceeding to reimburse the Department for its
15    reasonable costs for providing such services in accordance
16    with Department rules, or has determined that neither party
17    is financially able to pay.
18    The Department shall provide written notification to the
19court of the specific arrangements for supervised visitation
20and projected monthly costs within 60 days of the court order.
21The Department shall send to the court information related to
22the costs incurred except in cases where the court has
23determined the parties are financially unable to pay. The court
24may order additional periodic reports as appropriate.
25    (u) In addition to other information that must be provided,
26whenever the Department places a child with a prospective

 

 

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1adoptive parent or parents, or in a licensed foster home, group
2home, or child care institution, or in a relative home, the
3Department shall provide to the prospective adoptive parent or
4parents or other caretaker:
5        (1) available detailed information concerning the
6    child's educational and health history, copies of
7    immunization records (including insurance and medical card
8    information), a history of the child's previous
9    placements, if any, and reasons for placement changes
10    excluding any information that identifies or reveals the
11    location of any previous caretaker;
12        (2) a copy of the child's portion of the client service
13    plan, including any visitation arrangement, and all
14    amendments or revisions to it as related to the child; and
15        (3) information containing details of the child's
16    individualized educational plan when the child is
17    receiving special education services.
18    The caretaker shall be informed of any known social or
19behavioral information (including, but not limited to,
20criminal background, fire setting, perpetuation of sexual
21abuse, destructive behavior, and substance abuse) necessary to
22care for and safeguard the children to be placed or currently
23in the home. The Department may prepare a written summary of
24the information required by this paragraph, which may be
25provided to the foster or prospective adoptive parent in
26advance of a placement. The foster or prospective adoptive

 

 

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1parent may review the supporting documents in the child's file
2in the presence of casework staff. In the case of an emergency
3placement, casework staff shall at least provide known
4information verbally, if necessary, and must subsequently
5provide the information in writing as required by this
6subsection.
7    The information described in this subsection shall be
8provided in writing. In the case of emergency placements when
9time does not allow prior review, preparation, and collection
10of written information, the Department shall provide such
11information as it becomes available. Within 10 business days
12after placement, the Department shall obtain from the
13prospective adoptive parent or parents or other caretaker a
14signed verification of receipt of the information provided.
15Within 10 business days after placement, the Department shall
16provide to the child's guardian ad litem a copy of the
17information provided to the prospective adoptive parent or
18parents or other caretaker. The information provided to the
19prospective adoptive parent or parents or other caretaker shall
20be reviewed and approved regarding accuracy at the supervisory
21level.
22    (u-5) Effective July 1, 1995, only foster care placements
23licensed as foster family homes pursuant to the Child Care Act
24of 1969 shall be eligible to receive foster care payments from
25the Department. Relative caregivers who, as of July 1, 1995,
26were approved pursuant to approved relative placement rules

 

 

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1previously promulgated by the Department at 89 Ill. Adm. Code
2335 and had submitted an application for licensure as a foster
3family home may continue to receive foster care payments only
4until the Department determines that they may be licensed as a
5foster family home or that their application for licensure is
6denied or until September 30, 1995, whichever occurs first.
7    (v) The Department shall access criminal history record
8information as defined in the Illinois Uniform Conviction
9Information Act and information maintained in the adjudicatory
10and dispositional record system as defined in Section 2605-355
11of the Department of State Police Law (20 ILCS 2605/2605-355)
12if the Department determines the information is necessary to
13perform its duties under the Abused and Neglected Child
14Reporting Act, the Child Care Act of 1969, and the Children and
15Family Services Act. The Department shall provide for
16interactive computerized communication and processing
17equipment that permits direct on-line communication with the
18Department of State Police's central criminal history data
19repository. The Department shall comply with all certification
20requirements and provide certified operators who have been
21trained by personnel from the Department of State Police. In
22addition, one Office of the Inspector General investigator
23shall have training in the use of the criminal history
24information access system and have access to the terminal. The
25Department of Children and Family Services and its employees
26shall abide by rules and regulations established by the

 

 

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1Department of State Police relating to the access and
2dissemination of this information.
3    (v-1) Prior to final approval for placement of a child, the
4Department shall conduct a criminal records background check of
5the prospective foster or adoptive parent, including
6fingerprint-based checks of national crime information
7databases. Final approval for placement shall not be granted if
8the record check reveals a felony conviction for child abuse or
9neglect, for spousal abuse, for a crime against children, or
10for a crime involving violence, including rape, sexual assault,
11or homicide, but not including other physical assault or
12battery, or if there is a felony conviction for physical
13assault, battery, or a drug-related offense committed within
14the past 5 years.
15    (v-2) Prior to final approval for placement of a child, the
16Department shall check its child abuse and neglect registry for
17information concerning prospective foster and adoptive
18parents, and any adult living in the home. If any prospective
19foster or adoptive parent or other adult living in the home has
20resided in another state in the preceding 5 years, the
21Department shall request a check of that other state's child
22abuse and neglect registry.
23    (w) Within 120 days of August 20, 1995 (the effective date
24of Public Act 89-392), the Department shall prepare and submit
25to the Governor and the General Assembly, a written plan for
26the development of in-state licensed secure child care

 

 

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1facilities that care for children who are in need of secure
2living arrangements for their health, safety, and well-being.
3For purposes of this subsection, secure care facility shall
4mean a facility that is designed and operated to ensure that
5all entrances and exits from the facility, a building or a
6distinct part of the building, are under the exclusive control
7of the staff of the facility, whether or not the child has the
8freedom of movement within the perimeter of the facility,
9building, or distinct part of the building. The plan shall
10include descriptions of the types of facilities that are needed
11in Illinois; the cost of developing these secure care
12facilities; the estimated number of placements; the potential
13cost savings resulting from the movement of children currently
14out-of-state who are projected to be returned to Illinois; the
15necessary geographic distribution of these facilities in
16Illinois; and a proposed timetable for development of such
17facilities.
18    (x) The Department shall conduct annual credit history
19checks to determine the financial history of children placed
20under its guardianship pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of
211987. The Department shall conduct such credit checks starting
22when a youth in care turns 12 years old and each year
23thereafter for the duration of the guardianship as terminated
24pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. The Department
25shall determine if financial exploitation of the child's
26personal information has occurred. If financial exploitation

 

 

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1appears to have taken place or is presently ongoing, the
2Department shall notify the proper law enforcement agency, the
3proper State's Attorney, or the Attorney General.
4    (y) Beginning on July 22, 2010 (the effective date of
5Public Act 96-1189), a child with a disability who receives
6residential and educational services from the Department shall
7be eligible to receive transition services in accordance with
8Article 14 of the School Code from the age of 14.5 through age
921, inclusive, notwithstanding the child's residential
10services arrangement. For purposes of this subsection, "child
11with a disability" means a child with a disability as defined
12by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education
13Improvement Act of 2004.
14    (z) The Department shall access criminal history record
15information as defined as "background information" in this
16subsection and criminal history record information as defined
17in the Illinois Uniform Conviction Information Act for each
18Department employee or Department applicant. Each Department
19employee or Department applicant shall submit his or her
20fingerprints to the Department of State Police in the form and
21manner prescribed by the Department of State Police. These
22fingerprints shall be checked against the fingerprint records
23now and hereafter filed in the Department of State Police and
24the Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records
25databases. The Department of State Police shall charge a fee
26for conducting the criminal history record check, which shall

 

 

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1be deposited into the State Police Services Fund and shall not
2exceed the actual cost of the record check. The Department of
3State Police shall furnish, pursuant to positive
4identification, all Illinois conviction information to the
5Department of Children and Family Services.
6    For purposes of this subsection:
7    "Background information" means all of the following:
8        (i) Upon the request of the Department of Children and
9    Family Services, conviction information obtained from the
10    Department of State Police as a result of a
11    fingerprint-based criminal history records check of the
12    Illinois criminal history records database and the Federal
13    Bureau of Investigation criminal history records database
14    concerning a Department employee or Department applicant.
15        (ii) Information obtained by the Department of
16    Children and Family Services after performing a check of
17    the Department of State Police's Sex Offender Database, as
18    authorized by Section 120 of the Sex Offender Community
19    Notification Law, concerning a Department employee or
20    Department applicant.
21        (iii) Information obtained by the Department of
22    Children and Family Services after performing a check of
23    the Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System (CANTS)
24    operated and maintained by the Department.
25    "Department employee" means a full-time or temporary
26employee coded or certified within the State of Illinois

 

 

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1Personnel System.
2    "Department applicant" means an individual who has
3conditional Department full-time or part-time work, a
4contractor, an individual used to replace or supplement staff,
5an academic intern, a volunteer in Department offices or on
6Department contracts, a work-study student, an individual or
7entity licensed by the Department, or an unlicensed service
8provider who works as a condition of a contract or an agreement
9and whose work may bring the unlicensed service provider into
10contact with Department clients or client records.
11(Source: P.A. 100-159, eff. 8-18-17; 100-522, eff. 9-22-17;
12100-759, eff. 1-1-19; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 100-978, eff.
138-19-18; 101-13, eff. 6-12-19; 101-79, eff. 7-12-19; 101-81,
14eff. 7-12-19; revised 8-1-19.)
 
15    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
16becoming law.