Sen. Julie A. Morrison

Filed: 2/24/2020

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2296

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2296 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
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

 

 

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1        1987, as amended, and who continue under the
2        jurisdiction of the court; or
3            (B) were accepted for care, service and training by
4        the Department prior to the age of 18 and whose best
5        interest in the discretion of the Department would be
6        served by continuing that care, service and training
7        because of severe emotional disturbances, physical
8        disability, social adjustment or any combination
9        thereof, or because of the need to complete an
10        educational or vocational training program.
11        (2) "Homeless youth" means persons found within the
12    State who are under the age of 19, are not in a safe and
13    stable living situation and cannot be reunited with their
14    families.
15        (3) "Child welfare services" means public social
16    services which are directed toward the accomplishment of
17    the following purposes:
18            (A) protecting and promoting the health, safety
19        and welfare of children, including homeless,
20        dependent, or neglected children;
21            (B) remedying, or assisting in the solution of
22        problems which may result in, the neglect, abuse,
23        exploitation, or delinquency of children;
24            (C) preventing the unnecessary separation of
25        children from their families by identifying family
26        problems, assisting families in resolving their

 

 

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1        problems, and preventing the breakup of the family
2        where the prevention of child removal is desirable and
3        possible when the child can be cared for at home
4        without endangering the child's health and safety;
5            (D) restoring to their families children who have
6        been removed, by the provision of services to the child
7        and the families when the child can be cared for at
8        home without endangering the child's health and
9        safety;
10            (E) placing children in suitable adoptive homes,
11        in cases where restoration to the biological family is
12        not safe, possible, or appropriate;
13            (F) assuring safe and adequate care of children
14        away from their homes, in cases where the child cannot
15        be returned home or cannot be placed for adoption. At
16        the time of placement, the Department shall consider
17        concurrent planning, as described in subsection (l-1)
18        of this Section so that permanency may occur at the
19        earliest opportunity. Consideration should be given so
20        that if reunification fails or is delayed, the
21        placement made is the best available placement to
22        provide permanency for the child;
23            (G) (blank);
24            (H) (blank); and
25            (I) placing and maintaining children in facilities
26        that provide separate living quarters for children

 

 

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1        under the age of 18 and for children 18 years of age
2        and older, unless a child 18 years of age is in the
3        last year of high school education or vocational
4        training, in an approved individual or group treatment
5        program, in a licensed shelter facility, or secure
6        child care facility. The Department is not required to
7        place or maintain children:
8                (i) who are in a foster home, or
9                (ii) who are persons with a developmental
10            disability, as defined in the Mental Health and
11            Developmental Disabilities Code, or
12                (iii) who are female children who are
13            pregnant, pregnant and parenting, or parenting, or
14                (iv) who are siblings, in facilities that
15            provide separate living quarters for children 18
16            years of age and older and for children under 18
17            years of age.
18    (b) (Blank).
19    (c) The Department shall establish and maintain
20tax-supported child welfare services and extend and seek to
21improve voluntary services throughout the State, to the end
22that services and care shall be available on an equal basis
23throughout the State to children requiring such services.
24    (d) The Director may authorize advance disbursements for
25any new program initiative to any agency contracting with the
26Department. As a prerequisite for an advance disbursement, the

 

 

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1contractor must post a surety bond in the amount of the advance
2disbursement and have a purchase of service contract approved
3by the Department. The Department may pay up to 2 months
4operational expenses in advance. The amount of the advance
5disbursement shall be prorated over the life of the contract or
6the remaining months of the fiscal year, whichever is less, and
7the installment amount shall then be deducted from future
8bills. Advance disbursement authorizations for new initiatives
9shall not be made to any agency after that agency has operated
10during 2 consecutive fiscal years. The requirements of this
11Section concerning advance disbursements shall not apply with
12respect to the following: payments to local public agencies for
13child day care services as authorized by Section 5a of this
14Act; and youth service programs receiving grant funds under
15Section 17a-4.
16    (e) (Blank).
17    (f) (Blank).
18    (g) The Department shall establish rules and regulations
19concerning its operation of programs designed to meet the goals
20of child safety and protection, family preservation, family
21reunification, and adoption, including, but not limited to:
22        (1) adoption;
23        (2) foster care;
24        (3) family counseling;
25        (4) protective services;
26        (5) (blank);

 

 

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1        (6) homemaker service;
2        (7) return of runaway children;
3        (8) (blank);
4        (9) placement under Section 5-7 of the Juvenile Court
5    Act or Section 2-27, 3-28, 4-25, or 5-740 of the Juvenile
6    Court Act of 1987 in accordance with the federal Adoption
7    Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980; and
8        (10) interstate services.
9    Rules and regulations established by the Department shall
10include provisions for training Department staff and the staff
11of Department grantees, through contracts with other agencies
12or resources, in screening techniques to identify substance use
13disorders, as defined in the Substance Use Disorder Act,
14approved by the Department of Human Services, as a successor to
15the Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, for the
16purpose of identifying children and adults who should be
17referred for an assessment at an organization appropriately
18licensed by the Department of Human Services for substance use
19disorder treatment.
20    (h) If the Department finds that there is no appropriate
21program or facility within or available to the Department for a
22youth in care and that no licensed private facility has an
23adequate and appropriate program or none agrees to accept the
24youth in care, the Department shall create an appropriate
25individualized, program-oriented plan for such youth in care.
26The plan may be developed within the Department or through

 

 

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1purchase of services by the Department to the extent that it is
2within its statutory authority to do.
3    (i) Service programs shall be available throughout the
4State and shall include but not be limited to the following
5services:
6        (1) case management;
7        (2) homemakers;
8        (3) counseling;
9        (4) parent education;
10        (5) day care; and
11        (6) emergency assistance and advocacy.
12    In addition, the following services may be made available
13to assess and meet the needs of children and families:
14        (1) comprehensive family-based services;
15        (2) assessments;
16        (3) respite care; and
17        (4) in-home health services.
18    The Department shall provide transportation for any of the
19services it makes available to children or families or for
20which it refers children or families.
21    (j) The Department may provide categories of financial
22assistance and education assistance grants, and shall
23establish rules and regulations concerning the assistance and
24grants, to persons who adopt children with physical or mental
25disabilities, children who are older, or other hard-to-place
26children who (i) immediately prior to their adoption were youth

 

 

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1in care or (ii) were determined eligible for financial
2assistance with respect to a prior adoption and who become
3available for adoption because the prior adoption has been
4dissolved and the parental rights of the adoptive parents have
5been terminated or because the child's adoptive parents have
6died. The Department may continue to provide financial
7assistance and education assistance grants for a child who was
8determined eligible for financial assistance under this
9subsection (j) in the interim period beginning when the child's
10adoptive parents died and ending with the finalization of the
11new adoption of the child by another adoptive parent or
12parents. The Department may also provide categories of
13financial assistance and education assistance grants, and
14shall establish rules and regulations for the assistance and
15grants, to persons appointed guardian of the person under
16Section 5-7 of the Juvenile Court Act or Section 2-27, 3-28,
174-25, or 5-740 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 for children
18who were youth in care for 12 months immediately prior to the
19appointment of the guardian.
20    The amount of assistance may vary, depending upon the needs
21of the child and the adoptive parents, as set forth in the
22annual assistance agreement. Special purpose grants are
23allowed where the child requires special service but such costs
24may not exceed the amounts which similar services would cost
25the Department if it were to provide or secure them as guardian
26of the child.

 

 

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1    Any financial assistance provided under this subsection is
2inalienable by assignment, sale, execution, attachment,
3garnishment, or any other remedy for recovery or collection of
4a judgment or debt.
5    (j-5) The Department shall not deny or delay the placement
6of a child for adoption if an approved family is available
7either outside of the Department region handling the case, or
8outside of the State of Illinois.
9    (k) The Department shall accept for care and training any
10child who has been adjudicated neglected or abused, or
11dependent committed to it pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act or
12the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
13    (l) The Department shall offer family preservation
14services, as defined in Section 8.2 of the Abused and Neglected
15Child Reporting Act, to help families, including adoptive and
16extended families. Family preservation services shall be
17offered (i) to prevent the placement of children in substitute
18care when the children can be cared for at home or in the
19custody of the person responsible for the children's welfare,
20(ii) to reunite children with their families, or (iii) to
21maintain an adoptive placement. Family preservation services
22shall only be offered when doing so will not endanger the
23children's health or safety. With respect to children who are
24in substitute care pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987,
25family preservation services shall not be offered if a goal
26other than those of subdivisions (A), (B), or (B-1) of

 

 

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1subsection (2) of Section 2-28 of that Act has been set, except
2that reunification services may be offered as provided in
3paragraph (F) of subsection (2) of Section 2-28 of that Act.
4Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to create a
5private right of action or claim on the part of any individual
6or child welfare agency, except that when a child is the
7subject of an action under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act
8of 1987 and the child's service plan calls for services to
9facilitate achievement of the permanency goal, the court
10hearing the action under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act
11of 1987 may order the Department to provide the services set
12out in the plan, if those services are not provided with
13reasonable promptness and if those services are available.
14    The Department shall notify the child and his family of the
15Department's responsibility to offer and provide family
16preservation services as identified in the service plan. The
17child and his family shall be eligible for services as soon as
18the report is determined to be "indicated". The Department may
19offer services to any child or family with respect to whom a
20report of suspected child abuse or neglect has been filed,
21prior to concluding its investigation under Section 7.12 of the
22Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. However, the child's
23or family's willingness to accept services shall not be
24considered in the investigation. The Department may also
25provide services to any child or family who is the subject of
26any report of suspected child abuse or neglect or may refer

 

 

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1such child or family to services available from other agencies
2in the community, even if the report is determined to be
3unfounded, if the conditions in the child's or family's home
4are reasonably likely to subject the child or family to future
5reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. Acceptance of such
6services shall be voluntary. However, if a family chooses to
7receive family preservation services and there are children
8under the age of 6 living in the household, those children
9shall be enrolled in appropriate early childhood education
10services. The Department may also provide services to any child
11or family after completion of a family assessment, as an
12alternative to an investigation, as provided under the
13"differential response program" provided for in subsection
14(a-5) of Section 7.4 of the Abused and Neglected Child
15Reporting Act.
16    The Department may, at its discretion except for those
17children also adjudicated neglected or dependent, accept for
18care and training any child who has been adjudicated addicted,
19as a truant minor in need of supervision or as a minor
20requiring authoritative intervention, under the Juvenile Court
21Act or the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, but no such child shall
22be committed to the Department by any court without the
23approval of the Department. On and after January 1, 2015 (the
24effective date of Public Act 98-803) and before 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 16 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. On and after January 1,
102017, a minor charged with a criminal offense under the
11Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 or
12adjudicated delinquent shall not be placed in the custody of or
13committed to the Department by any court, except (i) a minor
14less than 15 years of age committed to the Department under
15Section 5-710 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, ii) a minor
16for whom an independent basis of abuse, neglect, or dependency
17exists, which must be defined by departmental rule, or (iii) a
18minor for whom the court has granted a supplemental petition to
19reinstate wardship pursuant to subsection (2) of Section 2-33
20of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. An independent basis exists
21when the allegations or adjudication of abuse, neglect, or
22dependency do not arise from the same facts, incident, or
23circumstances which give rise to a charge or adjudication of
24delinquency. The Department shall assign a caseworker to attend
25any hearing involving a youth in the care and custody of the
26Department who is placed on aftercare release, including

 

 

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1hearings involving sanctions for violation of aftercare
2release conditions and aftercare release revocation hearings.
3    As soon as is possible after August 7, 2009 (the effective
4date of Public Act 96-134), the Department shall develop and
5implement a special program of family preservation services to
6support intact, foster, and adoptive families who are
7experiencing extreme hardships due to the difficulty and stress
8of caring for a child who has been diagnosed with a pervasive
9developmental disorder if the Department determines that those
10services are necessary to ensure the health and safety of the
11child. The Department may offer services to any family whether
12or not a report has been filed under the Abused and Neglected
13Child Reporting Act. The Department may refer the child or
14family to services available from other agencies in the
15community if the conditions in the child's or family's home are
16reasonably likely to subject the child or family to future
17reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. Acceptance of
18these services shall be voluntary. However, if a family chooses
19to receive family preservation services and there are children
20under the age of 6 living in the household, those children
21shall be enrolled in appropriate early childhood education
22services. The Department shall develop and implement a public
23information campaign to alert health and social service
24providers and the general public about these special family
25preservation services. The nature and scope of the services
26offered and the number of families served under the special

 

 

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1program implemented under this paragraph shall be determined by
2the level of funding that the Department annually allocates for
3this purpose. The term "pervasive developmental disorder"
4under this paragraph means a neurological condition,
5including, but not limited to, Asperger's Syndrome and autism,
6as defined in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and
7Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American
8Psychiatric Association.
9    (l-1) The legislature recognizes that the best interests of
10the child require that the child be placed in the most
11permanent living arrangement as soon as is practically
12possible. To achieve this goal, the legislature directs the
13Department of Children and Family Services to conduct
14concurrent planning so that permanency may occur at the
15earliest opportunity. Permanent living arrangements may
16include prevention of placement of a child outside the home of
17the family when the child can be cared for at home without
18endangering the child's health or safety; reunification with
19the family, when safe and appropriate, if temporary placement
20is necessary; or movement of the child toward the most
21permanent living arrangement and permanent legal status.
22    When determining reasonable efforts to be made with respect
23to a child, as described in this subsection, and in making such
24reasonable efforts, the child's health and safety shall be the
25paramount concern.
26    When a child is placed in foster care, the Department shall

 

 

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1ensure and document that reasonable efforts were made to
2prevent or eliminate the need to remove the child from the
3child's home. The Department must make reasonable efforts to
4reunify the family when temporary placement of the child occurs
5unless otherwise required, pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act
6of 1987. At any time after the dispositional hearing where the
7Department believes that further reunification services would
8be ineffective, it may request a finding from the court that
9reasonable efforts are no longer appropriate. The Department is
10not required to provide further reunification services after
11such a finding.
12    A decision to place a child in substitute care shall be
13made with considerations of the child's health, safety, and
14best interests. At the time of placement, consideration should
15also be given so that if reunification fails or is delayed, the
16placement made is the best available placement to provide
17permanency for the child.
18    The Department shall adopt rules addressing concurrent
19planning for reunification and permanency. The Department
20shall consider the following factors when determining
21appropriateness of concurrent planning:
22        (1) the likelihood of prompt reunification;
23        (2) the past history of the family;
24        (3) the barriers to reunification being addressed by
25    the family;
26        (4) the level of cooperation of the family;

 

 

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1        (5) the foster parents' willingness to work with the
2    family to reunite;
3        (6) the willingness and ability of the foster family to
4    provide an adoptive home or long-term placement;
5        (7) the age of the child;
6        (8) placement of siblings.
7    (m) The Department may assume temporary custody of any
8child if:
9        (1) it has received a written consent to such temporary
10    custody signed by the parents of the child or by the parent
11    having custody of the child if the parents are not living
12    together or by the guardian or custodian of the child if
13    the child is not in the custody of either parent, or
14        (2) the child is found in the State and neither a
15    parent, guardian nor custodian of the child can be located.
16If the child is found in his or her residence without a parent,
17guardian, custodian, or responsible caretaker, the Department
18may, instead of removing the child and assuming temporary
19custody, place an authorized representative of the Department
20in that residence until such time as a parent, guardian, or
21custodian enters the home and expresses a willingness and
22apparent ability to ensure the child's health and safety and
23resume permanent charge of the child, or until a relative
24enters the home and is willing and able to ensure the child's
25health and safety and assume charge of the child until a
26parent, guardian, or custodian enters the home and expresses

 

 

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1such willingness and ability to ensure the child's safety and
2resume permanent charge. After a caretaker has remained in the
3home for a period not to exceed 12 hours, the Department must
4follow those procedures outlined in Section 2-9, 3-11, 4-8, or
55-415 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
6    The Department shall have the authority, responsibilities
7and duties that a legal custodian of the child would have
8pursuant to subsection (9) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court
9Act of 1987. Whenever a child is taken into temporary custody
10pursuant to an investigation under the Abused and Neglected
11Child Reporting Act, or pursuant to a referral and acceptance
12under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 of a minor in limited
13custody, the Department, during the period of temporary custody
14and before the child is brought before a judicial officer as
15required by Section 2-9, 3-11, 4-8, or 5-415 of the Juvenile
16Court Act of 1987, shall have the authority, responsibilities
17and duties that a legal custodian of the child would have under
18subsection (9) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court Act of
191987.
20    The Department shall ensure that any child taken into
21custody is scheduled for an appointment for a medical
22examination.
23    A parent, guardian, or custodian of a child in the
24temporary custody of the Department who would have custody of
25the child if he were not in the temporary custody of the
26Department may deliver to the Department a signed request that

 

 

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1the Department surrender the temporary custody of the child.
2The Department may retain temporary custody of the child for 10
3days after the receipt of the request, during which period the
4Department may cause to be filed a petition pursuant to the
5Juvenile Court Act of 1987. If a petition is so filed, the
6Department shall retain temporary custody of the child until
7the court orders otherwise. If a petition is not filed within
8the 10-day period, the child shall be surrendered to the
9custody of the requesting parent, guardian, or custodian not
10later than the expiration of the 10-day period, at which time
11the authority and duties of the Department with respect to the
12temporary custody of the child shall terminate.
13    (m-1) The Department may place children under 18 years of
14age in a secure child care facility licensed by the Department
15that cares for children who are in need of secure living
16arrangements for their health, safety, and well-being after a
17determination is made by the facility director and the Director
18or the Director's designate prior to admission to the facility
19subject to Section 2-27.1 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
20This subsection (m-1) does not apply to a child who is subject
21to placement in a correctional facility operated pursuant to
22Section 3-15-2 of the Unified Code of Corrections, unless the
23child is a youth in care who was placed in the care of the
24Department before being subject to placement in a correctional
25facility and a court of competent jurisdiction has ordered
26placement of the child in a secure care facility.

 

 

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1    (n) The Department may place children under 18 years of age
2in licensed child care facilities when in the opinion of the
3Department, appropriate services aimed at family preservation
4have been unsuccessful and cannot ensure the child's health and
5safety or are unavailable and such placement would be for their
6best interest. Payment for board, clothing, care, training and
7supervision of any child placed in a licensed child care
8facility may be made by the Department, by the parents or
9guardians of the estates of those children, or by both the
10Department and the parents or guardians, except that no
11payments shall be made by the Department for any child placed
12in a licensed child care facility for board, clothing, care,
13training and supervision of such a child that exceed the
14average per capita cost of maintaining and of caring for a
15child in institutions for dependent or neglected children
16operated by the Department. However, such restriction on
17payments does not apply in cases where children require
18specialized care and treatment for problems of severe emotional
19disturbance, physical disability, social adjustment, or any
20combination thereof and suitable facilities for the placement
21of such children are not available at payment rates within the
22limitations set forth in this Section. All reimbursements for
23services delivered shall be absolutely inalienable by
24assignment, sale, attachment, or garnishment or otherwise.
25    (n-1) The Department shall provide or authorize child
26welfare services, aimed at assisting minors to achieve

 

 

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1sustainable self-sufficiency as independent adults, for any
2minor eligible for the reinstatement of wardship pursuant to
3subsection (2) of Section 2-33 of the Juvenile Court Act of
41987, whether or not such reinstatement is sought or allowed,
5provided that the minor consents to such services and has not
6yet attained the age of 21. The Department shall have
7responsibility for the development and delivery of services
8under this Section. An eligible youth may access services under
9this Section through the Department of Children and Family
10Services or by referral from the Department of Human Services.
11Youth participating in services under this Section shall
12cooperate with the assigned case manager in developing an
13agreement identifying the services to be provided and how the
14youth will increase skills to achieve self-sufficiency. A
15homeless shelter is not considered appropriate housing for any
16youth receiving child welfare services under this Section. The
17Department shall continue child welfare services under this
18Section to any eligible minor until the minor becomes 21 years
19of age, no longer consents to participate, or achieves
20self-sufficiency as identified in the minor's service plan. The
21Department of Children and Family Services shall create clear,
22readable notice of the rights of former foster youth to child
23welfare services under this Section and how such services may
24be obtained. The Department of Children and Family Services and
25the Department of Human Services shall disseminate this
26information statewide. The Department shall adopt regulations

 

 

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1describing services intended to assist minors in achieving
2sustainable self-sufficiency as independent adults.
3    (o) The Department shall establish an administrative
4review and appeal process for children and families who request
5or receive child welfare services from the Department. Youth in
6care who are placed by private child welfare agencies, and
7foster families with whom those youth are placed, shall be
8afforded the same procedural and appeal rights as children and
9families in the case of placement by the Department, including
10the right to an initial review of a private agency decision by
11that agency. The Department shall ensure that any private child
12welfare agency, which accepts youth in care for placement,
13affords those rights to children and foster families. The
14Department shall accept for administrative review and an appeal
15hearing a complaint made by (i) a child or foster family
16concerning a decision following an initial review by a private
17child welfare agency or (ii) a prospective adoptive parent who
18alleges a violation of subsection (j-5) of this Section. An
19appeal of a decision concerning a change in the placement of a
20child shall be conducted in an expedited manner. A court
21determination that a current foster home placement is necessary
22and appropriate under Section 2-28 of the Juvenile Court Act of
231987 does not constitute a judicial determination on the merits
24of an administrative appeal, filed by a former foster parent,
25involving a change of placement decision.
26    (p) (Blank).

 

 

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1    (q) The Department may receive and use, in their entirety,
2for the benefit of children any gift, donation, or bequest of
3money or other property which is received on behalf of such
4children, or any financial benefits to which such children are
5or may become entitled while under the jurisdiction or care of
6the Department.
7    The Department shall set up and administer no-cost,
8interest-bearing accounts in appropriate financial
9institutions for children for whom the Department is legally
10responsible and who have been determined eligible for Veterans'
11Benefits, Social Security benefits, assistance allotments from
12the armed forces, court ordered payments, parental voluntary
13payments, Supplemental Security Income, Railroad Retirement
14payments, Black Lung benefits, or other miscellaneous
15payments. Interest earned by each account shall be credited to
16the account, unless disbursed in accordance with this
17subsection.
18    In disbursing funds from children's accounts, the
19Department shall:
20        (1) Establish standards in accordance with State and
21    federal laws for disbursing money from children's
22    accounts. In all circumstances, the Department's
23    "Guardianship Administrator" or his or her designee must
24    approve disbursements from children's accounts. The
25    Department shall be responsible for keeping complete
26    records of all disbursements for each account for any

 

 

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1    purpose.
2        (2) Calculate on a monthly basis the amounts paid from
3    State funds for the child's board and care, medical care
4    not covered under Medicaid, and social services; and
5    utilize funds from the child's account, as covered by
6    regulation, to reimburse those costs. Monthly,
7    disbursements from all children's accounts, up to 1/12 of
8    $13,000,000, shall be deposited by the Department into the
9    General Revenue Fund and the balance over 1/12 of
10    $13,000,000 into the DCFS Children's Services Fund.
11        (3) Maintain any balance remaining after reimbursing
12    for the child's costs of care, as specified in item (2).
13    The balance shall accumulate in accordance with relevant
14    State and federal laws and shall be disbursed to the child
15    or his or her guardian, or to the issuing agency.
16    (r) The Department shall promulgate regulations
17encouraging all adoption agencies to voluntarily forward to the
18Department or its agent names and addresses of all persons who
19have applied for and have been approved for adoption of a
20hard-to-place child or child with a disability and the names of
21such children who have not been placed for adoption. A list of
22such names and addresses shall be maintained by the Department
23or its agent, and coded lists which maintain the
24confidentiality of the person seeking to adopt the child and of
25the child shall be made available, without charge, to every
26adoption agency in the State to assist the agencies in placing

 

 

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1such children for adoption. The Department may delegate to an
2agent its duty to maintain and make available such lists. The
3Department shall ensure that such agent maintains the
4confidentiality of the person seeking to adopt the child and of
5the child.
6    (s) The Department of Children and Family Services may
7establish and implement a program to reimburse Department and
8private child welfare agency foster parents licensed by the
9Department of Children and Family Services for damages
10sustained by the foster parents as a result of the malicious or
11negligent acts of foster children, as well as providing third
12party coverage for such foster parents with regard to actions
13of foster children to other individuals. Such coverage will be
14secondary to the foster parent liability insurance policy, if
15applicable. The program shall be funded through appropriations
16from the General Revenue Fund, specifically designated for such
17purposes.
18    (t) The Department shall perform home studies and
19investigations and shall exercise supervision over visitation
20as ordered by a court pursuant to the Illinois Marriage and
21Dissolution of Marriage Act or the Adoption Act only if:
22        (1) an order entered by an Illinois court specifically
23    directs the Department to perform such services; and
24        (2) the court has ordered one or both of the parties to
25    the proceeding to reimburse the Department for its
26    reasonable costs for providing such services in accordance

 

 

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1    with Department rules, or has determined that neither party
2    is financially able to pay.
3    The Department shall provide written notification to the
4court of the specific arrangements for supervised visitation
5and projected monthly costs within 60 days of the court order.
6The Department shall send to the court information related to
7the costs incurred except in cases where the court has
8determined the parties are financially unable to pay. The court
9may order additional periodic reports as appropriate.
10    (u) In addition to other information that must be provided,
11whenever the Department places a child with a prospective
12adoptive parent or parents, or in a licensed foster home, group
13home, or child care institution, or in a relative home, the
14Department shall provide to the prospective adoptive parent or
15parents or other caretaker:
16        (1) available detailed information concerning the
17    child's educational and health history, copies of
18    immunization records (including insurance and medical card
19    information), a history of the child's previous
20    placements, if any, and reasons for placement changes
21    excluding any information that identifies or reveals the
22    location of any previous caretaker;
23        (2) a copy of the child's portion of the client service
24    plan, including any visitation arrangement, and all
25    amendments or revisions to it as related to the child; and
26        (3) information containing details of the child's

 

 

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1    individualized educational plan when the child is
2    receiving special education services.
3    The caretaker shall be informed of any known social or
4behavioral information (including, but not limited to,
5criminal background, fire setting, perpetuation of sexual
6abuse, destructive behavior, and substance abuse) necessary to
7care for and safeguard the children to be placed or currently
8in the home. The Department may prepare a written summary of
9the information required by this paragraph, which may be
10provided to the foster or prospective adoptive parent in
11advance of a placement. The foster or prospective adoptive
12parent may review the supporting documents in the child's file
13in the presence of casework staff. In the case of an emergency
14placement, casework staff shall at least provide known
15information verbally, if necessary, and must subsequently
16provide the information in writing as required by this
17subsection.
18    The information described in this subsection shall be
19provided in writing. In the case of emergency placements when
20time does not allow prior review, preparation, and collection
21of written information, the Department shall provide such
22information as it becomes available. Within 10 business days
23after placement, the Department shall obtain from the
24prospective adoptive parent or parents or other caretaker a
25signed verification of receipt of the information provided.
26Within 10 business days after placement, the Department shall

 

 

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1provide to the child's guardian ad litem a copy of the
2information provided to the prospective adoptive parent or
3parents or other caretaker. The information provided to the
4prospective adoptive parent or parents or other caretaker shall
5be reviewed and approved regarding accuracy at the supervisory
6level.
7    (u-5) Effective July 1, 1995, only foster care placements
8licensed as foster family homes pursuant to the Child Care Act
9of 1969 shall be eligible to receive foster care payments from
10the Department. Relative caregivers who, as of July 1, 1995,
11were approved pursuant to approved relative placement rules
12previously promulgated by the Department at 89 Ill. Adm. Code
13335 and had submitted an application for licensure as a foster
14family home may continue to receive foster care payments only
15until the Department determines that they may be licensed as a
16foster family home or that their application for licensure is
17denied or until September 30, 1995, whichever occurs first.
18    (v) The Department shall access criminal history record
19information as defined in the Illinois Uniform Conviction
20Information Act and information maintained in the adjudicatory
21and dispositional record system as defined in Section 2605-355
22of the Department of State Police Law (20 ILCS 2605/2605-355)
23if the Department determines the information is necessary to
24perform its duties under the Abused and Neglected Child
25Reporting Act, the Child Care Act of 1969, and the Children and
26Family Services Act. The Department shall provide for

 

 

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1interactive computerized communication and processing
2equipment that permits direct on-line communication with the
3Department of State Police's central criminal history data
4repository. The Department shall comply with all certification
5requirements and provide certified operators who have been
6trained by personnel from the Department of State Police. In
7addition, one Office of the Inspector General investigator
8shall have training in the use of the criminal history
9information access system and have access to the terminal. The
10Department of Children and Family Services and its employees
11shall abide by rules and regulations established by the
12Department of State Police relating to the access and
13dissemination of this information.
14    (v-1) Prior to final approval for placement of a child, the
15Department shall conduct a criminal records background check of
16the prospective foster or adoptive parent, including
17fingerprint-based checks of national crime information
18databases. Final approval for placement shall not be granted if
19the record check reveals a felony conviction for child abuse or
20neglect, for spousal abuse, for a crime against children, or
21for a crime involving violence, including rape, sexual assault,
22or homicide, but not including other physical assault or
23battery, or if there is a felony conviction for physical
24assault, battery, or a drug-related offense committed within
25the past 5 years.
26    (v-2) Prior to final approval for placement of a child, the

 

 

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1Department shall check its child abuse and neglect registry for
2information concerning prospective foster and adoptive
3parents, and any adult living in the home. If any prospective
4foster or adoptive parent or other adult living in the home has
5resided in another state in the preceding 5 years, the
6Department shall request a check of that other state's child
7abuse and neglect registry.
8    (w) Within 120 days of August 20, 1995 (the effective date
9of Public Act 89-392), the Department shall prepare and submit
10to the Governor and the General Assembly, a written plan for
11the development of in-state licensed secure child care
12facilities that care for children who are in need of secure
13living arrangements for their health, safety, and well-being.
14For purposes of this subsection, secure care facility shall
15mean a facility that is designed and operated to ensure that
16all entrances and exits from the facility, a building or a
17distinct part of the building, are under the exclusive control
18of the staff of the facility, whether or not the child has the
19freedom of movement within the perimeter of the facility,
20building, or distinct part of the building. The plan shall
21include descriptions of the types of facilities that are needed
22in Illinois; the cost of developing these secure care
23facilities; the estimated number of placements; the potential
24cost savings resulting from the movement of children currently
25out-of-state who are projected to be returned to Illinois; the
26necessary geographic distribution of these facilities in

 

 

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1Illinois; and a proposed timetable for development of such
2facilities.
3    (x) The Department shall conduct annual credit history
4checks to determine the financial history of children placed
5under its guardianship pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of
61987. The Department shall conduct such credit checks starting
7when a youth in care turns 12 years old and each year
8thereafter for the duration of the guardianship as terminated
9pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. The Department
10shall determine if financial exploitation of the child's
11personal information has occurred. If financial exploitation
12appears to have taken place or is presently ongoing, the
13Department shall notify the proper law enforcement agency, the
14proper State's Attorney, or the Attorney General.
15    (y) Beginning on July 22, 2010 (the effective date of
16Public Act 96-1189), a child with a disability who receives
17residential and educational services from the Department shall
18be eligible to receive transition services in accordance with
19Article 14 of the School Code from the age of 14.5 through age
2021, inclusive, notwithstanding the child's residential
21services arrangement. For purposes of this subsection, "child
22with a disability" means a child with a disability as defined
23by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education
24Improvement Act of 2004.
25    (z) The Department shall access criminal history record
26information as defined as "background information" in this

 

 

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1subsection and criminal history record information as defined
2in the Illinois Uniform Conviction Information Act for each
3Department employee or Department applicant. Each Department
4employee or Department applicant shall submit his or her
5fingerprints to the Department of State Police in the form and
6manner prescribed by the Department of State Police. These
7fingerprints shall be checked against the fingerprint records
8now and hereafter filed in the Department of State Police and
9the Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records
10databases. The Department of State Police shall charge a fee
11for conducting the criminal history record check, which shall
12be deposited into the State Police Services Fund and shall not
13exceed the actual cost of the record check. The Department of
14State Police shall furnish, pursuant to positive
15identification, all Illinois conviction information to the
16Department of Children and Family Services.
17    For purposes of this subsection:
18    "Background information" means all of the following:
19        (i) Upon the request of the Department of Children and
20    Family Services, conviction information obtained from the
21    Department of State Police as a result of a
22    fingerprint-based criminal history records check of the
23    Illinois criminal history records database and the Federal
24    Bureau of Investigation criminal history records database
25    concerning a Department employee or Department applicant.
26        (ii) Information obtained by the Department of

 

 

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1    Children and Family Services after performing a check of
2    the Department of State Police's Sex Offender Database, as
3    authorized by Section 120 of the Sex Offender Community
4    Notification Law, concerning a Department employee or
5    Department applicant.
6        (iii) Information obtained by the Department of
7    Children and Family Services after performing a check of
8    the Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System (CANTS)
9    operated and maintained by the Department.
10    "Department employee" means a full-time or temporary
11employee coded or certified within the State of Illinois
12Personnel System.
13    "Department applicant" means an individual who has
14conditional Department full-time or part-time work, a
15contractor, an individual used to replace or supplement staff,
16an academic intern, a volunteer in Department offices or on
17Department contracts, a work-study student, an individual or
18entity licensed by the Department, or an unlicensed service
19provider who works as a condition of a contract or an agreement
20and whose work may bring the unlicensed service provider into
21contact with Department clients or client records.
22(Source: P.A. 100-159, eff. 8-18-17; 100-522, eff. 9-22-17;
23100-759, eff. 1-1-19; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 100-978, eff.
248-19-18; 101-13, eff. 6-12-19; 101-79, eff. 7-12-19; 101-81,
25eff. 7-12-19; revised 8-1-19.)
 

 

 

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1    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
2becoming law.".