HB1596enr 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1596 Enrolled LRB103 25063 WGH 51398 b

AN ACT concerning children.

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

Section 5. The Children and Family Services Act is amended by changing Sections 4b, 5, 5c, 5d, 7, 7.3, 7.3a, 7.4, 7.5, 7.8, 8, 8a, 8b, 9.3, 9.5, 17, 21, 35.5, 35.6, and 35.9 and by changing Section 5.26 (as added by Public Act 102-763) as follows:

(20 ILCS 505/4b)

Sec. 4b. Youth transitional housing programs.

(a) The Department may license youth transitional housing programs. For the purposes of this Section, "youth transitional housing program" means a program that provides shelter or housing and services to eligible homeless minors. Services provided by the youth transitional housing program may include a service assessment, individualized case management, and life skills training. The Department shall adopt rules governing the licensure of those programs.

(b) A homeless minor is eligible if:

(1) the homeless minor he or she is at least 16 years of age but less than 18 years of age;

(2) the homeless minor lacks a regular, fixed, and adequate place to live;

(3) the homeless minor is living apart from the minor's his or her parent or guardian;

(4) the homeless minor desires to participate in a licensed youth transitional housing program;

(5) a licensed youth transitional housing program is able to provide housing and services;

(6) the licensed youth transitional housing program has determined the homeless minor is eligible for the youth transitional housing program; and

(7) either the homeless minor's parent has consented to the transitional housing program or the minor has consented after:

(A) a comprehensive community based youth service agency has provided crisis intervention services to the homeless minor under Section 3-5 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and the agency was unable to achieve either family reunification or an alternate living arrangement;

(B) the Department has not filed a petition alleging that the homeless minor is abused or neglected and the minor does not require placement in a residential facility, as defined by 89 Ill. Adm. Code 301.20;

(C) the youth transitional housing program or comprehensive community based youth services agency has made reasonable efforts and documented its attempts to notify the homeless minor's parent or guardian of the homeless minor's intent to enter the youth transitional housing program.

(d) If an eligible homeless minor voluntarily leaves or is dismissed from a youth transitional housing program prior to reaching the age of majority, the youth transitional housing program agency shall contact the comprehensive community based youth services agency that provided crisis intervention services to the eligible homeless minor under subdivision (b)(7)(A) of this Section to assist in finding an alternative placement for the minor. If the eligible homeless minor leaves the program before beginning services with the comprehensive community based youth service provider, then the youth transitional housing program shall notify the local law enforcement authorities and make reasonable efforts to notify the minor's parent or guardian that the minor has left the program.

(e) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to require an eligible homeless minor to acquire the consent of a parent, guardian, or custodian to consent to a youth transitional housing program. An eligible homeless minor is deemed to have the legal capacity to consent to receiving housing and services from a licensed youth transitional housing program.

(f) The purpose of this Section is to provide a means by which an eligible homeless minor may have the authority to consent, independent of the homeless minor's his or her parents or guardian, to receive housing and services as described in subsection (a) of this Section provided by a licensed youth transitional housing program that has the ability to serve the homeless minor. This Section is not intended to interfere with the integrity of the family or the rights of parents and their children. This Section does not limit or exclude any means by which a minor may become emancipated.

(Source: P.A. 100-162, eff. 1-1-18.)

(20 ILCS 505/5) (from Ch. 23, par. 5005)

Sec. 5. Direct child welfare services; Department of Children and Family Services. To provide direct child welfare services when not available through other public or private child care or program facilities.

(a) For purposes of this Section:

(1) "Children" means persons found within the State who are under the age of 18 years. The term also includes persons under age 21 who:

(A) were committed to the Department pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act or the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and who continue under the jurisdiction of the court; or

(B) were accepted for care, service and training by the Department prior to the age of 18 and whose best interest in the discretion of the Department would be served by continuing that care, service and training because of severe emotional disturbances, physical disability, social adjustment or any combination thereof, or because of the need to complete an educational or vocational training program.

(2) "Homeless youth" means persons found within the State who are under the age of 19, are not in a safe and stable living situation and cannot be reunited with their families.

(3) "Child welfare services" means public social services which are directed toward the accomplishment of the following purposes:

(A) protecting and promoting the health, safety and welfare of children, including homeless, dependent, or neglected children;

(B) remedying, or assisting in the solution of problems which may result in, the neglect, abuse, exploitation, or delinquency of children;

(C) preventing the unnecessary separation of children from their families by identifying family problems, assisting families in resolving their problems, and preventing the breakup of the family where the prevention of child removal is desirable and possible when the child can be cared for at home without endangering the child's health and safety;

(D) restoring to their families children who have been removed, by the provision of services to the child and the families when the child can be cared for at home without endangering the child's health and safety;

(E) placing children in suitable adoptive homes, in cases where restoration to the birth biological family is not safe, possible, or appropriate;

(F) assuring safe and adequate care of children away from their homes, in cases where the child cannot be returned home or cannot be placed for adoption. At the time of placement, the Department shall consider concurrent planning, as described in subsection (l-1) of this Section so that permanency may occur at the earliest opportunity. Consideration should be given so that if reunification fails or is delayed, the placement made is the best available placement to provide permanency for the child;

(G) (blank);

(H) (blank); and

(I) placing and maintaining children in facilities that provide separate living quarters for children under the age of 18 and for children 18 years of age and older, unless a child 18 years of age is in the last year of high school education or vocational training, in an approved individual or group treatment program, in a licensed shelter facility, or secure child care facility. The Department is not required to place or maintain children:

(i) who are in a foster home, or

(ii) who are persons with a developmental disability, as defined in the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code, or

(iii) who are female children who are pregnant, pregnant and parenting, or parenting, or

(iv) who are siblings, in facilities that provide separate living quarters for children 18 years of age and older and for children under 18 years of age.

(b) (Blank).

(c) The Department shall establish and maintain tax-supported child welfare services and extend and seek to improve voluntary services throughout the State, to the end that services and care shall be available on an equal basis throughout the State to children requiring such services.

(d) The Director may authorize advance disbursements for any new program initiative to any agency contracting with the Department. As a prerequisite for an advance disbursement, the contractor must post a surety bond in the amount of the advance disbursement and have a purchase of service contract approved by the Department. The Department may pay up to 2 months operational expenses in advance. The amount of the advance disbursement shall be prorated over the life of the contract or the remaining months of the fiscal year, whichever is less, and the installment amount shall then be deducted from future bills. Advance disbursement authorizations for new initiatives shall not be made to any agency after that agency has operated during 2 consecutive fiscal years. The requirements of this Section concerning advance disbursements shall not apply with respect to the following: payments to local public agencies for child day care services as authorized by Section 5a of this Act; and youth service programs receiving grant funds under Section 17a-4.

(e) (Blank).

(f) (Blank).

(g) The Department shall establish rules and regulations concerning its operation of programs designed to meet the goals of child safety and protection, family preservation, family reunification, and adoption, including, but not limited to:

(1) adoption;

(2) foster care;

(3) family counseling;

(4) protective services;

(5) (blank);

(6) homemaker service;

(7) return of runaway children;

(8) (blank);

(9) placement under Section 5-7 of the Juvenile Court Act or Section 2-27, 3-28, 4-25, or 5-740 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 in accordance with the federal Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980; and

(10) interstate services.

Rules and regulations established by the Department shall include provisions for training Department staff and the staff of Department grantees, through contracts with other agencies or resources, in screening techniques to identify substance use disorders, as defined in the Substance Use Disorder Act, approved by the Department of Human Services, as a successor to the Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, for the purpose of identifying children and adults who should be referred for an assessment at an organization appropriately licensed by the Department of Human Services for substance use disorder treatment.

(h) If the Department finds that there is no appropriate program or facility within or available to the Department for a youth in care and that no licensed private facility has an adequate and appropriate program or none agrees to accept the youth in care, the Department shall create an appropriate individualized, program-oriented plan for such youth in care. The plan may be developed within the Department or through purchase of services by the Department to the extent that it is within its statutory authority to do.

(i) Service programs shall be available throughout the State and shall include but not be limited to the following services:

(1) case management;

(2) homemakers;

(3) counseling;

(4) parent education;

(5) day care; and

(6) emergency assistance and advocacy.

In addition, the following services may be made available to assess and meet the needs of children and families:

(1) comprehensive family-based services;

(2) assessments;

(3) respite care; and

(4) in-home health services.

The Department shall provide transportation for any of the services it makes available to children or families or for which it refers children or families.

(j) The Department may provide categories of financial assistance and education assistance grants, and shall establish rules and regulations concerning the assistance and grants, to persons who adopt children with physical or mental disabilities, children who are older, or other hard-to-place children who (i) immediately prior to their adoption were youth in care or (ii) were determined eligible for financial assistance with respect to a prior adoption and who become available for adoption because the prior adoption has been dissolved and the parental rights of the adoptive parents have been terminated or because the child's adoptive parents have died. The Department may continue to provide financial assistance and education assistance grants for a child who was determined eligible for financial assistance under this subsection (j) in the interim period beginning when the child's adoptive parents died and ending with the finalization of the new adoption of the child by another adoptive parent or parents. The Department may also provide categories of financial assistance and education assistance grants, and shall establish rules and regulations for the assistance and grants, to persons appointed guardian of the person under Section 5-7 of the Juvenile Court Act or Section 2-27, 3-28, 4-25, or 5-740 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 for children who were youth in care for 12 months immediately prior to the appointment of the guardian.

The amount of assistance may vary, depending upon the needs of the child and the adoptive parents, as set forth in the annual assistance agreement. Special purpose grants are allowed where the child requires special service but such costs may not exceed the amounts which similar services would cost the Department if it were to provide or secure them as guardian of the child.

Any financial assistance provided under this subsection is inalienable by assignment, sale, execution, attachment, garnishment, or any other remedy for recovery or collection of a judgment or debt.

(j-5) The Department shall not deny or delay the placement of a child for adoption if an approved family is available either outside of the Department region handling the case, or outside of the State of Illinois.

(k) The Department shall accept for care and training any child who has been adjudicated neglected or abused, or dependent committed to it pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act or the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(l) The Department shall offer family preservation services, as defined in Section 8.2 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, to help families, including adoptive and extended families. Family preservation services shall be offered (i) to prevent the placement of children in substitute care when the children can be cared for at home or in the custody of the person responsible for the children's welfare, (ii) to reunite children with their families, or (iii) to maintain an adoptive placement. Family preservation services shall only be offered when doing so will not endanger the children's health or safety. With respect to children who are in substitute care pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, family preservation services shall not be offered if a goal other than those of subdivisions (A), (B), or (B-1) of subsection (2) of Section 2-28 of that Act has been set, except that reunification services may be offered as provided in paragraph (F) of subsection (2) of Section 2-28 of that Act. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to create a private right of action or claim on the part of any individual or child welfare agency, except that when a child is the subject of an action under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and the child's service plan calls for services to facilitate achievement of the permanency goal, the court hearing the action under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 may order the Department to provide the services set out in the plan, if those services are not provided with reasonable promptness and if those services are available.

The Department shall notify the child and the child's his family of the Department's responsibility to offer and provide family preservation services as identified in the service plan. The child and the child's his family shall be eligible for services as soon as the report is determined to be "indicated". The Department may offer services to any child or family with respect to whom a report of suspected child abuse or neglect has been filed, prior to concluding its investigation under Section 7.12 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. However, the child's or family's willingness to accept services shall not be considered in the investigation. The Department may also provide services to any child or family who is the subject of any report of suspected child abuse or neglect or may refer such child or family to services available from other agencies in the community, even if the report is determined to be unfounded, 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. Acceptance of such services shall be voluntary. The Department may also provide services to any child or family after completion of a family assessment, as an alternative to an investigation, as provided under the "differential response program" provided for in subsection (a-5) of Section 7.4 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.

The Department may, at its discretion except for those children also adjudicated neglected or dependent, accept for care and training any child who has been adjudicated addicted, as a truant minor in need of supervision or as a minor requiring authoritative intervention, under the Juvenile Court Act or the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, but no such child shall be committed to the Department by any court without the approval of the Department. On and after January 1, 2015 (the effective date of Public Act 98-803) and before January 1, 2017, a minor charged with a criminal offense under the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 or adjudicated delinquent shall not be placed in the custody of or committed to the Department by any court, except (i) a minor less than 16 years of age committed to the Department under Section 5-710 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, (ii) a minor for whom an independent basis of abuse, neglect, or dependency exists, which must be defined by departmental rule, or (iii) a minor for whom the court has granted a supplemental petition to reinstate wardship pursuant to subsection (2) of Section 2-33 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. On and after January 1, 2017, a minor charged with a criminal offense under the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 or adjudicated delinquent shall not be placed in the custody of or committed to the Department by any court, except (i) a minor less than 15 years of age committed to the Department under Section 5-710 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, ii) a minor for whom an independent basis of abuse, neglect, or dependency exists, which must be defined by departmental rule, or (iii) a minor for whom the court has granted a supplemental petition to reinstate wardship pursuant to subsection (2) of Section 2-33 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. An independent basis exists when the allegations or adjudication of abuse, neglect, or dependency do not arise from the same facts, incident, or circumstances which give rise to a charge or adjudication of delinquency. The Department shall assign a caseworker to attend any hearing involving a youth in the care and custody of the Department who is placed on aftercare release, including hearings involving sanctions for violation of aftercare release conditions and aftercare release revocation hearings.

As soon as is possible after August 7, 2009 (the effective date of Public Act 96-134), the Department shall develop and implement a special program of family preservation services to support intact, foster, and adoptive families who are experiencing extreme hardships due to the difficulty and stress of caring for a child who has been diagnosed with a pervasive developmental disorder if the Department determines that those services are necessary to ensure the health and safety of the child. The Department may offer services to any family whether or not a report has been filed under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. The Department may refer the 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. Acceptance of these services shall be voluntary. The Department shall develop and implement a public information campaign to alert health and social service providers and the general public about these special family preservation services. The nature and scope of the services offered and the number of families served under the special program implemented under this paragraph shall be determined by the level of funding that the Department annually allocates for this purpose. The term "pervasive developmental disorder" under this paragraph means a neurological condition, including, but not limited to, Asperger's Syndrome and autism, as defined in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association.

(l-1) The General Assembly legislature recognizes that the best interests of the child require that the child be placed in the most permanent living arrangement as soon as is practically possible. To achieve this goal, the General Assembly legislature directs the Department of Children and Family Services to conduct concurrent planning so that permanency may occur at the earliest opportunity. Permanent living arrangements may include prevention of placement of a child outside the home of the family when the child can be cared for at home without endangering the child's health or safety; reunification with the family, when safe and appropriate, if temporary placement is necessary; or movement of the child toward the most permanent living arrangement and permanent legal status.

When determining reasonable efforts to be made with respect to a child, as described in this subsection, and in making such reasonable efforts, the child's health and safety shall be the paramount concern.

When a child is placed in foster care, the Department shall ensure and document that reasonable efforts were made to prevent or eliminate the need to remove the child from the child's home. The Department must make reasonable efforts to reunify the family when temporary placement of the child occurs unless otherwise required, pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. At any time after the dispositional hearing where the Department believes that further reunification services would be ineffective, it may request a finding from the court that reasonable efforts are no longer appropriate. The Department is not required to provide further reunification services after such a finding.

A decision to place a child in substitute care shall be made with considerations of the child's health, safety, and best interests. At the time of placement, consideration should also be given so that if reunification fails or is delayed, the placement made is the best available placement to provide permanency for the child.

The Department shall adopt rules addressing concurrent planning for reunification and permanency. The Department shall consider the following factors when determining appropriateness of concurrent planning:

(1) the likelihood of prompt reunification;

(2) the past history of the family;

(3) the barriers to reunification being addressed by the family;

(4) the level of cooperation of the family;

(5) the foster parents' willingness to work with the family to reunite;

(6) the willingness and ability of the foster family to provide an adoptive home or long-term placement;

(7) the age of the child;

(8) placement of siblings.

(m) The Department may assume temporary custody of any child if:

(1) it has received a written consent to such temporary custody signed by the parents of the child or by the parent having custody of the child if the parents are not living together or by the guardian or custodian of the child if the child is not in the custody of either parent, or

(2) the child is found in the State and neither a parent, guardian nor custodian of the child can be located.

If the child is found in the child's his or her residence without a parent, guardian, custodian, or responsible caretaker, the Department may, instead of removing the child and assuming temporary custody, place an authorized representative of the Department in that residence until such time as a parent, guardian, or custodian enters the home and expresses a willingness and apparent ability to ensure the child's health and safety and resume permanent charge of the child, or until a relative enters the home and is willing and able to ensure the child's health and safety and assume charge of the child until a parent, guardian, or custodian enters the home and expresses such willingness and ability to ensure the child's safety and resume permanent charge. After a caretaker has remained in the home for a period not to exceed 12 hours, the Department must follow those procedures outlined in Section 2-9, 3-11, 4-8, or 5-415 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

The Department shall have the authority, responsibilities and duties that a legal custodian of the child would have pursuant to subsection (9) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Whenever a child is taken into temporary custody pursuant to an investigation under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, or pursuant to a referral and acceptance under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 of a minor in limited custody, the Department, during the period of temporary custody and before the child is brought before a judicial officer as required by Section 2-9, 3-11, 4-8, or 5-415 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, shall have the authority, responsibilities and duties that a legal custodian of the child would have under subsection (9) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

The Department shall ensure that any child taken into custody is scheduled for an appointment for a medical examination.

A parent, guardian, or custodian of a child in the temporary custody of the Department who would have custody of the child if the child he were not in the temporary custody of the Department may deliver to the Department a signed request that the Department surrender the temporary custody of the child. The Department may retain temporary custody of the child for 10 days after the receipt of the request, during which period the Department may cause to be filed a petition pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. If a petition is so filed, the Department shall retain temporary custody of the child until the court orders otherwise. If a petition is not filed within the 10-day period, the child shall be surrendered to the custody of the requesting parent, guardian, or custodian not later than the expiration of the 10-day period, at which time the authority and duties of the Department with respect to the temporary custody of the child shall terminate.

(m-1) The Department may place children under 18 years of age in a secure child care facility licensed by the Department that cares for children who are in need of secure living arrangements for their health, safety, and well-being after a determination is made by the facility director and the Director or the Director's designate prior to admission to the facility subject to Section 2-27.1 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. This subsection (m-1) does not apply to a child who is subject to placement in a correctional facility operated pursuant to Section 3-15-2 of the Unified Code of Corrections, unless the child is a youth in care who was placed in the care of the Department before being subject to placement in a correctional facility and a court of competent jurisdiction has ordered placement of the child in a secure care facility.

(n) The Department may place children under 18 years of age in licensed child care facilities when in the opinion of the Department, appropriate services aimed at family preservation have been unsuccessful and cannot ensure the child's health and safety or are unavailable and such placement would be for their best interest. Payment for board, clothing, care, training and supervision of any child placed in a licensed child care facility may be made by the Department, by the parents or guardians of the estates of those children, or by both the Department and the parents or guardians, except that no payments shall be made by the Department for any child placed in a licensed child care facility for board, clothing, care, training and supervision of such a child that exceed the average per capita cost of maintaining and of caring for a child in institutions for dependent or neglected children operated by the Department. However, such restriction on payments does not apply in cases where children require specialized care and treatment for problems of severe emotional disturbance, physical disability, social adjustment, or any combination thereof and suitable facilities for the placement of such children are not available at payment rates within the limitations set forth in this Section. All reimbursements for services delivered shall be absolutely inalienable by assignment, sale, attachment, or garnishment or otherwise.

(n-1) The Department shall provide or authorize child welfare services, aimed at assisting minors to achieve sustainable self-sufficiency as independent adults, for any minor eligible for the reinstatement of wardship pursuant to subsection (2) of Section 2-33 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, whether or not such reinstatement is sought or allowed, provided that the minor consents to such services and has not yet attained the age of 21. The Department shall have responsibility for the development and delivery of services under this Section. An eligible youth may access services under this Section through the Department of Children and Family Services or by referral from the Department of Human Services. Youth participating in services under this Section shall cooperate with the assigned case manager in developing an agreement identifying the services to be provided and how the youth will increase skills to achieve self-sufficiency. A homeless shelter is not considered appropriate housing for any youth receiving child welfare services under this Section. The Department shall continue child welfare services under this Section to any eligible minor until the minor becomes 21 years of age, no longer consents to participate, or achieves self-sufficiency as identified in the minor's service plan. The Department of Children and Family Services shall create clear, readable notice of the rights of former foster youth to child welfare services under this Section and how such services may be obtained. The Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of Human Services shall disseminate this information statewide. The Department shall adopt regulations describing services intended to assist minors in achieving sustainable self-sufficiency as independent adults.

(o) The Department shall establish an administrative review and appeal process for children and families who request or receive child welfare services from the Department. Youth in care who are placed by private child welfare agencies, and foster families with whom those youth are placed, shall be afforded the same procedural and appeal rights as children and families in the case of placement by the Department, including the right to an initial review of a private agency decision by that agency. The Department shall ensure that any private child welfare agency, which accepts youth in care for placement, affords those rights to children and foster families. The Department shall accept for administrative review and an appeal hearing a complaint made by (i) a child or foster family concerning a decision following an initial review by a private child welfare agency or (ii) a prospective adoptive parent who alleges a violation of subsection (j-5) of this Section. An appeal of a decision concerning a change in the placement of a child shall be conducted in an expedited manner. A court determination that a current foster home placement is necessary and appropriate under Section 2-28 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 does not constitute a judicial determination on the merits of an administrative appeal, filed by a former foster parent, involving a change of placement decision.

(p) (Blank).

(q) The Department may receive and use, in their entirety, for the benefit of children any gift, donation, or bequest of money or other property which is received on behalf of such children, or any financial benefits to which such children are or may become entitled while under the jurisdiction or care of the Department, except that the benefits described in Section 5.46 must be used and conserved consistent with the provisions under Section 5.46.

The Department shall set up and administer no-cost, interest-bearing accounts in appropriate financial institutions for children for whom the Department is legally responsible and who have been determined eligible for Veterans' Benefits, Social Security benefits, assistance allotments from the armed forces, court ordered payments, parental voluntary payments, Supplemental Security Income, Railroad Retirement payments, Black Lung benefits, or other miscellaneous payments. Interest earned by each account shall be credited to the account, unless disbursed in accordance with this subsection.

In disbursing funds from children's accounts, the Department shall:

(1) Establish standards in accordance with State and federal laws for disbursing money from children's accounts. In all circumstances, the Department's "Guardianship Administrator" or the Guardianship Administrator's his or her designee must approve disbursements from children's accounts. The Department shall be responsible for keeping complete records of all disbursements for each account for any purpose.

(2) Calculate on a monthly basis the amounts paid from State funds for the child's board and care, medical care not covered under Medicaid, and social services; and utilize funds from the child's account, as covered by regulation, to reimburse those costs. Monthly, disbursements from all children's accounts, up to 1/12 of $13,000,000, shall be deposited by the Department into the General Revenue Fund and the balance over 1/12 of $13,000,000 into the DCFS Children's Services Fund.

(3) Maintain any balance remaining after reimbursing for the child's costs of care, as specified in item (2). The balance shall accumulate in accordance with relevant State and federal laws and shall be disbursed to the child or the child's his or her guardian, or to the issuing agency.

(r) The Department shall promulgate regulations encouraging all adoption agencies to voluntarily forward to the Department or its agent names and addresses of all persons who have applied for and have been approved for adoption of a hard-to-place child or child with a disability and the names of such children who have not been placed for adoption. A list of such names and addresses shall be maintained by the Department or its agent, and coded lists which maintain the confidentiality of the person seeking to adopt the child and of the child shall be made available, without charge, to every adoption agency in the State to assist the agencies in placing such children for adoption. The Department may delegate to an agent its duty to maintain and make available such lists. The Department shall ensure that such agent maintains the confidentiality of the person seeking to adopt the child and of the child.

(s) The Department of Children and Family Services may establish and implement a program to reimburse Department and private child welfare agency foster parents licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services for damages sustained by the foster parents as a result of the malicious or negligent acts of foster children, as well as providing third party coverage for such foster parents with regard to actions of foster children to other individuals. Such coverage will be secondary to the foster parent liability insurance policy, if applicable. The program shall be funded through appropriations from the General Revenue Fund, specifically designated for such purposes.

(t) The Department shall perform home studies and investigations and shall exercise supervision over visitation as ordered by a court pursuant to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act or the Adoption Act only if:

(1) an order entered by an Illinois court specifically directs the Department to perform such services; and

(2) the court has ordered one or both of the parties to the proceeding to reimburse the Department for its reasonable costs for providing such services in accordance with Department rules, or has determined that neither party is financially able to pay.

The Department shall provide written notification to the court of the specific arrangements for supervised visitation and projected monthly costs within 60 days of the court order. The Department shall send to the court information related to the costs incurred except in cases where the court has determined the parties are financially unable to pay. The court may order additional periodic reports as appropriate.

(u) In addition to other information that must be provided, whenever the Department places a child with a prospective adoptive parent or parents, in a licensed foster home, group home, or child care institution, or in a relative home, the Department shall provide to the prospective adoptive parent or parents or other caretaker:

(1) available detailed information concerning the child's educational and health history, copies of immunization records (including insurance and medical card information), a history of the child's previous placements, if any, and reasons for placement changes excluding any information that identifies or reveals the location of any previous caretaker;

(2) a copy of the child's portion of the client service plan, including any visitation arrangement, and all amendments or revisions to it as related to the child; and

(3) information containing details of the child's individualized educational plan when the child is receiving special education services.

The caretaker shall be informed of any known social or behavioral information (including, but not limited to, criminal background, fire setting, perpetuation of sexual abuse, destructive behavior, and substance abuse) necessary to care for and safeguard the children to be placed or currently in the home. The Department may prepare a written summary of the information required by this paragraph, which may be provided to the foster or prospective adoptive parent in advance of a placement. The foster or prospective adoptive parent may review the supporting documents in the child's file in the presence of casework staff. In the case of an emergency placement, casework staff shall at least provide known information verbally, if necessary, and must subsequently provide the information in writing as required by this subsection.

The information described in this subsection shall be provided in writing. In the case of emergency placements when time does not allow prior review, preparation, and collection of written information, the Department shall provide such information as it becomes available. Within 10 business days after placement, the Department shall obtain from the prospective adoptive parent or parents or other caretaker a signed verification of receipt of the information provided. Within 10 business days after placement, the Department shall provide to the child's guardian ad litem a copy of the information provided to the prospective adoptive parent or parents or other caretaker. The information provided to the prospective adoptive parent or parents or other caretaker shall be reviewed and approved regarding accuracy at the supervisory level.

(u-5) Effective July 1, 1995, only foster care placements licensed as foster family homes pursuant to the Child Care Act of 1969 shall be eligible to receive foster care payments from the Department. Relative caregivers who, as of July 1, 1995, were approved pursuant to approved relative placement rules previously promulgated by the Department at 89 Ill. Adm. Code 335 and had submitted an application for licensure as a foster family home may continue to receive foster care payments only until the Department determines that they may be licensed as a foster family home or that their application for licensure is denied or until September 30, 1995, whichever occurs first.

(v) The Department shall access criminal history record information as defined in the Illinois Uniform Conviction Information Act and information maintained in the adjudicatory and dispositional record system as defined in Section 2605-355 of the Illinois State Police Law if the Department determines the information is necessary to perform its duties under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, the Child Care Act of 1969, and the Children and Family Services Act. The Department shall provide for interactive computerized communication and processing equipment that permits direct on-line communication with the Illinois State Police's central criminal history data repository. The Department shall comply with all certification requirements and provide certified operators who have been trained by personnel from the Illinois State Police. In addition, one Office of the Inspector General investigator shall have training in the use of the criminal history information access system and have access to the terminal. The Department of Children and Family Services and its employees shall abide by rules and regulations established by the Illinois State Police relating to the access and dissemination of this information.

(v-1) Prior to final approval for placement of a child, the Department shall conduct a criminal records background check of the prospective foster or adoptive parent, including fingerprint-based checks of national crime information databases. Final approval for placement shall not be granted if the record check reveals a felony conviction for child abuse or neglect, for spousal abuse, for a crime against children, or for a crime involving violence, including rape, sexual assault, or homicide, but not including other physical assault or battery, or if there is a felony conviction for physical assault, battery, or a drug-related offense committed within the past 5 years.

(v-2) Prior to final approval for placement of a child, the Department shall check its child abuse and neglect registry for information concerning prospective foster and adoptive parents, and any adult living in the home. If any prospective foster or adoptive parent or other adult living in the home has resided in another state in the preceding 5 years, the Department shall request a check of that other state's child abuse and neglect registry.

(w) Within 120 days of August 20, 1995 (the effective date of Public Act 89-392), the Department shall prepare and submit to the Governor and the General Assembly, a written plan for the development of in-state licensed secure child care facilities that care for children who are in need of secure living arrangements for their health, safety, and well-being. For purposes of this subsection, secure care facility shall mean a facility that is designed and operated to ensure that all entrances and exits from the facility, a building or a distinct part of the building, are under the exclusive control of the staff of the facility, whether or not the child has the freedom of movement within the perimeter of the facility, building, or distinct part of the building. The plan shall include descriptions of the types of facilities that are needed in Illinois; the cost of developing these secure care facilities; the estimated number of placements; the potential cost savings resulting from the movement of children currently out-of-state who are projected to be returned to Illinois; the necessary geographic distribution of these facilities in Illinois; and a proposed timetable for development of such facilities.

(x) The Department shall conduct annual credit history checks to determine the financial history of children placed under its guardianship pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. The Department shall conduct such credit checks starting when a youth in care turns 12 years old and each year thereafter for the duration of the guardianship as terminated pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. The Department shall determine if financial exploitation of the child's personal information has occurred. If financial exploitation appears to have taken place or is presently ongoing, the Department shall notify the proper law enforcement agency, the proper State's Attorney, or the Attorney General.

(y) Beginning on July 22, 2010 (the effective date of Public Act 96-1189), a child with a disability who receives residential and educational services from the Department shall be eligible to receive transition services in accordance with Article 14 of the School Code from the age of 14.5 through age 21, inclusive, notwithstanding the child's residential services arrangement. For purposes of this subsection, "child with a disability" means a child with a disability as defined by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004.

(z) The Department shall access criminal history record information as defined as "background information" in this subsection and criminal history record information as defined in the Illinois Uniform Conviction Information Act for each Department employee or Department applicant. Each Department employee or Department applicant shall submit the employee's or applicant's his or her fingerprints to the Illinois State Police in the form and manner prescribed by the Illinois State Police. These fingerprints shall be checked against the fingerprint records now and hereafter filed in the Illinois State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records databases. The Illinois State Police shall charge a fee for conducting the criminal history record check, which shall be deposited into the State Police Services Fund and shall not exceed the actual cost of the record check. The Illinois State Police shall furnish, pursuant to positive identification, all Illinois conviction information to the Department of Children and Family Services.

For purposes of this subsection:

"Background information" means all of the following:

(i) Upon the request of the Department of Children and Family Services, conviction information obtained from the Illinois State Police as a result of a fingerprint-based criminal history records check of the Illinois criminal history records database and the Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records database concerning a Department employee or Department applicant.

(ii) Information obtained by the Department of Children and Family Services after performing a check of the Illinois State Police's Sex Offender Database, as authorized by Section 120 of the Sex Offender Community Notification Law, concerning a Department employee or Department applicant.

(iii) Information obtained by the Department of Children and Family Services after performing a check of the Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System (CANTS) operated and maintained by the Department.

"Department employee" means a full-time or temporary employee coded or certified within the State of Illinois Personnel System.

"Department applicant" means an individual who has conditional Department full-time or part-time work, a contractor, an individual used to replace or supplement staff, an academic intern, a volunteer in Department offices or on Department contracts, a work-study student, an individual or entity licensed by the Department, or an unlicensed service provider who works as a condition of a contract or an agreement and whose work may bring the unlicensed service provider into contact with Department clients or client records.

(Source: P.A. 101-13, eff. 6-12-19; 101-79, eff. 7-12-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 102-538, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-1014, eff. 5-27-22.)

(20 ILCS 505/5c)

Sec. 5c. Direct child welfare service employee license.

(a) By January 1, 2000, the Department, in consultation with private child welfare agencies, shall develop and implement a direct child welfare service employee license. By January 1, 2001 all child protective investigators and supervisors and child welfare specialists and supervisors employed by the Department or its contractors shall be required to demonstrate sufficient knowledge and skills to obtain and maintain the license. The Direct Child Welfare Service Employee License Board of the Department shall have the authority to revoke or suspend the license of anyone who after a hearing is found to be guilty of misfeasance. The Department shall promulgate such rules as necessary to implement this Section.

(b) If a direct child welfare service employee licensee is expected to transport a child or children with a motor vehicle in the course of performing the direct child welfare service employee licensee's his or her duties, the Department must verify that the licensee meets the requirements set forth in Section 5.1 of the Child Care Act of 1969. The Department must make that verification as to each such licensee every 2 years. Upon the Department's request, the Secretary of State shall provide the Department with the information necessary to enable the Department to make the verifications required under this subsection. If the Department discovers that a direct child welfare service employee licensee has engaged in transporting a child or children with a motor vehicle without having a valid driver's license, the Department shall immediately revoke the individual's direct child welfare service employee license.

(c) On or before January 1, 2000, and every year thereafter, the Department shall submit an annual report to the General Assembly on the implementation of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 94-943, eff. 1-1-07.)

(20 ILCS 505/5d)

Sec. 5d. The Direct Child Welfare Service Employee License Board.

(a) For purposes of this Section:

(1) "Board" means the Direct Child Welfare Service Employee License Board.

(2) "Director" means the Director of Children and Family Services.

(b) The Direct Child Welfare Service Employee License Board is created within the Department of Children and Family Services and shall consist of 9 members appointed by the Director. The Director shall annually designate a chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Board. The membership of the Board must be composed as follows: (i) 5 licensed professionals from the field of human services with a human services, juris doctor, medical, public administration, or other relevant human services degree and who are in good standing within their profession, at least 2 of which must be employed in the private not-for-profit sector and at least one of which in the public sector; (ii) 2 faculty members of an accredited university who have child welfare experience and are in good standing within their profession and (iii) 2 members of the general public who are not licensed under this Act or a similar rule and will represent consumer interests.

In making the first appointments, the Director shall appoint 3 members to serve for a term of one year, 3 members to serve for a term of 2 years, and 3 members to serve for a term of 3 years, or until their successors are appointed and qualified. Their successors shall be appointed to serve 3-year terms, or until their successors are appointed and qualified. Appointments to fill unexpired vacancies shall be made in the same manner as original appointments. No member may be reappointed if a reappointment would cause that member to serve on the Board for longer than 6 consecutive years. Board membership must have reasonable representation from different geographic areas of Illinois, and all members must be residents of this State.

The Director may terminate the appointment of any member for good cause, including but not limited to (i) unjustified absences from Board meetings or other failure to meet Board responsibilities, (ii) failure to recuse oneself himself or herself when required by subsection (c) of this Section or Department rule, or (iii) failure to maintain the professional position required by Department rule. No member of the Board may have a pending or indicated report of child abuse or neglect or a pending complaint or criminal conviction of any of the offenses set forth in paragraph (b) of Section 4.2 of the Child Care Act of 1969.

The members of the Board shall receive no compensation for the performance of their duties as members, but each member shall be reimbursed for the member's his or her reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in attending the meetings of the Board.

(c) The Board shall make recommendations to the Director regarding licensure rules. Board members must recuse themselves from sitting on any matter involving an employee of a child welfare agency at which the Board member is an employee or contractual employee. The Board shall make a final determination concerning revocation, suspension, or reinstatement of an employee's direct child welfare service license after a hearing conducted under the Department's rules. Upon notification of the manner of the vote to all the members, votes on a final determination may be cast in person, by telephonic or electronic means, or by mail at the discretion of the chairperson. A simple majority of the members appointed and serving is required when Board members vote by mail or by telephonic or electronic means. A majority of the currently appointed and serving Board members constitutes a quorum. A majority of a quorum is required when a recommendation is voted on during a Board meeting. A vacancy in the membership of the Board shall not impair the right of a quorum to perform all the duties of the Board. Board members are not personally liable in any action based upon a disciplinary proceeding or otherwise for any action taken in good faith as a member of the Board.

(d) The Director may assign Department employees to provide staffing services to the Board. The Department must promulgate any rules necessary to implement and administer the requirements of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 102-45, eff. 1-1-22.)

(20 ILCS 505/5.26)

Sec. 5.26. Foster children; exit interviews.

(a) Unless clinically contraindicated, the Department shall ensure that an exit interview is conducted with every child age 5 and over who leaves a foster home.

(1) The interview shall be conducted by a caseworker, mental health provider, or clinician from the Department's Division of Clinical Practice.

(2) The interview shall be conducted within 5 days of the child's removal from the home.

(3) The interviewer shall comply with the provisions of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act if the child discloses abuse or neglect as defined by that Act.

(4) The interviewer shall immediately inform the licensing agency if the child discloses any information that would constitute a potential licensing violation.

(5) Documentation of the interview shall be (i) maintained in the foster parent's licensing file, (ii) maintained in the child's case file, (iii) included in the service plan for the child, and (iv) and provided to the child's guardian ad litem and attorney appointed under Section 2-17 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(6) The determination that an interview in compliance with this Section is clinically contraindicated shall be made by the caseworker, in consultation with the child's mental health provider, if any, and the caseworker's supervisor. If the child does not have a mental health provider, the caseworker shall request a consultation with the Department's Division of Clinical Practice regarding whether an interview is clinically contraindicated. The decision and the basis for the decision shall be documented in writing and shall be (i) maintained in the foster parent's licensing file, (ii) maintained in the child's case file, and (iii) attached as part of the service plan for the child.

(7) The information gathered during the interview shall be dependent on the age and maturity of the child and the circumstances of the child's removal. The interviewer's observations and any information relevant to understanding the child's responses shall be recorded on the interview form. At a minimum, the interview shall address the following areas:

(A) How the child's basic needs were met in the home: who prepared food and was there sufficient food; whether the child had appropriate clothing; sleeping arrangements; supervision appropriate to the child's age and special needs; was the child enrolled in school; and did the child receive the support needed to complete the child's his or her school work.

(B) Access to caseworker, therapist, or guardian ad litem: whether the child was able to contact these professionals and how.

(C) Safety and comfort in the home: how did the child feel in the home; was the foster parent affirming of the child's identity; did anything happen that made the child happy; did anything happen that was scary or sad; what happened when the child did something the child he or she should not have done; if relevant, how does the child think the foster parent felt about the child's family of origin, including parents and siblings; and was the foster parent supportive of the permanency goal.

(D) Normalcy: whether the child felt included in the family; whether the child participated in extracurricular activities; whether the foster parent participated in planning for the child, including child and family team meetings and school meetings.

(b) The Department shall develop procedures, including an interview form, no later than January 1, 2023, to implement this Section.

(c) Beginning July 1, 2023 and quarterly thereafter, the Department shall post on its webpage a report summarizing the details of the exit interviews.

(Source: P.A. 102-763, eff. 1-1-23; revised 12-19-22.)

(20 ILCS 505/7) (from Ch. 23, par. 5007)

Sec. 7. Placement of children; considerations.

(a) In placing any child under this Act, the Department shall place the child, as far as possible, in the care and custody of some individual holding the same religious belief as the parents of the child, or with some child care facility which is operated by persons of like religious faith as the parents of such child.

(a-5) In placing a child under this Act, the Department shall place the child with the child's sibling or siblings under Section 7.4 of this Act unless the placement is not in each child's best interest, or is otherwise not possible under the Department's rules. If the child is not placed with a sibling under the Department's rules, the Department shall consider placements that are likely to develop, preserve, nurture, and support sibling relationships, where doing so is in each child's best interest.

(b) In placing a child under this Act, the Department may place a child with a relative if the Department determines that the relative will be able to adequately provide for the child's safety and welfare based on the factors set forth in the Department's rules governing relative placements, and that the placement is consistent with the child's best interests, taking into consideration the factors set out in subsection (4.05) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

When the Department first assumes custody of a child, in placing that child under this Act, the Department shall make reasonable efforts to identify, locate, and provide notice to all adult grandparents and other adult relatives of the child who are ready, willing, and able to care for the child. At a minimum, these efforts shall be renewed each time the child requires a placement change and it is appropriate for the child to be cared for in a home environment. The Department must document its efforts to identify, locate, and provide notice to such potential relative placements and maintain the documentation in the child's case file.

If the Department determines that a placement with any identified relative is not in the child's best interests or that the relative does not meet the requirements to be a relative caregiver, as set forth in Department rules or by statute, the Department must document the basis for that decision and maintain the documentation in the child's case file.

If, pursuant to the Department's rules, any person files an administrative appeal of the Department's decision not to place a child with a relative, it is the Department's burden to prove that the decision is consistent with the child's best interests.

When the Department determines that the child requires placement in an environment, other than a home environment, the Department shall continue to make reasonable efforts to identify and locate relatives to serve as visitation resources for the child and potential future placement resources, except when the Department determines that those efforts would be futile or inconsistent with the child's best interests.

If the Department determines that efforts to identify and locate relatives would be futile or inconsistent with the child's best interests, the Department shall document the basis of its determination and maintain the documentation in the child's case file.

If the Department determines that an individual or a group of relatives are inappropriate to serve as visitation resources or possible placement resources, the Department shall document the basis of its determination and maintain the documentation in the child's case file.

When the Department determines that an individual or a group of relatives are appropriate to serve as visitation resources or possible future placement resources, the Department shall document the basis of its determination, maintain the documentation in the child's case file, create a visitation or transition plan, or both, and incorporate the visitation or transition plan, or both, into the child's case plan. For the purpose of this subsection, any determination as to the child's best interests shall include consideration of the factors set out in subsection (4.05) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

The Department may not place a child with a relative, with the exception of certain circumstances which may be waived as defined by the Department in rules, if the results of a check of the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS) identifies a prior criminal conviction of the relative or any adult member of the relative's household for any of the following offenses under the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012:

(1) murder;

(1.1) solicitation of murder;

(1.2) solicitation of murder for hire;

(1.3) intentional homicide of an unborn child;

(1.4) voluntary manslaughter of an unborn child;

(1.5) involuntary manslaughter;

(1.6) reckless homicide;

(1.7) concealment of a homicidal death;

(1.8) involuntary manslaughter of an unborn child;

(1.9) reckless homicide of an unborn child;

(1.10) drug-induced homicide;

(2) a sex offense under Article 11, except offenses described in Sections 11-7, 11-8, 11-12, 11-13, 11-35, 11-40, and 11-45;

(3) kidnapping;

(3.1) aggravated unlawful restraint;

(3.2) forcible detention;

(3.3) aiding and abetting child abduction;

(4) aggravated kidnapping;

(5) child abduction;

(6) aggravated battery of a child as described in Section 12-4.3 or subdivision (b)(1) of Section 12-3.05;

(7) criminal sexual assault;

(8) aggravated criminal sexual assault;

(8.1) predatory criminal sexual assault of a child;

(9) criminal sexual abuse;

(10) aggravated sexual abuse;

(11) heinous battery as described in Section 12-4.1 or subdivision (a)(2) of Section 12-3.05;

(12) aggravated battery with a firearm as described in Section 12-4.2 or subdivision (e)(1), (e)(2), (e)(3), or (e)(4) of Section 12-3.05;

(13) tampering with food, drugs, or cosmetics;

(14) drug-induced infliction of great bodily harm as described in Section 12-4.7 or subdivision (g)(1) of Section 12-3.05;

(15) aggravated stalking;

(16) home invasion;

(17) vehicular invasion;

(18) criminal transmission of HIV;

(19) criminal abuse or neglect of an elderly person or person with a disability as described in Section 12-21 or subsection (b) of Section 12-4.4a;

(20) child abandonment;

(21) endangering the life or health of a child;

(22) ritual mutilation;

(23) ritualized abuse of a child;

(24) an offense in any other state the elements of which are similar and bear a substantial relationship to any of the foregoing offenses.

For the purpose of this subsection, "relative" shall include any person, 21 years of age or over, other than the parent, who (i) is currently related to the child in any of the following ways by blood or adoption: grandparent, sibling, great-grandparent, parent's sibling, sibling's child uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, first cousin, second cousin, godparent, or grandparent's sibling great-uncle, or great-aunt; or (ii) is the spouse of such a relative; or (iii) is the child's step-parent step-father, step-mother, or adult step-sibling step-brother or step-sister; or (iv) is a fictive kin; "relative" also includes a person related in any of the foregoing ways to a sibling of a child, even though the person is not related to the child, when the child and the child's its sibling are placed together with that person. For children who have been in the guardianship of the Department, have been adopted, and are subsequently returned to the temporary custody or guardianship of the Department, a "relative" may also include any person who would have qualified as a relative under this paragraph prior to the adoption, but only if the Department determines, and documents, that it would be in the child's best interests to consider this person a relative, based upon the factors for determining best interests set forth in subsection (4.05) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. A relative with whom a child is placed pursuant to this subsection may, but is not required to, apply for licensure as a foster family home pursuant to the Child Care Act of 1969; provided, however, that as of July 1, 1995, foster care payments shall be made only to licensed foster family homes pursuant to the terms of Section 5 of this Act.

Notwithstanding any other provision under this subsection to the contrary, a fictive kin with whom a child is placed pursuant to this subsection shall apply for licensure as a foster family home pursuant to the Child Care Act of 1969 within 6 months of the child's placement with the fictive kin. The Department shall not remove a child from the home of a fictive kin on the basis that the fictive kin fails to apply for licensure within 6 months of the child's placement with the fictive kin, or fails to meet the standard for licensure. All other requirements established under the rules and procedures of the Department concerning the placement of a child, for whom the Department is legally responsible, with a relative shall apply. By June 1, 2015, the Department shall promulgate rules establishing criteria and standards for placement, identification, and licensure of fictive kin.

For purposes of this subsection, "fictive kin" means any individual, unrelated by birth or marriage, who:

(i) is shown to have significant and close personal or emotional ties with the child or the child's family prior to the child's placement with the individual; or

(ii) is the current foster parent of a child in the custody or guardianship of the Department pursuant to this Act and the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, if the child has been placed in the home for at least one year and has established a significant and family-like relationship with the foster parent, and the foster parent has been identified by the Department as the child's permanent connection, as defined by Department rule.

The provisions added to this subsection (b) by Public Act 98-846 shall become operative on and after June 1, 2015.

(c) In placing a child under this Act, the Department shall ensure that the child's health, safety, and best interests are met. In rejecting placement of a child with an identified relative, the Department shall ensure that the child's health, safety, and best interests are met. In evaluating the best interests of the child, the Department shall take into consideration the factors set forth in subsection (4.05) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

The Department shall consider the individual needs of the child and the capacity of the prospective foster or adoptive parents to meet the needs of the child. When a child must be placed outside the child's his or her home and cannot be immediately returned to the child's his or her parents or guardian, a comprehensive, individualized assessment shall be performed of that child at which time the needs of the child shall be determined. Only if race, color, or national origin is identified as a legitimate factor in advancing the child's best interests shall it be considered. Race, color, or national origin shall not be routinely considered in making a placement decision. The Department shall make special efforts for the diligent recruitment of potential foster and adoptive families that reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of the children for whom foster and adoptive homes are needed. "Special efforts" shall include contacting and working with community organizations and religious organizations and may include contracting with those organizations, utilizing local media and other local resources, and conducting outreach activities.

(c-1) At the time of placement, the Department shall consider concurrent planning, as described in subsection (l-1) of Section 5, so that permanency may occur at the earliest opportunity. Consideration should be given so that if reunification fails or is delayed, the placement made is the best available placement to provide permanency for the child. To the extent that doing so is in the child's best interests as set forth in subsection (4.05) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, the Department should consider placements that will permit the child to maintain a meaningful relationship with the child's his or her parents.

(d) The Department may accept gifts, grants, offers of services, and other contributions to use in making special recruitment efforts.

(e) The Department in placing children in adoptive or foster care homes may not, in any policy or practice relating to the placement of children for adoption or foster care, discriminate against any child or prospective adoptive or foster parent on the basis of race.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; 99-340, eff. 1-1-16; 99-642, eff. 7-28-16; 99-836, eff. 1-1-17; 100-101, eff. 8-11-17.)

(20 ILCS 505/7.3)

Sec. 7.3. Placement plan. The Department shall develop and implement a written plan for placing children. The plan shall include at least the following features:

(1) A plan for recruiting minority adoptive and foster families. The plan shall include strategies for using existing resources in minority communities, use of minority outreach staff whenever possible, use of minority foster homes for placements after birth and before adoption, and other techniques as appropriate.

(2) A plan for training adoptive and foster families of minority children.

(3) A plan for employing social workers in adoption and foster care. The plan shall include staffing goals and objectives.

(4) A plan for ensuring that adoption and foster care workers attend training offered or approved by the Department regarding the State's goal of encouraging cultural diversity and the needs of special needs children.

(5) A plan that includes policies and procedures for determining for each child requiring placement outside of the child's his or her home, and who cannot be immediately returned to the child's his or her parents or guardian, the placement needs of that child. In the rare instance when an individualized assessment identifies, documents, and substantiates that race, color, or national origin is a factor that needs to be considered in advancing a particular child's best interests, it shall be considered in making a placement.

(Source: P.A. 92-334, eff. 8-10-01.)

(20 ILCS 505/7.3a)

Sec. 7.3a. Normalcy parenting for children in foster care; participation in childhood activities.

(a) Legislative findings.

(1) Every day parents make important decisions about their child's participation in extracurricular activities. Caregivers for children in out-of-home care are faced with making the same decisions.

(2) When a caregiver makes decisions, the caregiver he or she must consider applicable laws, rules, and regulations to safeguard the health, safety, and best interests of a child in out-of-home care.

(3) Participation in extracurricular activities is important to a child's well-being, not only emotionally, but also in developing valuable life skills.

(4) The General Assembly recognizes the importance of making every effort to normalize the lives of children in out-of-home care and to empower a caregiver to approve or not approve a child's participation in appropriate extracurricular activities based on the caregiver's own assessment using the reasonable and prudent parent standard, without prior approval of the Department, the caseworker, or the court.

(5) Nothing in this Section shall be presumed to discourage or diminish the engagement of families and guardians in the child's life activities.

(b) Definitions. As used in this Section:

"Appropriate activities" means activities or items that are generally accepted as suitable for children of the same chronological age or developmental level of maturity. Appropriateness is based on the development of cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral capacity that is typical for an age or age group, taking into account the individual child's cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral development.

"Caregiver" means a person with whom the child is placed in out-of-home care or a designated official for child care facilities licensed by the Department as defined in the Child Care Act of 1969.

"Reasonable and prudent parent standard" means the standard characterized by careful and sensible parental decisions that maintain the child's health, safety, and best interests while at the same time supporting the child's emotional and developmental growth that a caregiver shall use when determining whether to allow a child in out-of-home care to participate in extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and social activities.

(c) Requirements for decision-making.

(1) Each child who comes into the care and custody of the Department is fully entitled to participate in appropriate extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and social activities in a manner that allows that child to participate in the child's his or her community to the fullest extent possible.

(2) Caregivers must use the reasonable and prudent parent standard in determining whether to give permission for a child in out-of-home care to participate in appropriate extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and social activities. Caregivers are expected to promote and support a child's participation in such activities. When using the reasonable and prudent parent standard, the caregiver shall consider:

(A) the child's age, maturity, and developmental level to promote the overall health, safety, and best interests of the child;

(B) the best interest of the child based on information known by the caregiver;

(C) the importance and fundamental value of encouraging the child's emotional and developmental growth gained through participation in activities in the child's his or her community;

(D) the importance and fundamental value of providing the child with the most family-like living experience possible; and

(E) the behavioral history of the child and the child's ability to safely participate in the proposed activity.

(3) A caregiver is not liable for harm caused to a child in out-of-home care who participates in an activity approved by the caregiver, provided that the caregiver has acted as a reasonable and prudent parent in permitting the child to engage in the activity.

(c-5) No youth in care shall be required to store the youth's his or her belongings in plastic bags or in similar forms of disposable containers, including, but not limited to, trash bags, paper or plastic shopping bags, or pillow cases when relocating from one placement type to another placement type or when discharged from the custody or guardianship of the Department. The Department shall ensure that each youth in care has appropriate baggage and other items to store the youth's his or her belongings when moving through the State's child welfare system. As used in this subsection, "purchase of service agency" means any entity that contracts with the Department to provide services that are consistent with the purposes of this Act.

(d) Rulemaking. The Department shall adopt, by rule, procedures no later than June 1, 2017 that promote and protect the ability of children to participate in appropriate extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and social activities.

(e) The Department shall ensure that every youth in care who is entering the youth's his or her final year of high school has completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, if applicable, or an application for State financial aid on or after October 1, but no later than November 1, of the youth's final year of high school.

(Source: P.A. 102-70, eff. 1-1-22; 102-545, eff. 1-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)

(20 ILCS 505/7.4)

Sec. 7.4. Development and preservation of sibling relationships for children in care; placement of siblings; contact among siblings placed apart.

(a) Purpose and policy. The General Assembly recognizes that sibling relationships are unique and essential for a person, but even more so for children who are removed from the care of their families and placed in the State child welfare system. When family separation occurs through State intervention, every effort must be made to preserve, support and nurture sibling relationships when doing so is in the best interest of each sibling. It is in the interests of foster children who are part of a sibling group to enjoy contact with one another, as long as the contact is in each child's best interest. This is true both while the siblings are in State care and after one or all of the siblings leave State care through adoption, guardianship, or aging out.

(b) Definitions. For purposes of this Section:

(1) Whenever a best interest determination is required by this Section, the Department shall consider the factors set out in subsection (4.05) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and the Department's rules regarding Sibling Placement, 89 Ill. Adm. 111. Admin. Code 301.70 and Sibling Visitation, 89 Ill. Adm. 111. Admin. Code 301.220, and the Department's rules regarding Placement Selection Criteria, 89 Ill. Adm. 111. Admin. Code 301.60.

(2) "Adopted child" means a child who, immediately preceding the adoption, was in the custody or guardianship of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(3) "Adoptive parent" means a person who has become a parent through the legal process of adoption.

(4) "Child" means a person in the temporary custody or guardianship of the Department who is under the age of 21.

(5) "Child placed in private guardianship" means a child who, immediately preceding the guardianship, was in the custody or guardianship of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act.

(6) "Contact" may include, but is not limited to visits, telephone calls, letters, sharing of photographs or information, e-mails, video conferencing, and other form of communication or contact.

(7) "Legal guardian" means a person who has become the legal guardian of a child who, immediately prior to the guardianship, was in the custody or guardianship of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(8) "Parent" means the child's mother or father who is named as the respondent in proceedings conducted under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(9) "Post Permanency Sibling Contact" means contact between siblings following the entry of a Judgment Order for Adoption under Section 14 of the Adoption Act regarding at least one sibling or an Order for Guardianship appointing a private guardian under Section 2-27 or the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, regarding at least one sibling. Post Permanency Sibling Contact may include, but is not limited to, visits, telephone calls, letters, sharing of photographs or information, emails, video conferencing, and other forms form of communication or connection agreed to by the parties to a Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement.

(10) "Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement" means a written agreement between the adoptive parent or parents, the child, and the child's sibling regarding post permanency contact between the adopted child and the child's sibling, or a written agreement between the legal guardians, the child, and the child's sibling regarding post permanency contact between the child placed in guardianship and the child's sibling. The Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement may specify the nature and frequency of contact between the adopted child or child placed in guardianship and the child's sibling following the entry of the Judgment Order for Adoption or Order for Private Guardianship. The Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement may be supported by services as specified in this Section. The Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement is voluntary on the part of the parties to the Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement and is not a requirement for finalization of the child's adoption or guardianship. The Post Permanency Sibling Contract Agreement shall not be enforceable in any court of law or administrative forum and no cause of action shall be brought to enforce the Agreement. When entered into, the Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement shall be placed in the child's Post Adoption or Guardianship case record and in the case file of a sibling who is a party to the agreement and who remains in the Department's custody or guardianship.

(11) "Sibling Contact Support Plan" means a written document that sets forth the plan for future contact between siblings who are in the Department's care and custody and residing separately. The goal of the Support Plan is to develop or preserve and nurture the siblings' relationships. The Support Plan shall set forth the role of the foster parents, caregivers, and others in implementing the Support Plan. The Support Plan must meet the minimum standards regarding frequency of in-person visits provided for in Department rule.

(12) "Siblings" means children who share at least one parent in common. This definition of siblings applies solely for purposes of placement and contact under this Section. For purposes of this Section, children who share at least one parent in common continue to be siblings after their parent's parental rights are terminated, if parental rights were terminated while a petition under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 was pending. For purposes of this Section, children who share at least one parent in common continue to be siblings after a sibling is adopted or placed in private guardianship when the adopted child or child placed in private guardianship was in the Department's custody or guardianship under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 immediately prior to the adoption or private guardianship. For children who have been in the guardianship of the Department under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, have been adopted, and are subsequently returned to the temporary custody or guardianship of the Department under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, "siblings" includes a person who would have been considered a sibling prior to the adoption and siblings through adoption.

(c) No later than January 1, 2013, the Department shall promulgate rules addressing the development and preservation of sibling relationships. The rules shall address, at a minimum:

(1) Recruitment, licensing, and support of foster parents willing and capable of either fostering sibling groups or supporting and being actively involved in planning and executing sibling contact for siblings placed apart. The rules shall address training for foster parents, licensing workers, placement workers, and others as deemed necessary.

(2) Placement selection for children who are separated from their siblings and how to best promote placements of children with foster parents or programs that can meet the children's needs, including the need to develop and maintain contact with siblings.

(3) State-supported guidance to siblings who have aged out of state care regarding positive engagement with siblings.

(4) Implementation of Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreements for children exiting State care, including services offered by the Department to encourage and assist parties in developing agreements, services offered by the Department post permanency to support parties in implementing and maintaining agreements, and including services offered by the Department post permanency to assist parties in amending agreements as necessary to meet the needs of the children.

(5) Services offered by the Department for children who exited foster care prior to the availability of Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreements, to invite willing parties to participate in a facilitated discussion, including, but not limited to, a mediation or joint team decision-making meeting, to explore sibling contact.

(d) The Department shall develop a form to be provided to youth entering care and exiting care explaining their rights and responsibilities related to sibling visitation while in care and post permanency.

(e) Whenever a child enters care or requires a new placement, the Department shall consider the development and preservation of sibling relationships.

(1) This subsection applies when a child entering care or requiring a change of placement has siblings who are in the custody or guardianship of the Department. When a child enters care or requires a new placement, the Department shall examine its files and other available resources and determine whether a sibling of that child is in the custody or guardianship of the Department. If the Department determines that a sibling is in its custody or guardianship, the Department shall then determine whether it is in the best interests of each of the siblings for the child needing placement to be placed with the sibling. If the Department determines that it is in the best interest of each sibling to be placed together, and the sibling's foster parent is able and willing to care for the child needing placement, the Department shall place the child needing placement with the sibling. A determination that it is not in a child's best interest to be placed with a sibling shall be made in accordance with Department rules, and documented in the file of each sibling.

(2) This subsection applies when a child who is entering care has siblings who have been adopted or placed in private guardianship. When a child enters care, the Department shall examine its files and other available resources, including consulting with the child's parents, to determine whether a sibling of the child was adopted or placed in private guardianship from State care. The Department shall determine, in consultation with the child's parents, whether it would be in the child's best interests to explore placement with the adopted sibling or sibling in guardianship. Unless the parent objects, if the Department determines it is in the child's best interest to explore the placement, the Department shall contact the adoptive parents or guardians of the sibling, determine whether they are willing to be considered as placement resources for the child, and, if so, determine whether it is in the best interests of the child to be placed in the home with the sibling. If the Department determines that it is in the child's best interests to be placed in the home with the sibling, and the sibling's adoptive parents or guardians are willing and capable, the Department shall make the placement. A determination that it is not in a child's best interest to be placed with a sibling shall be made in accordance with Department rule, and documented in the child's file.

(3) This subsection applies when a child in Department custody or guardianship requires a change of placement, and the child has siblings who have been adopted or placed in private guardianship. When a child in care requires a new placement, the Department may consider placing the child with the adoptive parent or guardian of a sibling under the same procedures and standards set forth in paragraph (2) of this subsection.

(4) When the Department determines it is not in the best interest of one or more siblings to be placed together the Department shall ensure that the child requiring placement is placed in a home or program where the caregiver is willing and able to be actively involved in supporting the sibling relationship to the extent doing so is in the child's best interest.

(f) When siblings in care are placed in separate placements, the Department shall develop a Sibling Contact Support Plan. The Department shall convene a meeting to develop the Support Plan. The meeting shall include, at a minimum, the case managers for the siblings, the foster parents or other care providers if a child is in a non-foster home placement and the child, when developmentally and clinically appropriate. The Department shall make all reasonable efforts to promote the participation of the foster parents. Parents whose parental rights are intact shall be invited to the meeting. Others, such as therapists and mentors, shall be invited as appropriate. The Support Plan shall set forth future contact and visits between the siblings to develop or preserve, and nurture the siblings' relationships. The Support Plan shall set forth the role of the foster parents and caregivers and others in implementing the Support Plan. The Support Plan must meet the minimum standards regarding frequency of in-person visits provided for in Department rule. The Support Plan will be incorporated in the child's service plan and reviewed at each administrative case review. The Support Plan should be modified if one of the children moves to a new placement, or as necessary to meet the needs of the children. The Sibling Contact Support Plan for a child in care may include siblings who are not in the care of the Department, with the consent and participation of that child's parent or guardian.

(g) By January 1, 2013, the Department shall develop a registry so that placement information regarding adopted siblings and siblings in private guardianship is readily available to Department and private agency caseworkers responsible for placing children in the Department's care. When a child is adopted or placed in private guardianship from foster care the Department shall inform the adoptive parents or guardians that they may be contacted in the future regarding placement of or contact with siblings subsequently requiring placement.

(h) When a child is in need of an adoptive placement, the Department shall examine its files and other available resources and attempt to determine whether a sibling of the child has been adopted or placed in private guardianship after being in the Department's custody or guardianship. If the Department determines that a sibling of the child has been adopted or placed in private guardianship, the Department shall make a good faith effort to locate the adoptive parents or guardians of the sibling and inform them of the availability of the child for adoption. The Department may determine not to inform the adoptive parents or guardians of a sibling of a child that the child is available for adoption only for a reason permitted under criteria adopted by the Department by rule, and documented in the child's case file. If a child available for adoption has a sibling who has been adopted or placed in guardianship, and the adoptive parents or guardians of that sibling apply to adopt the child, the Department shall consider them as adoptive applicants for the adoption of the child. The Department's final decision as to whether it will consent to the adoptive parents or guardians of a sibling being the adoptive parents of the child shall be based upon the welfare and best interest of the child. In arriving at its decision, the Department shall consider all relevant factors, including, but not limited to:

(1) the wishes of the child;

(2) the interaction and interrelationship of the child with the applicant to adopt the child;

(3) the child's need for stability and continuity of relationship with parent figures;

(4) the child's adjustment to the child's his or her present home, school, and community;

(5) the mental and physical health of all individuals involved;

(6) the family ties between the child and the child's relatives, including siblings;

(7) the background, age, and living arrangements of the applicant to adopt the child;

(8) a criminal background report of the applicant to adopt the child.

If placement of the child available for adoption with the adopted sibling or sibling in private guardianship is not feasible, but it is in the child's best interest to develop a relationship with the child's his or her sibling, the Department shall invite the adoptive parents, guardian, or guardians for a mediation or joint team decision-making meeting to facilitate a discussion regarding future sibling contact.

(i) Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement. When a child in the Department's care has a permanency goal of adoption or private guardianship, and the Department is preparing to finalize the adoption or guardianship, the Department shall convene a meeting with the pre-adoptive parent or prospective guardian and the case manager for the child being adopted or placed in guardianship and the foster parents and case managers for the child's siblings, and others as applicable. The children should participate as is developmentally appropriate. Others, such as therapists and mentors, may participate as appropriate. At the meeting the Department shall encourage the parties to discuss sibling contact post permanency. The Department may assist the parties in drafting a Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement.

(1) Parties to the Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement shall include:

(A) The adoptive parent or parents or guardian.

(B) The child's sibling or siblings, parents or guardians.

(C) The child.

(2) Consent of child 14 and over. The written consent of a child age 14 and over to the terms and conditions of the Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement and subsequent modifications is required.

(3) In developing this Agreement, the Department shall encourage the parties to consider the following factors:

(A) the physical and emotional safety and welfare of the child;

(B) the child's wishes;

(C) the interaction and interrelationship of the child with the child's sibling or siblings who would be visiting or communicating with the child, including:

(i) the quality of the relationship between the child and the sibling or siblings, and

(ii) the benefits and potential harms to the child in allowing the relationship or relationships to continue or in ending them;

(D) the child's sense of attachments to the birth sibling or siblings and adoptive family, including:

(i) the child's sense of being valued;

(ii) the child's sense of familiarity; and

(iii) continuity of affection for the child; and

(E) other factors relevant to the best interest of the child.

(4) In considering the factors in paragraph (3) of this subsection, the Department shall encourage the parties to recognize the importance to a child of developing a relationship with siblings including siblings with whom the child does not yet have a relationship; and the value of preserving family ties between the child and the child's siblings, including:

(A) the child's need for stability and continuity of relationships with siblings, and

(B) the importance of sibling contact in the development of the child's identity.

(5) Modification or termination of Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement. The parties to the agreement may modify or terminate the Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement. If the parties cannot agree to modification or termination, they may request the assistance of the Department of Children and Family Services or another agency identified and agreed upon by the parties to the Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement. Any and all terms may be modified by agreement of the parties. Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreements may also be modified to include contact with siblings whose whereabouts were unknown or who had not yet been born when the Judgment Order for Adoption or Order for Private Guardianship was entered.

(6) Adoptions and private guardianships finalized prior to the effective date of amendatory Act. Nothing in this Section prohibits the parties from entering into a Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement if the adoption or private guardianship was finalized prior to the effective date of this Section. If the Agreement is completed and signed by the parties, the Department shall include the Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement in the child's Post Adoption or Private Guardianship case record and in the case file of siblings who are parties to the agreement who are in the Department's custody or guardianship.

(Source: P.A. 97-1076, eff. 8-24-12; 98-463, eff. 8-16-13; revised 2-28-22.)

(20 ILCS 505/7.5)

(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 102-825)

Sec. 7.5. Notice of post-adoption reunion services.

(a) For purposes of this Section, "post-adoption reunion services" means services provided by the Department to facilitate contact between adoptees and their siblings when one or more is still in the Department's care or adopted elsewhere, with the notarized consent of the adoptive parents of a minor child, when such contact has been established to be necessary to the adoptee's best interests and when all involved parties, including the adoptive parent of a child under 21 years of age, have provided written consent for such contact.

(b) The Department shall provide to all adoptive parents of children receiving monthly adoption assistance under subsection (j) of Section 5 of this Act a notice that includes a description of the Department's post-adoption reunion services and an explanation of how to access those services. The notice to adoptive parents shall be provided at least once per year until such time as the adoption assistance payments cease.

The Department shall also provide to all youth in care, within 30 days after their 18th birthday, the notice described in this Section.

(c) The Department shall adopt a rule regarding the provision of search and reunion services to youth in care and former youth in care.

(Source: P.A. 100-159, eff. 8-18-17.)

(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 102-825)

Sec. 7.5. Search and reunion services for youth in care and former youth in care.

(a) For purposes of this Section, "search and reunion services" means:

(1) services provided by the Department to facilitate contact between adoptees and their siblings when one or more is still in the Department's care or adopted elsewhere, with the notarized consent of the adoptive parents of a minor child, when such contact has been established to be necessary to the adoptee's best interests and when all involved parties, including the adoptive parent of a former youth in care under 18 years of age, have provided written consent for such contact;

(2) services provided by the Department to facilitate contact between current or former youth in care, over the age of 18, including, but not limited to, youth who were adopted, to facilitate contact with siblings, birth biological relatives, former foster parents, or former foster siblings.

(b) The Department shall provide to all adoptive parents of children receiving monthly adoption assistance under subsection (j) of Section 5 of this Act a notice that includes a description of the Department's post-adoption reunion services and an explanation of how to access those services. The notice to adoptive parents shall be provided at least once per year until such time as the adoption assistance payments cease.

(b-5) The Department shall provide a notice that includes a description of the Department's search and reunion services and an explanation of how to access those services to each person who is a youth in care within 30 days after the youth's 18th birthday and within 30 days prior to closure of the youth's case pending under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 if the case is closing after the youth's 18th birthday. The Department shall work with organizations, such as the Foster Care Alumni of America Illinois Chapter, that have contact with foster care alumni, to distribute information about the Department's search and reunion services.

(c) The Department shall adopt a rule regarding the provision of search and reunion services to youth in care and former youth in care.

(Source: P.A. 102-825, eff. 7-1-23.)

(20 ILCS 505/7.8)

Sec. 7.8. Home safety checklist; aftercare services; immunization checks.

(a) As used in this Section, "purchase of service agency" means any entity that contracts with the Department to provide services that are consistent with the purposes of this Act.

(b) Whenever a child is placed in the custody or guardianship of the Department or a child is returned to the custody of a parent or guardian and the court retains jurisdiction of the case, the Department must ensure that the child is up to date on the child's his or her well-child visits, including age-appropriate immunizations, or that there is a documented religious or medical reason the child did not receive the immunizations.

(c) Whenever a child has been placed in foster or substitute care by court order and the court later determines that the child can return to the custody of the child's his or her parent or guardian, the Department must complete, prior to the child's discharge from foster or substitute care, a home safety checklist to ensure that the conditions of the child's home are sufficient to ensure the child's safety and well-being, as defined in Department rules and procedures. At a minimum, the home safety checklist shall be completed within 24 hours prior to the child's return home and completed again or recertified in the absence of any environmental barriers or hazards within 5 working days after a child is returned home and every month thereafter until the child's case is closed pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. The home safety checklist shall include a certification that there are no environmental barriers or hazards to prevent returning the child home.

(d) When a court determines that a child should return to the custody or guardianship of a parent or guardian, any aftercare services provided to the child and the child's family by the Department or a purchase of service agency shall commence on the date upon which the child is returned to the custody or guardianship of the child's his or her parent or guardian. If children are returned to the custody of a parent at different times, the Department or purchase of service agency shall provide a minimum of 6 months of aftercare services to each child commencing on the date each individual child is returned home.

(e) One year after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Auditor General shall commence a performance audit of the Department of Children and Family Services to determine whether the Department is meeting the requirements of this Section. Within 2 years after the audit's release, the Auditor General shall commence a follow-up performance audit to determine whether the Department has implemented the recommendations contained in the initial performance audit. Upon completion of each audit, the Auditor General shall report its findings to the General Assembly. The Auditor General's reports shall include any issues or deficiencies and recommendations. The audits required by this Section shall be in accordance with and subject to the Illinois State Auditing Act.

(Source: P.A. 101-237, eff. 1-1-20.)

(20 ILCS 505/8) (from Ch. 23, par. 5008)

Sec. 8. Scholarships and fee waivers; tuition waiver.

(a) Each year the Department shall select a minimum of 53 students (at least 4 of whom shall be children of veterans) to receive scholarships and fee waivers which will enable them to attend and complete their post-secondary education at a community college, university, or college. Youth shall be selected from among the youth for whom the Department has court-ordered legal responsibility, youth who aged out of care at age 18 or older, or youth formerly under care who have been adopted or who have been placed in private guardianship. Recipients must have earned a high school diploma from an accredited institution or a State of Illinois High School Diploma or diploma or have met the State criteria for high school graduation before the start of the school year for which they are applying for the scholarship and waiver. Scholarships and fee waivers shall be available to students for at least 5 years, provided they are continuing to work toward graduation. Unused scholarship dollars and fee waivers shall be reallocated to new recipients. No later than January 1, 2015, the Department shall promulgate rules identifying the criteria for "continuing to work toward graduation" and for reallocating unused scholarships and fee waivers. Selection shall be made on the basis of several factors, including, but not limited to, scholastic record, aptitude, and general interest in higher education. The selection committee shall include at least 2 individuals formerly under the care of the Department who have completed their post-secondary education. In accordance with this Act, tuition scholarships and fee waivers shall be available to such students at any university or college maintained by the State of Illinois. The Department shall provide maintenance and school expenses, except tuition and fees, during the academic years to supplement the students' earnings or other resources so long as they consistently maintain scholastic records which are acceptable to their schools and to the Department. Students may attend other colleges and universities, if scholarships are awarded to them, and receive the same benefits for maintenance and other expenses as those students attending any Illinois State community college, university, or college under this Section. Beginning with recipients receiving scholarships and waivers in August 2014, the Department shall collect data and report annually to the General Assembly on measures of success, including (i) the number of youth applying for and receiving scholarships or waivers, (ii) the percentage of scholarship or waiver recipients who complete their college or university degree within 5 years, (iii) the average length of time it takes for scholarship or waiver recipients to complete their college or university degree, (iv) the reasons that scholarship or waiver recipients are discharged or fail to complete their college or university degree, (v) when available, youths' outcomes 5 years and 10 years after being awarded the scholarships or waivers, and (vi) budget allocations for maintenance and school expenses incurred by the Department.

(b) Youth shall receive a tuition and fee waiver to assist them in attending and completing their post-secondary education at any community college, university, or college maintained by the State of Illinois if they are youth for whom the Department has court-ordered legal responsibility, youth who aged out of care at age 18 or older, or youth formerly under care who have been adopted and were the subject of an adoption assistance agreement or who have been placed in private guardianship and were the subject of a subsidized guardianship agreement.

To receive a waiver under this subsection, an applicant must:

(1) have earned a high school diploma from an accredited institution or a State of Illinois High School Diploma or have met the State criteria for high school graduation before the start of the school year for which the applicant is applying for the waiver;

(2) enroll in a qualifying post-secondary education before the applicant reaches the age of 26; and

(3) apply for federal and State grant assistance by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

The community college or public university that an applicant attends must waive any tuition and fee amounts that exceed the amounts paid to the applicant under the federal Pell Grant Program or the State's Monetary Award Program.

Tuition and fee waivers shall be available to a student for at least the first 5 years the student is enrolled in a community college, university, or college maintained by the State of Illinois so long as the student makes satisfactory progress toward completing the student's his or her degree. The age requirement and 5-year cap on tuition and fee waivers under this subsection shall be waived and eligibility for tuition and fee waivers shall be extended for any applicant or student who the Department determines was unable to enroll in a qualifying post-secondary school or complete an academic term because the applicant or student: (i) was called into active duty with the United States Armed Forces; (ii) was deployed for service in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps; or (iii) volunteered in the Peace Corps or the AmeriCorps. The Department shall extend eligibility for a qualifying applicant or student by the total number of months or years during which the applicant or student served on active duty with the United States Armed Forces, was deployed for service in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, or volunteered in the Peace Corps or the AmeriCorps. The number of months an applicant or student served on active duty with the United States Armed Forces shall be rounded up to the next higher year to determine the maximum length of time to extend eligibility for the applicant or student.

The Department may provide the student with a stipend to cover maintenance and school expenses, except tuition and fees, during the academic years to supplement the student's earnings or other resources so long as the student consistently maintains scholastic records which are acceptable to the student's school and to the Department.

The Department shall develop outreach programs to ensure that youths who qualify for the tuition and fee waivers under this subsection who are high school students in grades 9 through 12 or who are enrolled in a high school equivalency testing program are aware of the availability of the tuition and fee waivers.

(c) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall provide eligible youth an apprenticeship stipend to cover those costs associated with entering and sustaining through completion an apprenticeship, including, but not limited to fees, tuition for classes, work clothes, rain gear, boots, and occupation-specific tools. The following youth may be eligible for the apprenticeship stipend provided under this subsection: youth for whom the Department has court-ordered legal responsibility; youth who aged out of care at age 18 or older; or youth formerly under care who have been adopted and were the subject of an adoption assistance agreement or who have been placed in private guardianship and were the subject of a subsidized guardianship agreement.

To receive a stipend under this subsection, an applicant must:

(1) be enrolled in an apprenticeship training program approved or recognized by the Illinois Department of Employment Security or an apprenticeship program approved by the United States Department of Labor;

(2) not be a recipient of a scholarship or fee waiver under subsection (a) or (b); and

(3) be under the age of 26 before enrolling in a qualified apprenticeship program.

Apprenticeship stipends shall be available to an eligible youth for a maximum of 5 years after the youth enrolls in a qualifying apprenticeship program so long as the youth makes satisfactory progress toward completing the youth's his or her apprenticeship. The age requirement and 5-year cap on the apprenticeship stipend provided under this subsection shall be extended for any applicant who the Department determines was unable to enroll in a qualifying apprenticeship program because the applicant: (i) was called into active duty with the United States Armed Forces; (ii) was deployed for service in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps; or (iii) volunteered in the Peace Corps or the AmeriCorps. The Department shall extend eligibility for a qualifying applicant by the total number of months or years during which the applicant served on active duty with the United States Armed Forces, was deployed for service in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, or volunteered in the Peace Corps or the AmeriCorps. The number of months an applicant served on active duty with the United States Armed Forces shall be rounded up to the next higher year to determine the maximum length of time to extend eligibility for the applicant.

The Department shall develop outreach programs to ensure that youths who qualify for the apprenticeship stipends under this subsection who are high school students in grades 9 through 12 or who are enrolled in a high school equivalency testing program are aware of the availability of the apprenticeship stipend.

(Source: P.A. 101-558, eff. 1-1-20; 102-1100, eff. 1-1-23; revised 12-8-22.)

(20 ILCS 505/8a) (from Ch. 23, par. 5008a)

Sec. 8a. No otherwise qualified child with a disability receiving special education and related services under Article 14 of The School Code shall solely by reason of the child's his or her disability be excluded from the participation in or be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity provided by the Department.

The Department, or its authorized agent, shall ensure that a copy of a student's then current individualized education program (IEP) is provided to the school district in which the student is newly placed by the Department. Upon receipt of the IEP, the new school district shall review it and place the student in a special education program in accordance with that described in the IEP. The Department shall consult with the State Board of Education in the development of necessary rules and regulations to implement this provision.

(Source: P.A. 87-372.)

(20 ILCS 505/8b) (from Ch. 23, par. 5008b)

Sec. 8b. No homeless person eligible to receive benefits or services from the Department shall, by reason of the homeless person's his or her status as a homeless person, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits under or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity provided by the Department.

(Source: P.A. 84-1277.)

(20 ILCS 505/9.3) (from Ch. 23, par. 5009.3)

Sec. 9.3. Declarations by Parents and Guardians. Information requested of parents and guardians shall be submitted on forms or questionnaires prescribed by the Department or units of local government as the case may be and shall contain a written declaration to be signed by the parent or guardian in substantially the following form:

"I declare under penalties of perjury that I have examined this form or questionnaire and all accompanying statements or documents pertaining to my income, or any other matter having bearing upon my status and ability to provide payment for care and training of my child, and to the best of my knowledge and belief the information supplied is true, correct, and complete".

A person who makes and subscribes a form or questionnaire which contains, as herein above provided, a written declaration that it is made under the penalties of perjury, knowing it to be false, incorrect or incomplete, in respect to any material statement or representative bearing upon the parent's or guardian's his status as a parent or guardian, or upon the parent's or guardian's his income, resources, or other matter concerning the parent's or guardian's his ability to provide parental payment, shall be subject to the penalties for perjury provided for in Section 32-2 of the Criminal Code of 2012.

Parents who refuse to provide such information after three written requests from the Department will be liable for the full cost of care provided, from the commencement of such care until the required information is received.

(Source: P.A. 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)

(20 ILCS 505/9.5) (from Ch. 23, par. 5009.5)

Sec. 9.5. Notice of Parental Payments Due. When the Department has determined that a parent or guardian is liable for payment for care and support of the parent's or guardian's his children, the parent or guardian shall be notified by mailing the parent or guardian him a copy of the determination by mail, advising the parent or guardian him of the parent's or guardian's his legal obligation to make payments for such period or periods of time, definite in duration or indefinite, as the circumstances required. The notice shall direct payment as provided in Section 9.6.

Within 30 days after receipt of a payment notice, the parents may appeal the assessment amount if the data used in determining the amount is inaccurate or incomplete. Parents may also appeal the assessment at any time on the basis of changes in their circumstances which render inaccurate information on which the assessment is based. If the changes requested in a parental appeal are granted, the Department may modify its assessment retroactively to the appropriate date and adjust any amount in arrears accordingly.

(Source: P.A. 83-1037.)

(20 ILCS 505/17) (from Ch. 23, par. 5017)

Sec. 17. Youth and Community Services Program. The Department of Human Services shall develop a State program for youth and community services which will assure that youth who come into contact or may come into contact with the child welfare and the juvenile justice systems will have access to needed community, prevention, diversion, emergency and independent living services. The term "youth" means a person under the age of 19 years. The term "homeless youth" means a youth who cannot be reunited with the youth's his or her family and is not in a safe and stable living situation. This Section shall not be construed to require the Department of Human Services to provide services under this Section to any homeless youth who is at least 18 years of age but is younger than 19 years of age; however, the Department may, in its discretion, provide services under this Section to any such homeless youth.

(a) The goals of the program shall be to:

(1) maintain children and youths in their own community;

(2) eliminate unnecessary categorical funding of programs by funding more comprehensive and integrated programs;

(3) encourage local volunteers and voluntary associations in developing programs aimed at preventing and controlling juvenile delinquency;

(4) address voids in services and close service gaps;

(5) develop program models aimed at strengthening the relationships between youth and their families and aimed at developing healthy, independent lives for homeless youth;

(6) contain costs by redirecting funding to more comprehensive and integrated community-based services; and

(7) coordinate education, employment, training and other programs for youths with other State agencies.

(b) The duties of the Department under the program shall be to:

(1) design models for service delivery by local communities;

(2) test alternative systems for delivering youth services;

(3) develop standards necessary to achieve and maintain, on a statewide basis, more comprehensive and integrated community-based youth services;

(4) monitor and provide technical assistance to local boards and local service systems;

(5) assist local organizations in developing programs which address the problems of youths and their families through direct services, advocacy with institutions, and improvement of local conditions; and

(6) develop a statewide adoption awareness campaign aimed at pregnant teenagers.

(Source: P.A. 89-507, eff. 7-1-97.)

(20 ILCS 505/21) (from Ch. 23, par. 5021)

Sec. 21. Investigative powers; training.

(a) To make such investigations as it may deem necessary to the performance of its duties.

(b) In the course of any such investigation any qualified person authorized by the Director may administer oaths and secure by its subpoena both the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of books and papers relevant to such investigation. Any person who is served with a subpoena by the Department to appear and testify or to produce books and papers, in the course of an investigation authorized by law, and who refuses or neglects to appear, or to testify, or to produce books and papers relevant to such investigation, as commanded in such subpoena, shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor. The fees of witnesses for attendance and travel shall be the same as the fees of witnesses before the circuit courts of this State. Any circuit court of this State, upon application of the person requesting the hearing or the Department, may compel the attendance of witnesses, the production of books and papers, and giving of testimony before the Department or before any authorized officer or employee thereof, by an attachment for contempt or otherwise, in the same manner as production of evidence may be compelled before such court. Every person who, having taken an oath or made affirmation before the Department or any authorized officer or employee thereof, shall willfully swear or affirm falsely, shall be guilty of perjury and upon conviction shall be punished accordingly.

(c) Investigations initiated under this Section shall provide individuals due process of law, including the right to a hearing, to cross-examine witnesses, to obtain relevant documents, and to present evidence. Administrative findings shall be subject to the provisions of the Administrative Review Law.

(d) Beginning July 1, 1988, any child protective investigator or supervisor or child welfare specialist or supervisor employed by the Department on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1987 shall have completed a training program which shall be instituted by the Department. The training program shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) training in the detection of symptoms of child neglect and drug abuse; (2) specialized training for dealing with families and children of drug abusers; and (3) specific training in child development, family dynamics and interview techniques. Such program shall conform to the criteria and curriculum developed under Section 4 of the Child Protective Investigator and Child Welfare Specialist Certification Act of 1987. Failure to complete such training due to lack of opportunity provided by the Department shall in no way be grounds for any disciplinary or other action against an investigator or a specialist.

The Department shall develop a continuous inservice staff development program and evaluation system. Each child protective investigator and supervisor and child welfare specialist and supervisor shall participate in such program and evaluation and shall complete a minimum of 20 hours of inservice education and training every 2 years in order to maintain certification.

Any child protective investigator or child protective supervisor, or child welfare specialist or child welfare specialist supervisor hired by the Department who begins his actual employment after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1987, shall be certified pursuant to the Child Protective Investigator and Child Welfare Specialist Certification Act of 1987 before beginning he begins such employment. Nothing in this Act shall replace or diminish the rights of employees under the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, as amended, or the National Labor Relations Act. In the event of any conflict between either of those Acts, or any collective bargaining agreement negotiated thereunder, and the provisions of subsections (d) and (e), the former shall prevail and control.

(e) The Department shall develop and implement the following:

(1) A standardized child endangerment risk assessment protocol.

(2) Related training procedures.

(3) A standardized method for demonstration of proficiency in application of the protocol.

(4) An evaluation of the reliability and validity of the protocol.

All child protective investigators and supervisors and child welfare specialists and supervisors employed by the Department or its contractors shall be required, subsequent to the availability of training under this Act, to demonstrate proficiency in application of the protocol previous to being permitted to make decisions about the degree of risk posed to children for whom they are responsible. The Department shall establish a multi-disciplinary advisory committee appointed by the Director, including but not limited to representatives from the fields of child development, domestic violence, family systems, juvenile justice, law enforcement, health care, mental health, substance abuse, and social service to advise the Department and its related contractors in the development and implementation of the child endangerment risk assessment protocol, related training, method for demonstration of proficiency in application of the protocol, and evaluation of the reliability and validity of the protocol. The Department shall develop the protocol, training curriculum, method for demonstration of proficiency in application of the protocol and method for evaluation of the reliability and validity of the protocol by July 1, 1995. Training and demonstration of proficiency in application of the child endangerment risk assessment protocol for all child protective investigators and supervisors and child welfare specialists and supervisors shall be completed as soon as practicable, but no later than January 1, 1996. The Department shall submit to the General Assembly on or before May 1, 1996, and every year thereafter, an annual report on the evaluation of the reliability and validity of the child endangerment risk assessment protocol. The Department shall contract with a not for profit organization with demonstrated expertise in the field of child endangerment risk assessment to assist in the development and implementation of the child endangerment risk assessment protocol, related training, method for demonstration of proficiency in application of the protocol, and evaluation of the reliability and validity of the protocol.

(f) The Department shall provide each parent or guardian and responsible adult caregiver participating in a safety plan a copy of the written safety plan as signed by each parent or guardian and responsible adult caregiver and by a representative of the Department. The Department shall also provide each parent or guardian and responsible adult caregiver safety plan information on their rights and responsibilities that shall include, but need not be limited to, information on how to obtain medical care, emergency phone numbers, and information on how to notify schools or day care providers as appropriate. The Department's representative shall ensure that the safety plan is reviewed and approved by the child protection supervisor.

(Source: P.A. 98-830, eff. 1-1-15.)

(20 ILCS 505/35.5)

Sec. 35.5. Inspector General.

(a) The Governor shall appoint, and the Senate shall confirm, an Inspector General who shall have the authority to conduct investigations into allegations of or incidents of possible misconduct, misfeasance, malfeasance, or violations of rules, procedures, or laws by any employee, foster parent, service provider, or contractor of the Department of Children and Family Services, except for allegations of violations of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act which shall be referred to the Office of the Governor's Executive Inspector General for investigation. The Inspector General shall make recommendations to the Director of Children and Family Services concerning sanctions or disciplinary actions against Department employees or providers of service under contract to the Department. The Director of Children and Family Services shall provide the Inspector General with an implementation report on the status of any corrective actions taken on recommendations under review and shall continue sending updated reports until the corrective action is completed. The Director shall provide a written response to the Inspector General indicating the status of any sanctions or disciplinary actions against employees or providers of service involving any investigation subject to review. In any case, information included in the reports to the Inspector General and Department responses shall be subject to the public disclosure requirements of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Any investigation conducted by the Inspector General shall be independent and separate from the investigation mandated by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. The Inspector General shall be appointed for a term of 4 years. The Inspector General shall function independently within the Department of Children and Family Services with respect to the operations of the Office of Inspector General, including the performance of investigations and issuance of findings and recommendations, and shall report to the Director of Children and Family Services and the Governor and perform other duties the Director may designate. The Inspector General shall adopt rules as necessary to carry out the functions, purposes, and duties of the office of Inspector General in the Department of Children and Family Services, in accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and any other applicable law.

(b) The Inspector General shall have access to all information and personnel necessary to perform the duties of the office. To minimize duplication of efforts, and to assure consistency and conformance with the requirements and procedures established in the B.H. v. Suter consent decree and to share resources when appropriate, the Inspector General shall coordinate the Inspector General's his or her activities with the Bureau of Quality Assurance within the Department.

(c) The Inspector General shall be the primary liaison between the Department and the Illinois State Police with regard to investigations conducted under the Inspector General's auspices. If the Inspector General determines that a possible criminal act has been committed, or that special expertise is required in the investigation, the Inspector General he or she shall immediately notify the Illinois State Police. All investigations conducted by the Inspector General shall be conducted in a manner designed to ensure the preservation of evidence for possible use in a criminal prosecution.

(d) The Inspector General may recommend to the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Public Health, or any other appropriate agency, sanctions to be imposed against service providers under the jurisdiction of or under contract with the Department for the protection of children in the custody or under the guardianship of the Department who received services from those providers. The Inspector General may seek the assistance of the Attorney General or any of the several State's Attorneys in imposing sanctions.

(e) The Inspector General shall at all times be granted access to any foster home, facility, or program operated for or licensed or funded by the Department.

(f) Nothing in this Section shall limit investigations by the Department of Children and Family Services that may otherwise be required by law or that may be necessary in that Department's capacity as the central administrative authority for child welfare.

(g) The Inspector General shall have the power to subpoena witnesses and compel the production of books and papers pertinent to an investigation authorized by this Act. The power to subpoena or to compel the production of books and papers, however, shall not extend to the person or documents of a labor organization or its representatives insofar as the person or documents of a labor organization relate to the function of representing an employee subject to investigation under this Act. Any person who fails to appear in response to a subpoena or to answer any question or produce any books or papers pertinent to an investigation under this Act, except as otherwise provided in this Section, or who knowingly gives false testimony in relation to an investigation under this Act is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

(h) The Inspector General shall provide to the General Assembly and the Governor, no later than January 1 of each year, a summary of reports and investigations made under this Section for the prior fiscal year. The summaries shall detail the imposition of sanctions and the final disposition of those recommendations. The summaries shall not contain any confidential or identifying information concerning the subjects of the reports and investigations. The summaries also shall include detailed recommended administrative actions and matters for consideration by the General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)

(20 ILCS 505/35.6)

Sec. 35.6. State-wide toll-free telephone number.

(a) There shall be a State-wide, toll-free telephone number for any person, whether or not mandated by law, to report to the Inspector General of the Department, suspected misconduct, malfeasance, misfeasance, or violations of rules, procedures, or laws by Department employees, service providers, or contractors that is detrimental to the best interest of children receiving care, services, or training from or who were committed to the Department as allowed under Section 5 of this Act. Immediately upon receipt of a telephone call regarding suspected abuse or neglect of children, the Inspector General shall refer the call to the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline or to the Illinois State Police as mandated by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act and Section 35.5 of this Act. A mandated reporter shall not be relieved of the mandated reporter's his or her duty to report incidents to the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline referred to in this subsection. The Inspector General shall also establish rules and procedures for evaluating reports of suspected misconduct and violation of rules and for conducting an investigation of such reports.

(b) The Inspector General shall prepare and maintain written records from the reporting source that shall contain the following information to the extent known at the time the report is made: (1) the names and addresses of the child and the person responsible for the child's welfare; (2) the nature of the misconduct and the detriment cause to the child's best interest; (3) the names of the persons or agencies responsible for the alleged misconduct. Any investigation conducted by the Inspector General pursuant to such information shall not duplicate and shall be separate from the investigation mandated by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. However, the Inspector General may include the results of such investigation in reports compiled under this Section. At the request of the reporting agent, the Inspector General shall keep the identity of the reporting agent strictly confidential from the operation of the Department, until the Inspector General shall determine what recommendations shall be made with regard to discipline or sanction of the Department employee, service provider, or contractor, with the exception of suspected child abuse or neglect which shall be handled consistent with the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act and Section 35.5 of this Act. The Department shall take whatever steps are necessary to assure that a person making a report in good faith under this Section is not adversely affected solely on the basis of having made such report.

(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)

(20 ILCS 505/35.9)

Sec. 35.9. Visitation privileges; grandparents and great-grandparents.

(a) The Department shall make reasonable efforts and accommodations to provide for visitation privileges to a non-custodial grandparent or great-grandparent of a child who is in the care and custody of the Department. Any visitation privileges provided under this Section shall be separate and apart from any visitation privileges provided to a parent of the child. The Department shall provide visitation privileges only if doing so is in the child's best interest, taking into consideration the factors set out in subsection (4.05) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and the following additional factors:

(1) the mental and physical health of the grandparent or great-grandparent;

(2) the quantity of the visitation time requested and the potential adverse impact that visitation would have on the child's customary activities;

(3) any other fact that establishes that the loss of the relationship between the child and the grandparent or great-grandparent is likely to unduly harm the child's mental, physical, or emotional health; and

(4) whether visitation can be structured in a way to minimize the child's exposure to conflicts between adult family members.

(b) Any visitation privileges provided under this Section shall automatically terminate upon the child leaving the care or custody of the Department.

(c) The Department may deny a request for visitation after considering the criteria provided under subsection (a) in addition to any other criteria the Department deems necessary. If the Department determines that a grandparent or great-grandparent is inappropriate to serve as a visitation resource and denies visitation, the Department shall: (i) document the basis of its determination and maintain the documentation in the child's case file and (ii) inform the grandparent or great-grandparent of the grandparent's or great-grandparent's his or her right to a clinical review in accordance with Department rules and procedures. The Department may adopt any rules necessary to implement this Section.

(Source: P.A. 99-838, eff. 1-1-17.)

Section 10. The Department of Children and Family Services Powers Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by changing Section 510-25 as follows:

(20 ILCS 510/510-25) (was 20 ILCS 510/65.5)

Sec. 510-25. Child Care Act of 1969; injunction. The Department has the power to initiate injunction proceedings whenever it appears to the Director of Children and Family Services that any person, group of persons, or corporation is engaged or about to engage in any acts or practices that constitute or will constitute a violation of the Child Care Act of 1969 or any rule or regulation prescribed under the authority of that Act. The Director of Children and Family Services may, in the Director's his or her discretion, through the Attorney General apply for an injunction to enforce the Act, rule, or regulation. Upon a proper showing, any circuit court may enter a permanent or preliminary injunction or a temporary restraining order without bond to enforce the Act, rule, or regulation in addition to the penalties and other remedies provided in the Act, rule, or regulation. Appeals may be taken as in other civil cases.

(Source: P.A. 91-239, eff. 1-1-00.)

Section 15. The Child Death Review Team Act is amended by changing Section 20 as follows:

(20 ILCS 515/20)

Sec. 20. Reviews of child deaths.

(a) Every child death shall be reviewed by the team in the subregion which has primary case management responsibility. The deceased child must be one of the following:

(1) A youth in care.

(2) The subject of an open service case maintained by the Department.

(3) The subject of a pending child abuse or neglect investigation.

(4) A child who was the subject of an abuse or neglect investigation at any time during the 12 months preceding the child's death.

(5) Any other child whose death is reported to the State central register as a result of alleged child abuse or neglect which report is subsequently indicated.

A child death review team may, at its discretion, review other sudden, unexpected, or unexplained child deaths, cases of serious or fatal injuries to a child identified under the Children's Advocacy Center Act, and all unfounded child death cases.

(b) A child death review team's purpose in conducting reviews of child deaths is to do the following:

(1) Assist in determining the cause and manner of the child's death, when requested.

(2) Evaluate means by which the death might have been prevented.

(3) Report its findings to appropriate agencies and make recommendations that may help to reduce the number of child deaths caused by abuse or neglect.

(4) Promote continuing education for professionals involved in investigating, treating, and preventing child abuse and neglect as a means of preventing child deaths due to abuse or neglect.

(5) Make specific recommendations to the Director and the Inspector General of the Department concerning the prevention of child deaths due to abuse or neglect and the establishment of protocols for investigating child deaths.

(c) A child death review team shall review a child death as soon as practical and not later than 90 days following the completion by the Department of the investigation of the death under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. When there has been no investigation by the Department, the child death review team shall review a child's death within 90 days after obtaining the information necessary to complete the review from the coroner, pathologist, medical examiner, or law enforcement agency, depending on the nature of the case. A child death review team shall meet at least once in each calendar quarter.

(d) The Director shall, within 90 days, review and reply to recommendations made by a team under item (5) of subsection (b). With respect to each recommendation made by a team, the Director shall submit the Director's his or her reply both to the chairperson of that team and to the chairperson of the Executive Council. The Director's reply to each recommendation must include a statement as to whether the Director intends to implement the recommendation. The Director shall meet in person with the Executive Council at least every 60 days to discuss recommendations and the Department's responses.

The Director shall implement recommendations as feasible and appropriate and shall respond in writing to explain the implementation or nonimplementation of the recommendations.

(e) Within 90 days after the Director submits a reply with respect to a recommendation as required by subsection (d), the Director must submit an additional report that sets forth in detail the way, if any, in which the Director will implement the recommendation and the schedule for implementing the recommendation. The Director shall submit this report to the chairperson of the team that made the recommendation and to the chairperson of the Executive Council.

(f) Within 180 days after the Director submits a report under subsection (e) concerning the implementation of a recommendation, the Director shall submit a further report to the chairperson of the team that made the recommendation and to the chairperson of the Executive Council. This report shall set forth the specific changes in the Department's policies and procedures that have been made in response to the recommendation.

(Source: P.A. 100-159, eff. 8-18-17; 100-1122, eff. 11-27-18.)

Section 20. The Foster Parent Law is amended by changing Sections 1-5, 1-15, and 1-20 as follows:

(20 ILCS 520/1-5)

Sec. 1-5. Legislative findings. Family foster care is an essential service for children and their families who have been separated due to the tragedy of child abuse, neglect, or dependency. When children have been separated from their families, it is the responsibility of the child welfare team to respond to the needs of the children and their families by means including (i) providing protection and nurture to children in a safe, healthy environment; (ii) meeting the developmental and emotional needs of the children, including maintaining and promoting a child's emotional attachment to a child's his or her own family; (iii) protecting and promoting the child's cultural identity and heritage; and (iv) working toward permanency for children by connecting them to safe, nurturing relationships intended to last a lifetime, preferably with their own family.

Foster parents are an essential part of and fulfill an integral role on the child welfare team along with children in care who are old enough to participate in planning and services, parents of children in care, caseworkers, and other professionals serving the child and family. By providing care for children and supporting the attachment of children to their families in a manner sensitive to each child's and family's unique needs, the foster parent serves the child, the family, and the community.

In order to successfully fulfill their role on the professional child welfare team, foster parents must be committed to the goal of the child welfare program and must provide care to children and promote the best interests of the children and families served. In order to achieve this goal, foster parents must understand and be sensitive to issues of culture, ethnicity, religion, and children's connectedness with their families and must maintain a level of care, conduct, and demeanor that is consistent with the high professional ethics demanded of all other members of the child welfare team.

The General Assembly finds that there is a need to establish public policy regarding the role of foster parents. The General Assembly establishes this statement of foster parents' rights and responsibilities, which shall apply to all foster parents in the State of Illinois, whether supervised by the Department of Children and Family Services or by another agency under contract to the Department of Children and Family Services to provide foster care services.

(Source: P.A. 89-19, eff. 6-3-95.)

(20 ILCS 520/1-15)

Sec. 1-15. Foster parent rights. A foster parent's rights include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) The right to be treated with dignity, respect, and consideration as a professional member of the child welfare team.

(2) The right to be given standardized pre-service training and appropriate ongoing training to meet mutually assessed needs and improve the foster parent's skills.

(3) The right to be informed as to how to contact the appropriate child placement agency in order to receive information and assistance to access supportive services for children in the foster parent's care.

(4) The right to receive timely financial reimbursement commensurate with the care needs of the child as specified in the service plan.

(5) The right to be provided a clear, written understanding of a placement agency's plan concerning the placement of a child in the foster parent's home. Inherent in this right is the foster parent's responsibility to support activities that will promote the child's right to relationships with the child's his or her own family and cultural heritage.

(6) The right to be provided a fair, timely, and impartial investigation of complaints concerning the foster parent's licensure, to be provided the opportunity to have a person of the foster parent's choosing present during the investigation, and to be provided due process during the investigation; the right to be provided the opportunity to request and receive mediation or an administrative review of decisions that affect licensing parameters, or both mediation and an administrative review; and the right to have decisions concerning a licensing corrective action plan specifically explained and tied to the licensing standards violated.

(7) The right, at any time during which a child is placed with the foster parent, to receive additional or necessary information that is relevant to the care of the child.

(7.5) The right to be given information concerning a child (i) from the Department as required under subsection (u) of Section 5 of the Children and Family Services Act and (ii) from a child welfare agency as required under subsection (c-5) of Section 7.4 of the Child Care Act of 1969.

(8) The right to be notified of scheduled meetings and staffings concerning the foster child in order to actively participate in the case planning and decision-making process regarding the child, including individual service planning meetings, administrative case reviews, interdisciplinary staffings, and individual educational planning meetings; the right to be informed of decisions made by the courts or the child welfare agency concerning the child; the right to provide input concerning the plan of services for the child and to have that input given full consideration in the same manner as information presented by any other professional on the team; and the right to communicate with other professionals who work with the foster child within the context of the team, including therapists, physicians, attending health care professionals, and teachers.

(9) The right to be given, in a timely and consistent manner, any information a caseworker case worker has regarding the child and the child's family which is pertinent to the care and needs of the child and to the making of a permanency plan for the child. Disclosure of information concerning the child's family shall be limited to that information that is essential for understanding the needs of and providing care to the child in order to protect the rights of the child's family. When a positive relationship exists between the foster parent and the child's family, the child's family may consent to disclosure of additional information.

(10) The right to be given reasonable written notice of (i) any change in a child's case plan, (ii) plans to terminate the placement of the child with the foster parent, and (iii) the reasons for the change or termination in placement. The notice shall be waived only in cases of a court order or when the child is determined to be at imminent risk of harm.

(11) The right to be notified in a timely and complete manner of all court hearings, including notice of the date and time of the court hearing, the name of the judge or hearing officer hearing the case, the location of the hearing, and the court docket number of the case; and the right to intervene in court proceedings or to seek mandamus under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(12) The right to be considered as a placement option when a foster child who was formerly placed with the foster parent is to be re-entered into foster care, if that placement is consistent with the best interest of the child and other children in the foster parent's home.

(13) The right to have timely access to the child placement agency's existing appeals process and the right to be free from acts of harassment and retaliation by any other party when exercising the right to appeal.

(14) The right to be informed of the Foster Parent Hotline established under Section 35.6 of the Children and Family Services Act and all of the rights accorded to foster parents concerning reports of misconduct by Department employees, service providers, or contractors, confidential handling of those reports, and investigation by the Inspector General appointed under Section 35.5 of the Children and Family Services Act.

(Source: P.A. 99-581, eff. 1-1-17.)

(20 ILCS 520/1-20)

Sec. 1-20. Foster parent responsibilities. A foster parent's responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) The responsibility to openly communicate and share information about the child with other members of the child welfare team.

(2) The responsibility to respect the confidentiality of information concerning foster children and their families and act appropriately within applicable confidentiality laws and regulations.

(3) The responsibility to advocate for children in the foster parent's care.

(4) The responsibility to treat children in the foster parent's care and the children's families with dignity, respect, and consideration.

(5) The responsibility to recognize the foster parent's own individual and familial strengths and limitations when deciding whether to accept a child into care; and the responsibility to recognize the foster parent's own support needs and utilize appropriate supports in providing care for foster children.

(6) The responsibility to be aware of the benefits of relying on and affiliating with other foster parents and foster parent associations in improving the quality of care and service to children and families.

(7) The responsibility to assess the foster parent's ongoing individual training needs and take action to meet those needs.

(8) The responsibility to develop and assist in implementing strategies to prevent placement disruptions, recognizing the traumatic impact of placement disruptions on a foster child and all members of the foster family; and the responsibility to provide emotional support for the foster children and members of the foster family if preventive strategies fail and placement disruptions occur.

(9) The responsibility to know the impact foster parenting has on individuals and family relationships; and the responsibility to endeavor to minimize, as much as possible, any stress that results from foster parenting.

(10) The responsibility to know the rewards and benefits to children, parents, families, and society that come from foster parenting and to promote the foster parenting experience in a positive way.

(11) The responsibility to know the roles, rights, and responsibilities of foster parents, other professionals in the child welfare system, the foster child, and the foster child's own family.

(12) The responsibility to know and, as necessary, fulfill the foster parent's responsibility to serve as a mandated reporter of suspected child abuse or neglect under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act; and the responsibility to know the child welfare agency's policy regarding allegations that foster parents have committed child abuse or neglect and applicable administrative rules and procedures governing investigations of those allegations.

(13) The responsibility to know and receive training regarding the purpose of administrative case reviews, client service plans, and court processes, as well as any filing or time requirements associated with those proceedings; and the responsibility to actively participate in the foster parent's designated role in these proceedings.

(14) The responsibility to know the child welfare agency's appeal procedure for foster parents and the rights of foster parents under the procedure.

(15) The responsibility to know and understand the importance of maintaining accurate and relevant records regarding the child's history and progress; and the responsibility to be aware of and follow the procedures and regulations of the child welfare agency with which the foster parent is licensed or affiliated.

(16) The responsibility to share information, through the child welfare team, with the subsequent caregiver (whether the child's parent or another substitute caregiver) regarding the child's adjustment in the foster parent's home.

(17) The responsibility to provide care and services that are respectful of and responsive to the child's cultural needs and are supportive of the relationship between the child and the child's his or her own family; the responsibility to recognize the increased importance of maintaining a child's cultural identity when the race or culture of the foster family differs from that of the foster child; and the responsibility to take action to address these issues.

(Source: P.A. 89-19, eff. 6-3-95.)

Section 25. The Foster Children's Bill of Rights Act is amended by changing Section 5 as follows:

(20 ILCS 521/5)

Sec. 5. Foster Children's Bill of Rights. It is the policy of this State that every child and adult in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services who is placed in foster care shall have the following rights:

(1) To live in a safe, healthy, and comfortable home where they are he or she is treated with respect.

(2) To be free from physical, sexual, emotional, or other abuse, or corporal punishment.

(3) To receive adequate and healthy food, adequate clothing, and, for youth in group homes, residential treatment facilities, and foster homes, an allowance.

(4) To receive medical, dental, vision, and mental health services.

(5) To be free of the administration of medication or chemical substances, unless authorized by a physician.

(6) To contact family members, unless prohibited by court order, and social workers, attorneys, foster youth advocates and supporters, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs), and probation officers.

(7) To visit and contact siblings brothers and sisters, unless prohibited by court order.

(8) To contact the Advocacy Office for Children and Families established under the Children and Family Services Act or the Department of Children and Family Services' Office of the Inspector General regarding violations of rights, to speak to representatives of these offices confidentially, and to be free from threats or punishment for making complaints.

(9) To make and receive confidential telephone calls and send and receive unopened mail, unless prohibited by court order.

(10) To attend religious services and activities of their his or her choice.

(11) To maintain an emancipation bank account and manage personal income, consistent with the child's age and developmental level, unless prohibited by the case plan.

(12) To not be locked in a room, building, or facility premises, unless placed in a secure child care facility licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services under the Child Care Act of 1969 and placed pursuant to Section 2-27.1 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(13) To attend school and participate in extracurricular, cultural, and personal enrichment activities, consistent with the child's age and developmental level, with minimal disruptions to school attendance and educational stability.

(14) To work and develop job skills at an age-appropriate level, consistent with State law.

(15) To have social contacts with people outside of the foster care system, including teachers, church members, mentors, and friends.

(16) If they meet he or she meets age requirements, to attend services and programs operated by the Department of Children and Family Services or any other appropriate State agency that aim to help current and former foster youth achieve self-sufficiency prior to and after leaving foster care.

(17) To attend court hearings and speak to the judge.

(18) To have storage space for private use.

(19) To be involved in the development of their his or her own case plan and plan for permanent placement.

(20) To review their his or her own case plan and plan for permanent placement, if they are he or she is 12 years of age or older and in a permanent placement, and to receive information about their his or her out-of-home placement and case plan, including being told of changes to the case plan.

(21) To be free from unreasonable searches of personal belongings.

(22) To the confidentiality of all juvenile court records consistent with existing law.

(23) To have fair and equal access to all available services, placement, care, treatment, and benefits, and to not be subjected to discrimination or harassment on the basis of actual or perceived race, ethnic group identification, ancestry, national origin, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental or physical disability, or HIV status.

(24) To have caregivers and child welfare personnel who have received sensitivity training and instruction on matters concerning race, ethnicity, national origin, color, ancestry, religion, mental and physical disability, and HIV status.

(25) To have caregivers and child welfare personnel who have received instruction on cultural competency and sensitivity relating to, and best practices for, providing adequate care to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth in out-of-home care.

(26) At 16 years of age or older, to have access to existing information regarding the educational options available, including, but not limited to, the coursework necessary for vocational and postsecondary educational programs, and information regarding financial aid for postsecondary education.

(27) To have access to age-appropriate, medically accurate information about reproductive health care, the prevention of unplanned pregnancy, and the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections at 12 years of age or older.

(28) To receive a copy of this Act from and have it fully explained by the Department of Children and Family Services when the child or adult is placed in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services.

(29) To be placed in the least restrictive and most family-like setting available and in close proximity to their his or her parent's home consistent with their his or her health, safety, best interests, and special needs.

(30) To participate in an age and developmentally appropriate intake process immediately after placement in the custody or guardianship of the Department. During the intake process, the Department shall provide the youth with a document describing inappropriate acts of affection, discipline, and punishment by guardians, foster parents, foster siblings, or any other adult responsible for the youth's welfare. The Department shall review and discuss the document with the child. The Department must document completion of the intake process in the child's records as well as giving a copy of the document to the child.

(31) To participate in appropriate intervention and counseling services after removal from the home of origin in order to assess whether the youth is exhibiting signs of traumatic stress, special needs, or mental illness.

(32) To receive a home visit by an assigned child welfare specialist, per existing Department policies and procedures, on a monthly basis or more frequently as needed. In addition to what existing policies and procedures outline, home visits shall be used to assess the youth's well-being and emotional health following placement, to determine the youth's relationship with the youth's guardian or foster parent or with any other adult responsible for the youth's welfare or living in or frequenting the home environment, and to determine what forms of discipline, if any, the youth's guardian or foster parent or any other person in the home environment uses to correct the youth.

(33) To be enrolled in an independent living services program prior to transitioning out of foster care where the youth will receive classes and instruction, appropriate to the youth's age and developmental capacity, on independent living and self-sufficiency in the areas of employment, finances, meals, and housing as well as help in developing life skills and long-term goals.

(34) To be assessed by a third-party entity or agency prior to enrollment in any independent living services program in order to determine the youth's readiness for a transition out of foster care based on the youth's individual needs, emotional development, and ability, regardless of age, to make a successful transition to adulthood.

(Source: P.A. 102-810, eff. 1-1-23.)

Section 30. The Statewide Foster Care Advisory Council Law is amended by changing Section 5-10 as follows:

(20 ILCS 525/5-10)

Sec. 5-10. Membership.

(a) The Statewide Foster Care Advisory Council shall consist of the following membership:

(1) 2 foster parents from the Department's southern and northern administrative regions; 3 foster parents from the Department's central administrative region; and 2 foster parents from each of the Department's Cook County administrative regions. One of the 6 foster parents representing the Cook County administrative regions shall be the current President of the Cook County Foster Parent Advisory Committee;

(2) 2 foster parents representing the Department's Child Welfare Advisory Committee, with at least one foster parent residing in Cook County;

(3) 2 foster care professionals representing the Department's Child Welfare Advisory Committee to represent agencies providing foster care services under contract to the Department;

(4) the current president of the Illinois Foster Parent Association; and

(5) 4 other non-Department persons with recognized expertise regarding foster care who shall be nominated by the Director of the Department ("the Director").

Each Administrator of the Department's specified administrative regions shall make recommendations of foster parents for appointment as members to the Director. The recommendations of the Regional Administrator shall be based upon consultation by the Regional Administrator with organized foster parent groups and Department staff.

All appointments to the Council shall be made in writing by the Director. In soliciting and making appointments, the Director shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure the membership of the Council is culturally diverse and representative and also geographically representative of the Department's administrative regions.

(b) Each member shall be appointed for a term of 3 years. No member shall be appointed to more than 2 terms, except the President of the Illinois Foster Parent Association and the President of the Cook County Foster Parent Association may serve as long as the member he or she holds office. Members shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed. The terms of original members and of members subsequently appointed to fill vacancies created by a change in the number of the Council's members shall be determined to assure as nearly as possible that the terms of one-third of the members in each sector expire each year on June 30th. The original members in each sector shall determine by lot the length of each member's term, one-third to be for 3 years, one-third to be for 2 years, and one-third to be for one year, and the Council's secretary shall record the results. Thereafter, any member appointed to fill a vacancy other than one created by the expiration of a regular 3 year term shall be appointed for the unexpired term of the predecessor member, or in the case of new memberships created by change in number of members, for such term as is appropriate under this subsection.

(c) Members of the Advisory Council shall serve without compensation, except that the Department shall reimburse members for travel and per diem expenses associated with participation in Advisory Council meetings and activities. Reimbursement shall be consistent with Illinois Department of Central Management Services rules, as approved by the Governor's Travel Control Board.

(Source: P.A. 89-19, eff. 6-3-95.)

Section 35. The Department of Children and Family Services Statewide Youth Advisory Board Act is amended by changing Section 15 as follows:

(20 ILCS 527/15)

Sec. 15. Meetings.

(a) Regular meetings of the regional youth advisory boards shall be held monthly.

(b) Regular meetings of the Statewide Youth Advisory Board shall be held at least 5 times per year.

(c) The Director of the Department or the Director's his or her designee shall meet with the Statewide Youth Advisory Board at least quarterly in order to discuss the issues and concerns of youth in foster care.

(d) All meetings shall take place at locations, dates, and times determined by the Department or its designee in accordance with the bylaws for the Statewide Youth Advisory Board and the regional youth advisory boards.

(Source: P.A. 98-806, eff. 1-1-15.)

Section 40. The Interstate Compact on Adoption Act is amended by changing Section 5-35 as follows:

(45 ILCS 17/5-35)

Sec. 5-35. Medical assistance.

(a) A child with special needs who resides in this State and who is the subject of an adoption assistance agreement with another state shall be eligible for medical assistance from this State under Article V of the Illinois Public Aid Code upon the filing of agreed documentation obtained from the assistance state and filed with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. The Department of Children and Family Services shall be required at least annually to establish that the agreement is still in force or has been renewed.

(b) If a child (i) is in another state, (ii) is covered by an adoption assistance agreement made by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and (iii) was eligible for medical assistance under Article V of the Illinois Public Aid Code at the time the child he or she resided in this State and would continue to be eligible for that assistance if the child he or she was currently residing in this State, then that child is eligible for medical assistance under Article V of the Illinois Public Aid Code, but only for those medical assistance benefits under Article V that are not provided by the other state. There shall be no payment or reimbursement by this State for services or benefits covered under any insurance or other third party medical contract or arrangement held by the child or the adoptive parents.

(c) The submission of any claim for payment or reimbursement for services or benefits pursuant to this Section or the making of any statement in connection therewith, which claim or statement the maker knows or should know to be false, misleading, or fraudulent, shall be punishable as perjury and shall also be subject to a fine not to exceed $10,000 or imprisonment for not to exceed 2 years, or both.

(d) The provisions of this Section shall apply only to medical assistance for children under adoption assistance agreements from states that have entered into a compact with this State under which the other state provided medical assistance to children with special needs under adoption assistance agreements made by this State.

(e) The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may adopt all rules necessary to implement this Section.

(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)

Section 45. The Child Care Act of 1969 is amended by changing Sections 2.24, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.3, 7, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.6, 7.7, 9, 9.1b, 12, 14.5, 14.7, and 18 as follows:

(225 ILCS 10/2.24)

Sec. 2.24. "Adoption services" includes any one or more of the following services performed for any type of compensation or thing of value, directly or indirectly: (i) arranging for the placement of or placing out a child, (ii) identifying a child for adoption, (iii) matching adoptive parents with birth biological parents, (iv) arranging or facilitating an adoption, (v) taking or acknowledging consents or surrenders for termination of parental rights for purposes of adoption, as defined in the Adoption Act, (vi) performing background studies on a child or adoptive parents, (vii) making determinations of the best interests of a child and the appropriateness of adoptive placement for the child, or (viii) post-placement monitoring of a child prior to adoption. "Adoption services" does not include the following: (1) the provision of legal services by a licensed attorney for which the attorney must be licensed as an attorney under Illinois law, (2) adoption-related services performed by public governmental entities or entities or persons performing investigations by court appointment as described in subsection A of Section 6 of the Adoption Act, (3) prospective birth biological parents or adoptive parents operating on their own behalf, (4) the provision of general education and training on adoption-related topics, or (5) post-adoption services, including supportive services to families to promote the well-being of members of adoptive families or birth families.

(Source: P.A. 94-586, eff. 8-15-05.)

(225 ILCS 10/3.3)

Sec. 3.3. Requirements for criminal background checks for adoption-only homes. In approving an adoption-only home pursuant to Section 3.2 of this Act, if an adult resident has an arrest or conviction record, the licensed child welfare agency:

(1) shall thoroughly investigate and evaluate the criminal history of the resident and, in so doing, include an assessment of the applicant's character and, in the case of the prospective adoptive parent, the impact that the criminal history has on the prospective adoptive parent's his or her ability to parent the child; the investigation should consider the type of crime, the number of crimes, the nature of the offense, the age at time of crime, the length of time that has elapsed since the last conviction, the relationship of the crime to the ability to care for children, and any evidence of rehabilitation;

(2) shall not approve the home if the record reveals a felony conviction for crimes against a child, including, but not limited to, child abuse or neglect, child pornography, rape, sexual assault, or homicide;

(3) shall not approve the home if the record reveals a felony conviction within the last 5 years, including, but not limited to, for physical assault, battery, drug-related offenses, or spousal abuse; and

(4) shall not approve the home if the record reveals a felony conviction for homicide, rape, or sexual assault.

(Source: P.A. 99-833, eff. 1-1-17.)

(225 ILCS 10/4.1) (from Ch. 23, par. 2214.1)

Sec. 4.1. Criminal Background Investigations. The Department shall require that each child care facility license applicant as part of the application process, and each employee and volunteer of a child care facility or non-licensed service provider, as a condition of employment, authorize an investigation to determine if such applicant, employee, or volunteer has ever been charged with a crime and if so, the disposition of those charges; this authorization shall indicate the scope of the inquiry and the agencies which may be contacted. Upon this authorization, the Director shall request and receive information and assistance from any federal, State or local governmental agency as part of the authorized investigation. Each applicant, employee, or volunteer of a child care facility or non-licensed service provider shall submit the applicant's, employee's, or volunteer's his or her fingerprints to the Illinois State Police in the form and manner prescribed by the Illinois State Police. These fingerprints shall be checked against the fingerprint records now and hereafter filed in the Illinois State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records databases. The Illinois State Police shall charge a fee for conducting the criminal history records check, which shall be deposited in the State Police Services Fund and shall not exceed the actual cost of the records check. The Illinois State Police shall provide information concerning any criminal charges, and their disposition, now or hereafter filed, against an applicant, employee, or volunteer of a child care facility or non-licensed service provider upon request of the Department of Children and Family Services when the request is made in the form and manner required by the Illinois State Police.

Information concerning convictions of a license applicant, employee, or volunteer of a child care facility or non-licensed service provider investigated under this Section, including the source of the information and any conclusions or recommendations derived from the information, shall be provided, upon request, to such applicant, employee, or volunteer of a child care facility or non-licensed service provider prior to final action by the Department on the application. State conviction information provided by the Illinois State Police regarding employees, prospective employees, or volunteers of non-licensed service providers and child care facilities licensed under this Act shall be provided to the operator of such facility, and, upon request, to the employee, prospective employee, or volunteer of a child care facility or non-licensed service provider. Any information concerning criminal charges and the disposition of such charges obtained by the Department shall be confidential and may not be transmitted outside the Department, except as required herein, and may not be transmitted to anyone within the Department except as needed for the purpose of evaluating an application or an employee or volunteer of a child care facility or non-licensed service provider. Only information and standards which bear a reasonable and rational relation to the performance of a child care facility shall be used by the Department or any licensee. Any employee of the Department of Children and Family Services, Illinois State Police, or a child care facility receiving confidential information under this Section who gives or causes to be given any confidential information concerning any criminal convictions of an applicant, employee, or volunteer of a child care facility or non-licensed service provider, shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor unless release of such information is authorized by this Section.

A child care facility may hire, on a probationary basis, any employee or volunteer of a child care facility or non-licensed service provider authorizing a criminal background investigation under this Section, pending the result of such investigation. Employees and volunteers of a child care facility or non-licensed service provider shall be notified prior to hiring that such employment may be terminated on the basis of criminal background information obtained by the facility.

(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)

(225 ILCS 10/4.2) (from Ch. 23, par. 2214.2)

Sec. 4.2. (a) No applicant may receive a license from the Department and no person may be employed by a licensed child care facility who refuses to authorize an investigation as required by Section 4.1.

(b) In addition to the other provisions of this Section, no applicant may receive a license from the Department and no person may be employed by a child care facility licensed by the Department who has been declared a sexually dangerous person under the Sexually Dangerous Persons Act "An Act in relation to sexually dangerous persons, and providing for their commitment, detention and supervision", approved July 6, 1938, as amended, or convicted of committing or attempting to commit any of the following offenses stipulated under the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012:

(1) murder;

(1.1) solicitation of murder;

(1.2) solicitation of murder for hire;

(1.3) intentional homicide of an unborn child;

(1.4) voluntary manslaughter of an unborn child;

(1.5) involuntary manslaughter;

(1.6) reckless homicide;

(1.7) concealment of a homicidal death;

(1.8) involuntary manslaughter of an unborn child;

(1.9) reckless homicide of an unborn child;

(1.10) drug-induced homicide;

(2) a sex offense under Article 11, except offenses described in Sections 11-7, 11-8, 11-12, 11-13, 11-35, 11-40, and 11-45;

(3) kidnapping;

(3.1) aggravated unlawful restraint;

(3.2) forcible detention;

(3.3) harboring a runaway;

(3.4) aiding and abetting child abduction;

(4) aggravated kidnapping;

(5) child abduction;

(6) aggravated battery of a child as described in Section 12-4.3 or subdivision (b)(1) of Section 12-3.05;

(7) criminal sexual assault;

(8) aggravated criminal sexual assault;

(8.1) predatory criminal sexual assault of a child;

(9) criminal sexual abuse;

(10) aggravated sexual abuse;

(11) heinous battery as described in Section 12-4.1 or subdivision (a)(2) of Section 12-3.05;

(12) aggravated battery with a firearm as described in Section 12-4.2 or subdivision (e)(1), (e)(2), (e)(3), or (e)(4) of Section 12-3.05;

(13) tampering with food, drugs, or cosmetics;

(14) drug induced infliction of great bodily harm as described in Section 12-4.7 or subdivision (g)(1) of Section 12-3.05;

(15) hate crime;

(16) stalking;

(17) aggravated stalking;

(18) threatening public officials;

(19) home invasion;

(20) vehicular invasion;

(21) criminal transmission of HIV;

(22) criminal abuse or neglect of an elderly person or person with a disability as described in Section 12-21 or subsection (e) of Section 12-4.4a;

(23) child abandonment;

(24) endangering the life or health of a child;

(25) ritual mutilation;

(26) ritualized abuse of a child;

(27) an offense in any other jurisdiction the elements of which are similar and bear a substantial relationship to any of the foregoing offenses.

(b-1) In addition to the other provisions of this Section, beginning January 1, 2004, no new applicant and, on the date of licensure renewal, no current licensee may operate or receive a license from the Department to operate, no person may be employed by, and no adult person may reside in a child care facility licensed by the Department who has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit any of the following offenses or an offense in any other jurisdiction the elements of which are similar and bear a substantial relationship to any of the following offenses:

(I) BODILY HARM

(1) Felony aggravated assault.

(2) Vehicular endangerment.

(3) Felony domestic battery.

(4) Aggravated battery.

(5) Heinous battery.

(6) Aggravated battery with a firearm.

(7) Aggravated battery of an unborn child.

(8) Aggravated battery of a senior citizen.

(9) Intimidation.

(10) Compelling organization membership of persons.

(11) Abuse and criminal neglect of a long term care facility resident.

(12) Felony violation of an order of protection.

(II) OFFENSES AFFECTING PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND DECENCY

(1) Felony unlawful use of weapons.

(2) Aggravated discharge of a firearm.

(3) Reckless discharge of a firearm.

(4) Unlawful use of metal piercing bullets.

(5) Unlawful sale or delivery of firearms on the premises of any school.

(6) Disarming a police officer.

(7) Obstructing justice.

(8) Concealing or aiding a fugitive.

(9) Armed violence.

(10) Felony contributing to the criminal delinquency of a juvenile.

(III) DRUG OFFENSES

(1) Possession of more than 30 grams of cannabis.

(2) Manufacture of more than 10 grams of cannabis.

(3) Cannabis trafficking.

(4) Delivery of cannabis on school grounds.

(5) Unauthorized production of more than 5 cannabis sativa plants.

(6) Calculated criminal cannabis conspiracy.

(7) Unauthorized manufacture or delivery of controlled substances.

(8) Controlled substance trafficking.

(9) Manufacture, distribution, or advertisement of look-alike substances.

(10) Calculated criminal drug conspiracy.

(11) Street gang criminal drug conspiracy.

(12) Permitting unlawful use of a building.

(13) Delivery of controlled, counterfeit, or look-alike substances to persons under age 18, or at truck stops, rest stops, or safety rest areas, or on school property.

(14) Using, engaging, or employing persons under 18 to deliver controlled, counterfeit, or look-alike substances.

(15) Delivery of controlled substances.

(16) Sale or delivery of drug paraphernalia.

(17) Felony possession, sale, or exchange of instruments adapted for use of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, or cannabis by subcutaneous injection.

(18) Felony possession of a controlled substance.

(19) Any violation of the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act.

(b-1.5) In addition to any other provision of this Section, for applicants with access to confidential financial information or who submit documentation to support billing, the Department may, in its discretion, deny or refuse to renew a license to an applicant who has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit any of the following felony offenses:

(1) financial institution fraud under Section 17-10.6 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012;

(2) identity theft under Section 16-30 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012;

(3) financial exploitation of an elderly person or a person with a disability under Section 17-56 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012;

(4) computer tampering under Section 17-51 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012;

(5) aggravated computer tampering under Section 17-52 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012;

(6) computer fraud under Section 17-50 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012;

(7) deceptive practices under Section 17-1 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012;

(8) forgery under Section 17-3 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012;

(9) State benefits fraud under Section 17-6 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012;

(10) mail fraud and wire fraud under Section 17-24 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012;

(11) theft under paragraphs (1.1) through (11) of subsection (b) of Section 16-1 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012.

(b-2) Notwithstanding subsection (b-1), the Department may make an exception and, for child care facilities other than foster family homes, issue a new child care facility license to or renew the existing child care facility license of an applicant, a person employed by a child care facility, or an applicant who has an adult residing in a home child care facility who was convicted of an offense described in subsection (b-1), provided that all of the following requirements are met:

(1) The relevant criminal offense occurred more than 5 years prior to the date of application or renewal, except for drug offenses. The relevant drug offense must have occurred more than 10 years prior to the date of application or renewal, unless the applicant passed a drug test, arranged and paid for by the child care facility, no less than 5 years after the offense.

(2) The Department must conduct a background check and assess all convictions and recommendations of the child care facility to determine if hiring or licensing the applicant is in accordance with Department administrative rules and procedures.

(3) The applicant meets all other requirements and qualifications to be licensed as the pertinent type of child care facility under this Act and the Department's administrative rules.

(c) In addition to the other provisions of this Section, no applicant may receive a license from the Department to operate a foster family home, and no adult person may reside in a foster family home licensed by the Department, who has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit any of the following offenses stipulated under the Criminal Code of 1961, the Criminal Code of 2012, the Cannabis Control Act, the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, and the Illinois Controlled Substances Act:

(I) OFFENSES DIRECTED AGAINST THE PERSON

(A) KIDNAPPING AND RELATED OFFENSES

(1) Unlawful restraint.

(B) BODILY HARM

(2) Felony aggravated assault.

(3) Vehicular endangerment.

(4) Felony domestic battery.

(5) Aggravated battery.

(6) Heinous battery.

(7) Aggravated battery with a firearm.

(8) Aggravated battery of an unborn child.

(9) Aggravated battery of a senior citizen.

(10) Intimidation.

(11) Compelling organization membership of persons.

(12) Abuse and criminal neglect of a long term care facility resident.

(13) Felony violation of an order of protection.

(II) OFFENSES DIRECTED AGAINST PROPERTY

(14) Felony theft.

(15) Robbery.

(16) Armed robbery.

(17) Aggravated robbery.

(18) Vehicular hijacking.

(19) Aggravated vehicular hijacking.

(20) Burglary.

(21) Possession of burglary tools.

(22) Residential burglary.

(23) Criminal fortification of a residence or building.

(24) Arson.

(25) Aggravated arson.

(26) Possession of explosive or explosive incendiary devices.

(III) OFFENSES AFFECTING PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND DECENCY

(27) Felony unlawful use of weapons.

(28) Aggravated discharge of a firearm.

(29) Reckless discharge of a firearm.

(30) Unlawful use of metal piercing bullets.

(31) Unlawful sale or delivery of firearms on the premises of any school.

(32) Disarming a police officer.

(33) Obstructing justice.

(34) Concealing or aiding a fugitive.

(35) Armed violence.

(36) Felony contributing to the criminal delinquency of a juvenile.

(IV) DRUG OFFENSES

(37) Possession of more than 30 grams of cannabis.

(38) Manufacture of more than 10 grams of cannabis.

(39) Cannabis trafficking.

(40) Delivery of cannabis on school grounds.

(41) Unauthorized production of more than 5 cannabis sativa plants.

(42) Calculated criminal cannabis conspiracy.

(43) Unauthorized manufacture or delivery of controlled substances.

(44) Controlled substance trafficking.

(45) Manufacture, distribution, or advertisement of look-alike substances.

(46) Calculated criminal drug conspiracy.

(46.5) Streetgang criminal drug conspiracy.

(47) Permitting unlawful use of a building.

(48) Delivery of controlled, counterfeit, or look-alike substances to persons under age 18, or at truck stops, rest stops, or safety rest areas, or on school property.

(49) Using, engaging, or employing persons under 18 to deliver controlled, counterfeit, or look-alike substances.

(50) Delivery of controlled substances.

(51) Sale or delivery of drug paraphernalia.

(52) Felony possession, sale, or exchange of instruments adapted for use of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, or cannabis by subcutaneous injection.

(53) Any violation of the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act.

(d) Notwithstanding subsection (c), the Department may make an exception and issue a new foster family home license or may renew an existing foster family home license of an applicant who was convicted of an offense described in subsection (c), provided all of the following requirements are met:

(1) The relevant criminal offense or offenses occurred more than 10 years prior to the date of application or renewal.

(2) The applicant had previously disclosed the conviction or convictions to the Department for purposes of a background check.

(3) After the disclosure, the Department either placed a child in the home or the foster family home license was issued.

(4) During the background check, the Department had assessed and waived the conviction in compliance with the existing statutes and rules in effect at the time of the hire or licensure.

(5) The applicant meets all other requirements and qualifications to be licensed as a foster family home under this Act and the Department's administrative rules.

(6) The applicant has a history of providing a safe, stable home environment and appears able to continue to provide a safe, stable home environment.

(e) In evaluating the exception pursuant to subsections (b-2) and (d), the Department must carefully review any relevant documents to determine whether the applicant, despite the disqualifying convictions, poses a substantial risk to State resources or clients. In making such a determination, the following guidelines shall be used:

(1) the age of the applicant when the offense was committed;

(2) the circumstances surrounding the offense;

(3) the length of time since the conviction;

(4) the specific duties and responsibilities necessarily related to the license being applied for and the bearing, if any, that the applicant's conviction history may have on the applicant's his or her fitness to perform these duties and responsibilities;

(5) the applicant's employment references;

(6) the applicant's character references and any certificates of achievement;

(7) an academic transcript showing educational attainment since the disqualifying conviction;

(8) a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities or Certificate of Good Conduct; and

(9) anything else that speaks to the applicant's character.

(Source: P.A. 101-112, eff. 7-19-19.)

(225 ILCS 10/5.1) (from Ch. 23, par. 2215.1)

(Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 102-982)

Sec. 5.1. (a) The Department shall ensure that no day care center, group home or child care institution as defined in this Act shall on a regular basis transport a child or children with any motor vehicle unless such vehicle is operated by a person who complies with the following requirements:

1. is 21 years of age or older;

2. currently holds a valid driver's license, which has not been revoked or suspended for one or more traffic violations during the 3 years immediately prior to the date of application;

3. demonstrates physical fitness to operate vehicles by submitting the results of a medical examination conducted by a licensed physician;

4. has not been convicted of more than 2 offenses against traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles within a twelve month period;

5. has not been convicted of reckless driving or driving under the influence or manslaughter or reckless homicide resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle within the past 3 years;

6. has signed and submitted a written statement certifying that the person he has not, through the unlawful operation of a motor vehicle, caused an accident which resulted in the death of any person within the 5 years immediately prior to the date of application.

However, such day care centers, group homes and child care institutions may provide for transportation of a child or children for special outings, functions or purposes that are not scheduled on a regular basis without verification that drivers for such purposes meet the requirements of this Section.

(a-5) As a means of ensuring compliance with the requirements set forth in subsection (a), the Department shall implement appropriate measures to verify that every individual who is employed at a group home or child care institution meets those requirements.

For every person individual employed at a group home or child care institution who regularly transports children in the course of performing the person's his or her duties, the Department must make the verification every 2 years. Upon the Department's request, the Secretary of State shall provide the Department with the information necessary to enable the Department to make the verifications required under subsection (a).

In the case of an individual employed at a group home or child care institution who becomes subject to subsection (a) for the first time after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, the Department must make that verification with the Secretary of State before the individual operates a motor vehicle to transport a child or children under the circumstances described in subsection (a).

In the case of an individual employed at a group home or child care institution who is subject to subsection (a) on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, the Department must make that verification with the Secretary of State within 30 days after that effective date.

If the Department discovers that an individual fails to meet the requirements set forth in subsection (a), the Department shall promptly notify the appropriate group home or child care institution.

(b) Any individual who holds a valid Illinois school bus driver permit issued by the Secretary of State pursuant to The Illinois Vehicle Code, and who is currently employed by a school district or parochial school, or by a contractor with a school district or parochial school, to drive a school bus transporting children to and from school, shall be deemed in compliance with the requirements of subsection (a).

(c) The Department may, pursuant to Section 8 of this Act, revoke the license of any day care center, group home or child care institution that fails to meet the requirements of this Section.

(d) A group home or child care institution that fails to meet the requirements of this Section is guilty of a petty offense and is subject to a fine of not more than $1,000. Each day that a group home or child care institution fails to meet the requirements of this Section is a separate offense.

(Source: P.A. 94-943, eff. 1-1-07.)

(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 102-982)

Sec. 5.1. (a) The Department shall ensure that no day care center, group home or child care institution as defined in this Act shall on a regular basis transport a child or children with any motor vehicle unless such vehicle is operated by a person who complies with the following requirements:

1. is 21 years of age or older;

2. currently holds a valid driver's license, which has not been revoked or suspended for one or more traffic violations during the 3 years immediately prior to the date of application;

3. demonstrates physical fitness to operate vehicles by submitting the results of a medical examination conducted by a licensed physician;

4. has not been convicted of more than 2 offenses against traffic regulations governing the movement of vehicles within a twelve month period;

5. has not been convicted of reckless driving or driving under the influence or manslaughter or reckless homicide resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle within the past 3 years;

6. has signed and submitted a written statement certifying that the person he has not, through the unlawful operation of a motor vehicle, caused a crash which resulted in the death of any person within the 5 years immediately prior to the date of application.

However, such day care centers, group homes and child care institutions may provide for transportation of a child or children for special outings, functions or purposes that are not scheduled on a regular basis without verification that drivers for such purposes meet the requirements of this Section.

(a-5) As a means of ensuring compliance with the requirements set forth in subsection (a), the Department shall implement appropriate measures to verify that every individual who is employed at a group home or child care institution meets those requirements.

For every person individual employed at a group home or child care institution who regularly transports children in the course of performing the person's his or her duties, the Department must make the verification every 2 years. Upon the Department's request, the Secretary of State shall provide the Department with the information necessary to enable the Department to make the verifications required under subsection (a).

In the case of an individual employed at a group home or child care institution who becomes subject to subsection (a) for the first time after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, the Department must make that verification with the Secretary of State before the individual operates a motor vehicle to transport a child or children under the circumstances described in subsection (a).

In the case of an individual employed at a group home or child care institution who is subject to subsection (a) on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, the Department must make that verification with the Secretary of State within 30 days after that effective date.

If the Department discovers that an individual fails to meet the requirements set forth in subsection (a), the Department shall promptly notify the appropriate group home or child care institution.

(b) Any individual who holds a valid Illinois school bus driver permit issued by the Secretary of State pursuant to The Illinois Vehicle Code, and who is currently employed by a school district or parochial school, or by a contractor with a school district or parochial school, to drive a school bus transporting children to and from school, shall be deemed in compliance with the requirements of subsection (a).

(c) The Department may, pursuant to Section 8 of this Act, revoke the license of any day care center, group home or child care institution that fails to meet the requirements of this Section.

(d) A group home or child care institution that fails to meet the requirements of this Section is guilty of a petty offense and is subject to a fine of not more than $1,000. Each day that a group home or child care institution fails to meet the requirements of this Section is a separate offense.

(Source: P.A. 102-982, eff. 7-1-23.)

(225 ILCS 10/5.3)

Sec. 5.3. Lunches in day care homes. In order to increase the affordability and availability of day care, a day care home licensed under this Act may allow any child it receives to bring the child's his or her lunch for consumption instead of or in addition to the lunch provided by the day care home.

(Source: P.A. 90-242, eff. 1-1-98.)

(225 ILCS 10/7) (from Ch. 23, par. 2217)

Sec. 7. (a) The Department must prescribe and publish minimum standards for licensing that apply to the various types of facilities for child care defined in this Act and that are equally applicable to like institutions under the control of the Department and to foster family homes used by and under the direct supervision of the Department. The Department shall seek the advice and assistance of persons representative of the various types of child care facilities in establishing such standards. The standards prescribed and published under this Act take effect as provided in the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, and are restricted to regulations pertaining to the following matters and to any rules and regulations required or permitted by any other Section of this Act:

(1) The operation and conduct of the facility and responsibility it assumes for child care;

(2) The character, suitability and qualifications of the applicant and other persons directly responsible for the care and welfare of children served. All child day care center licensees and employees who are required to report child abuse or neglect under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act shall be required to attend training on recognizing child abuse and neglect, as prescribed by Department rules;

(3) The general financial ability and competence of the applicant to provide necessary care for children and to maintain prescribed standards;

(4) The number of individuals or staff required to insure adequate supervision and care of the children received. The standards shall provide that each child care institution, maternity center, day care center, group home, day care home, and group day care home shall have on its premises during its hours of operation at least one staff member certified in first aid, in the Heimlich maneuver and in cardiopulmonary resuscitation by the American Red Cross or other organization approved by rule of the Department. Child welfare agencies shall not be subject to such a staffing requirement. The Department may offer, or arrange for the offering, on a periodic basis in each community in this State in cooperation with the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association or other appropriate organization, voluntary programs to train operators of foster family homes and day care homes in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation;

(5) The appropriateness, safety, cleanliness, and general adequacy of the premises, including maintenance of adequate fire prevention and health standards conforming to State laws and municipal codes to provide for the physical comfort, care, and well-being of children received;

(6) Provisions for food, clothing, educational opportunities, program, equipment and individual supplies to assure the healthy physical, mental, and spiritual development of children served;

(7) Provisions to safeguard the legal rights of children served;

(8) Maintenance of records pertaining to the admission, progress, health, and discharge of children, including, for day care centers and day care homes, records indicating each child has been immunized as required by State regulations. The Department shall require proof that children enrolled in a facility have been immunized against Haemophilus Influenzae B (HIB);

(9) Filing of reports with the Department;

(10) Discipline of children;

(11) Protection and fostering of the particular religious faith of the children served;

(12) Provisions prohibiting firearms on day care center premises except in the possession of peace officers;

(13) Provisions prohibiting handguns on day care home premises except in the possession of peace officers or other adults who must possess a handgun as a condition of employment and who reside on the premises of a day care home;

(14) Provisions requiring that any firearm permitted on day care home premises, except handguns in the possession of peace officers, shall be kept in a disassembled state, without ammunition, in locked storage, inaccessible to children and that ammunition permitted on day care home premises shall be kept in locked storage separate from that of disassembled firearms, inaccessible to children;

(15) Provisions requiring notification of parents or guardians enrolling children at a day care home of the presence in the day care home of any firearms and ammunition and of the arrangements for the separate, locked storage of such firearms and ammunition;

(16) Provisions requiring all licensed child care facility employees who care for newborns and infants to complete training every 3 years on the nature of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and the safe sleep recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics; and

(17) With respect to foster family homes, provisions requiring the Department to review quality of care concerns and to consider those concerns in determining whether a foster family home is qualified to care for children.

By July 1, 2022, all licensed day care home providers, licensed group day care home providers, and licensed day care center directors and classroom staff shall participate in at least one training that includes the topics of early childhood social emotional learning, infant and early childhood mental health, early childhood trauma, or adverse childhood experiences. Current licensed providers, directors, and classroom staff shall complete training by July 1, 2022 and shall participate in training that includes the above topics at least once every 3 years.

(b) If, in a facility for general child care, there are children diagnosed as mentally ill or children diagnosed as having an intellectual or physical disability, who are determined to be in need of special mental treatment or of nursing care, or both mental treatment and nursing care, the Department shall seek the advice and recommendation of the Department of Human Services, the Department of Public Health, or both Departments regarding the residential treatment and nursing care provided by the institution.

(c) The Department shall investigate any person applying to be licensed as a foster parent to determine whether there is any evidence of current drug or alcohol abuse in the prospective foster family. The Department shall not license a person as a foster parent if drug or alcohol abuse has been identified in the foster family or if a reasonable suspicion of such abuse exists, except that the Department may grant a foster parent license to an applicant identified with an alcohol or drug problem if the applicant has successfully participated in an alcohol or drug treatment program, self-help group, or other suitable activities and if the Department determines that the foster family home can provide a safe, appropriate environment and meet the physical and emotional needs of children.

(d) The Department, in applying standards prescribed and published, as herein provided, shall offer consultation through employed staff or other qualified persons to assist applicants and licensees in meeting and maintaining minimum requirements for a license and to help them otherwise to achieve programs of excellence related to the care of children served. Such consultation shall include providing information concerning education and training in early childhood development to providers of day care home services. The Department may provide or arrange for such education and training for those providers who request such assistance.

(e) The Department shall distribute copies of licensing standards to all licensees and applicants for a license. Each licensee or holder of a permit shall distribute copies of the appropriate licensing standards and any other information required by the Department to child care facilities under its supervision. Each licensee or holder of a permit shall maintain appropriate documentation of the distribution of the standards. Such documentation shall be part of the records of the facility and subject to inspection by authorized representatives of the Department.

(f) The Department shall prepare summaries of day care licensing standards. Each licensee or holder of a permit for a day care facility shall distribute a copy of the appropriate summary and any other information required by the Department, to the legal guardian of each child cared for in that facility at the time when the child is enrolled or initially placed in the facility. The licensee or holder of a permit for a day care facility shall secure appropriate documentation of the distribution of the summary and brochure. Such documentation shall be a part of the records of the facility and subject to inspection by an authorized representative of the Department.

(g) The Department shall distribute to each licensee and holder of a permit copies of the licensing or permit standards applicable to such person's facility. Each licensee or holder of a permit shall make available by posting at all times in a common or otherwise accessible area a complete and current set of licensing standards in order that all employees of the facility may have unrestricted access to such standards. All employees of the facility shall have reviewed the standards and any subsequent changes. Each licensee or holder of a permit shall maintain appropriate documentation of the current review of licensing standards by all employees. Such records shall be part of the records of the facility and subject to inspection by authorized representatives of the Department.

(h) Any standards involving physical examinations, immunization, or medical treatment shall include appropriate exemptions for children whose parents object thereto on the grounds that they conflict with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious organization, of which the parent is an adherent or member, and for children who should not be subjected to immunization for clinical reasons.

(i) The Department, in cooperation with the Department of Public Health, shall work to increase immunization awareness and participation among parents of children enrolled in day care centers and day care homes by publishing on the Department's website information about the benefits of immunization against vaccine preventable diseases, including influenza and pertussis. The information for vaccine preventable diseases shall include the incidence and severity of the diseases, the availability of vaccines, and the importance of immunizing children and persons who frequently have close contact with children. The website content shall be reviewed annually in collaboration with the Department of Public Health to reflect the most current recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The Department shall work with day care centers and day care homes licensed under this Act to ensure that the information is annually distributed to parents in August or September.

(j) Any standard adopted by the Department that requires an applicant for a license to operate a day care home to include a copy of a high school diploma or equivalent certificate with the person's his or her application shall be deemed to be satisfied if the applicant includes a copy of a high school diploma or equivalent certificate or a copy of a degree from an accredited institution of higher education or vocational institution or equivalent certificate.

(Source: P.A. 102-4, eff. 4-27-21.)

(225 ILCS 10/7.2) (from Ch. 23, par. 2217.2)

Sec. 7.2. Employer discrimination. (a) For purposes of this Section, "employer" means a licensee or holder of a permit subject to this Act. "Employee" means an employee of such an employer.

(b) No employer shall discharge, demote or suspend, or threaten to discharge, demote or suspend, or in any manner discriminate against any employee who:

(1) Makes any good faith oral or written complaint of any employer's violation of any licensing or other laws (including but not limited to laws concerning child abuse or the transportation of children) which may result in closure of the facility pursuant to Section 11.2 of this Act to the Department or other agency having statutory responsibility for the enforcement of such laws or to the employer or representative of the employer;

(2) Institutes or causes to be instituted against any employer any proceeding concerning the violation of any licensing or other laws, including a proceeding to revoke or to refuse to renew a license under Section 9 of this Act;

(3) Is or will be a witness or testify in any proceeding concerning the violation of any licensing or other laws, including a proceeding to revoke or to refuse to renew a license under Section 9 of this Act; or

(4) Refuses to perform work in violation of a licensing or other law or regulation after notifying the employer of the violation.

(c)(1) A claim by an employee alleging an employer's violation of subsection (b) of this Section shall be presented to the employer within 30 days after the date of the action complained of and shall be filed with the Department of Labor within 60 days after the date of the action complained of.

(2) Upon receipt of the complaint, the Department of Labor shall conduct whatever investigation it deems appropriate, and may hold a hearing. After investigation or hearing, the Department of Labor shall determine whether the employer has violated subsection (b) of this Section and it shall notify the employer and the employee of its determination.

(3) If the Department of Labor determines that the employer has violated subsection (b) of this Section, and the employer refuses to take remedial action to comply with the determination, the Department of Labor shall so notify the Attorney General, who shall bring an action against the employer in the circuit court seeking enforcement of its determination. The court may order any appropriate relief, including rehiring and reinstatement of the employee to the person's his or her former position with backpay and other benefits.

(d) Except for any grievance procedure, arbitration or hearing which is available to the employee pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement, this Section shall be the exclusive remedy for an employee complaining of any action described in subsection (b).

(e) Any employer who willfully wilfully refuses to rehire, promote or otherwise restore an employee or former employee who has been determined eligible for rehiring or promotion as a result of any grievance procedure, arbitration or hearing authorized by law shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

(Source: P.A. 85-987.)

(225 ILCS 10/7.3)

Sec. 7.3. Children placed by private child welfare agency.

(a) Before placing a child who is a youth in care in a foster family home, a private child welfare agency must ascertain (i) whether any other children who are youth in care have been placed in that home and (ii) whether every such child who has been placed in that home continues to reside in that home, unless the child has been transferred to another placement or is no longer a youth in care. The agency must keep a record of every other child welfare agency that has placed such a child in that foster family home; the record must include the name and telephone number of a contact person at each such agency.

(b) At least once every 30 days, a private child welfare agency that places youth in care in foster family homes must make a site visit to every such home where it has placed a youth in care. The purpose of the site visit is to verify that the child continues to reside in that home and to verify the child's safety and well-being. The agency must document the verification in its records. If a private child welfare agency fails to comply with the requirements of this subsection, the Department must suspend all payments to the agency until the agency complies.

(c) The Department must periodically (but no less often than once every 6 months) review the child placement records of each private child welfare agency that places youth in care.

(d) If a child placed in a foster family home is missing, the foster parent must promptly report that fact to the Department or to the child welfare agency that placed the child in the home. If the foster parent fails to make such a report, the Department shall put the home on hold for the placement of other children and initiate corrective action that may include revocation of the foster parent's license to operate the foster family home. A foster parent who knowingly and willfully fails to report a missing foster child under this subsection is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

(e) If a private child welfare agency determines that a youth in care whom it has placed in a foster family home no longer resides in that home, the agency must promptly report that fact to the Department. If the agency fails to make such a report, the Department shall put the agency on hold for the placement of other children and initiate corrective action that may include revocation of the agency's license.

(f) When a child is missing from a foster home, the Department or private agency in charge of case management shall report regularly to the foster parent concerning efforts to locate the missing child.

(g) The Department must strive to account for the status and whereabouts of every one of its youth in care who it determines is not residing in the authorized placement in which the youth he or she was placed.

(Source: P.A. 100-159, eff. 8-18-17.)

(225 ILCS 10/7.4)

Sec. 7.4. Disclosures.

(a) Every licensed child welfare agency providing adoption services shall provide to all prospective clients and to the public written disclosures with respect to its adoption services, policies, and practices, including general eligibility criteria, fees, and the mutual rights and responsibilities of clients, including birth biological parents and adoptive parents. The written disclosure shall be posted on any website maintained by the child welfare agency that relates to adoption services. The Department shall adopt rules relating to the contents of the written disclosures. Eligible agencies may be deemed compliant with this subsection (a).

(b) Every licensed child welfare agency providing adoption services shall provide to all applicants, prior to application, a written schedule of estimated fees, expenses, and refund policies. Every child welfare agency providing adoption services shall have a written policy that shall be part of its standard adoption contract and state that it will not charge additional fees and expenses beyond those disclosed in the adoption contract unless additional fees are reasonably required by the circumstances and are disclosed to the adoptive parents or parent before they are incurred. The Department shall adopt rules relating to the contents of the written schedule and policy. Eligible agencies may be deemed compliant with this subsection (b).

(c) Every licensed child welfare agency providing adoption services must make full and fair disclosure to its clients, including birth biological parents and adoptive parents, of all circumstances material to the placement of a child for adoption. The Department shall adopt rules necessary for the implementation and regulation of the requirements of this subsection (c).

(c-5) Whenever a licensed child welfare agency places a child in a licensed foster family home or an adoption-only home, the agency shall provide the following to the caretaker or prospective adoptive parent:

(1) Available detailed information concerning the child's educational and health history, copies of immunization records (including insurance and medical card information), a history of the child's previous placements, if any, and reasons for placement changes, excluding any information that identifies or reveals the location of any previous caretaker.

(2) A copy of the child's portion of the client service plan, including any visitation arrangement, and all amendments or revisions to it as related to the child.

(3) Information containing details of the child's individualized educational plan when the child is receiving special education services.

(4) Any known social or behavioral information (including, but not limited to, criminal background, fire setting, perpetration of sexual abuse, destructive behavior, and substance abuse) necessary to care for and safeguard the child.

The agency may prepare a written summary of the information required by this subsection, which may be provided to the foster or prospective adoptive parent in advance of a placement. The foster or prospective adoptive parent may review the supporting documents in the child's file in the presence of casework staff. In the case of an emergency placement, casework staff shall at least provide information verbally, if necessary, and must subsequently provide the information in writing as required by this subsection. In the case of emergency placements when time does not allow prior review, preparation, and collection of written information, the agency shall provide such information as it becomes available.

The Department shall adopt rules necessary for the implementation and regulation of the requirements of this subsection (c-5).

(d) Every licensed child welfare agency providing adoption services shall meet minimum standards set forth by the Department concerning the taking or acknowledging of a consent prior to taking or acknowledging a consent from a prospective birth biological parent. The Department shall adopt rules concerning the minimum standards required by agencies under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 99-833, eff. 1-1-17.)

(225 ILCS 10/7.6)

Sec. 7.6. Annual report. Every licensed child welfare agency providing adoption services shall file an annual report with the Department and with the Attorney General on forms and on a date prescribed by the Department. The annual reports for the preceding 2 years must be made available, upon request, to the public by the Department and every licensed agency and must be included on the website of the Department. Each licensed agency that maintains a website shall provide the reports on its website. The annual report shall include all of the following matters and all other matters required by the Department:

(1) a balance sheet and a statement of income and expenses for the year, certified by an independent public accountant; for purposes of this item (1), the audit report filed by an agency with the Department may be included in the annual report and, if so, shall be sufficient to comply with the requirement of this item (1);

(2) non-identifying information concerning the placements made by the agency during the year, consisting of the number of adoptive families in the process of obtaining approval for an adoption-only home, the number of adoptive families that are approved and awaiting placement, the number of birth biological parents that the agency is actively working with, the number of placements, and the number of adoptions initiated during the year and the status of each matter at the end of the year;

(3) any instance during the year in which the agency lost the right to provide adoption services in any State or country, had its license suspended for cause, or was the subject of other sanctions by any court, governmental agency, or governmental regulatory body relating to the provision of adoption services;

(4) any actions related to licensure that were initiated against the agency during the year by a licensing or accrediting body;

(5) any pending investigations by federal or State authorities;

(6) any criminal charges, child abuse charges, malpractice complaints, or lawsuits against the agency or any of its employees, officers, or directors related to the provision of adoption services and the basis or disposition of the actions;

(7) any instance in the year where the agency was found guilty of, or pled guilty to, any criminal or civil or administrative violation under federal, State, or foreign law that relates to the provision of adoption services;

(8) any instance in the year where any employee, officer, or director of the agency was found guilty of any crime or was determined to have violated a civil law or administrative rule under federal, State, or foreign law relating to the provision of adoption services; and

(9) any civil or administrative proceeding instituted by the agency during the year and relating to adoption services, excluding uncontested adoption proceedings and proceedings filed pursuant to Section 12a of the Adoption Act.

Failure to disclose information required under this Section may result in the suspension of the agency's license for a period of 90 days. Subsequent violations may result in revocation of the license.

Information disclosed in accordance with this Section shall be subject to the applicable confidentiality requirements of this Act and the Adoption Act.

(Source: P.A. 99-833, eff. 1-1-17.)

(225 ILCS 10/7.7)

Sec. 7.7. Certain waivers prohibited. Licensed child welfare agencies providing adoption services shall not require birth biological or adoptive parents to sign any document that purports to waive claims against an agency for intentional or reckless acts or omissions or for gross negligence. Nothing in this Section shall require an agency to assume risks that are not within the reasonable control of the agency.

(Source: P.A. 94-586, eff. 8-15-05.)

(225 ILCS 10/9) (from Ch. 23, par. 2219)

Sec. 9. Prior to revocation or refusal to renew a license, the Department shall notify the licensee by registered mail with postage prepaid, at the address specified on the license, or at the address of the ranking or presiding officer of a board of directors, or any equivalent body conducting a child care facility, of the contemplated action and that the licensee may, within 10 days of such notification, dating from the postmark of the registered mail, request in writing a public hearing before the Department, and, at the same time, may request a written statement of charges from the Department.

(a) Upon written request by the licensee, the Department shall furnish such written statement of charges, and, at the same time, shall set the date and place for the hearing. The charges and notice of the hearing shall be delivered by registered mail with postage prepaid, and the hearing must be held within 30 days, dating from the date of the postmark of the registered mail, except that notification must be made at least 15 days in advance of the date set for the hearing.

(b) If no request for a hearing is made within 10 days after notification, or if the Department determines, upon holding a hearing, that the license should be revoked or renewal denied, then the license shall be revoked or renewal denied.

(c) Upon the hearing of proceedings in which the license is revoked, renewal of license is refused or full license is denied, the Director of the Department, or any officer or employee duly authorized by the Director him in writing, may administer oaths and the Department may procure, by its subpoena, the attendance of witnesses and the production of relevant books and papers.

(d) At the time and place designated, the Director of the Department or the officer or employee authorized by the Director him in writing, shall hear the charges, and both the Department and the licensee shall be allowed to present in person or by counsel such statements, testimony and evidence as may be pertinent to the charges or to the defense thereto. The hearing officer may continue such hearing from time to time, but not to exceed a single period of 30 days, unless special extenuating circumstances make further continuance feasible.

(Source: P.A. 83-1362.)

(225 ILCS 10/9.1b)

Sec. 9.1b. Complaint procedures. All child welfare agencies providing adoption services shall be required by the Department to have complaint policies and procedures that shall be provided in writing to their prospective clients, including birth biological parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees that they have served, at the earliest time possible, and, in the case of birth biological and adoptive parents, prior to placement or prior to entering into any written contract with the clients. These complaint procedures must be filed with the Department within 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly. Failure to comply with this Section may result in the suspension of licensure for a period of 90 days. Subsequent violations may result in licensure revocation. The Department shall adopt rules that describe the complaint procedures required by each agency. These rules shall include without limitation prompt complaint response time, recording of the complaints, prohibition of agency retaliation against the person making the complaint, and agency reporting of all complaints to the Department in a timely manner. Any agency that maintains a website shall post the prescribed complaint procedures and its license number, as well as the statewide toll-free complaint registry telephone number, on its website.

(Source: P.A. 94-586, eff. 8-15-05.)

(225 ILCS 10/12) (from Ch. 23, par. 2222)

Sec. 12. Advertisements.

(a) In this Section, "advertise" means communication by any public medium originating or distributed in this State, including, but not limited to, newspapers, periodicals, telephone book listings, outdoor advertising signs, radio, or television.

(b) A child care facility or child welfare agency licensed or operating under a permit issued by the Department may publish advertisements for the services that the facility is specifically licensed or issued a permit under this Act to provide. A person, group of persons, agency, association, organization, corporation, institution, center, or group who advertises or causes to be published any advertisement offering, soliciting, or promising to perform adoption services as defined in Section 2.24 of this Act is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $10,000 or 9 months imprisonment for each advertisement, unless that person, group of persons, agency, association, organization, corporation, institution, center, or group is (i) licensed or operating under a permit issued by the Department as a child care facility or child welfare agency, (ii) a birth biological parent or a prospective adoptive parent acting on the birth parent's or prospective adoptive parent's his or her own behalf, or (iii) a licensed attorney advertising the licensed attorney's his or her availability to provide legal services relating to adoption, as permitted by law.

(c) Every advertisement published after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly shall include the Department-issued license number of the facility or agency.

(d) Any licensed child welfare agency providing adoption services that, after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, causes to be published an advertisement containing reckless or intentional misrepresentations concerning adoption services or circumstances material to the placement of a child for adoption is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and is subject to a fine not to exceed $10,000 or 9 months imprisonment for each advertisement.

(e) An out-of-state agency that is not licensed in Illinois and that has a written interagency agreement with one or more Illinois licensed child welfare agencies may advertise under this Section, provided that (i) the out-of-state agency must be officially recognized by the United States Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt organization under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or any successor provision of federal tax law), (ii) the out-of-state agency provides only international adoption services and is covered by the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000, (iii) the out-of-state agency displays, in the advertisement, the license number of at least one of the Illinois licensed child welfare agencies with which it has a written agreement, and (iv) the advertisements pertain only to international adoption services. Subsection (d) of this Section shall apply to any out-of-state agencies described in this subsection (e).

(f) An advertiser, publisher, or broadcaster, including, but not limited to, newspapers, periodicals, telephone book publishers, outdoor advertising signs, radio stations, or television stations, who knowingly or recklessly advertises or publishes any advertisement offering, soliciting, or promising to perform adoption services, as defined in Section 2.24 of this Act, on behalf of a person, group of persons, agency, association, organization, corporation, institution, center, or group, not authorized to advertise under subsection (b) or subsection (e) of this Section, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and is subject to a fine not to exceed $10,000 or 9 months imprisonment for each advertisement.

(g) The Department shall maintain a website listing child welfare agencies licensed by the Department that provide adoption services and other general information for birth biological parents and adoptive parents. The website shall include, but not be limited to, agency addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, website addresses, annual reports as referenced in Section 7.6 of this Act, agency license numbers, the Birth Parent Bill of Rights, the Adoptive Parents Bill of Rights, and the Department's complaint registry established under Section 9.1a of this Act. The Department shall adopt any rules necessary to implement this Section.

(h) Nothing in this Act shall prohibit a day care agency, day care center, day care home, or group day care home that does not provide or perform adoption services, as defined in Section 2.24 of this Act, from advertising or marketing the day care agency, day care center, day care home, or group day care home.

(Source: P.A. 100-406, eff. 1-1-18.)

(225 ILCS 10/14.5)

Sec. 14.5. Offering, providing, or co-signing a loan or other credit accommodation. No person or entity shall offer, provide, or co-sign a loan or other credit accommodation, directly or indirectly, with a birth biological parent or a relative of a birth biological parent based on the contingency of a surrender or placement of a child for adoption.

(Source: P.A. 93-1063, eff. 6-1-05.)

(225 ILCS 10/14.7)

Sec. 14.7. Payments to birth biological parents.

(a) Payment of reasonable living expenses by a child welfare agency shall not obligate the birth biological parents to place the child for adoption. In the event that the birth biological parents choose not to place the child for adoption, the child welfare agency shall have no right to seek reimbursement from the birth biological parents, or from any relative of the birth biological parents, of moneys paid to, or on behalf of, the birth biological parents, except as provided in subsection (b) of this Section.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this Section, a child welfare agency may seek reimbursement of reasonable living expenses from a person who receives such payments only if the person who accepts payment of reasonable living expenses before the child's birth, as described in subsection (a) of this Section, knows that the person on whose behalf they are accepting payment is not pregnant at the time of the receipt of such payments or the person receives reimbursement for reasonable living expenses simultaneously from more than one child welfare agency without the agencies' knowledge.

(Source: P.A. 94-586, eff. 8-15-05.)

(225 ILCS 10/18) (from Ch. 23, par. 2228)

Sec. 18. Any person, group of persons, association or corporation who

(1) conducts, operates or acts as a child care facility without a license or permit to do so in violation of Section 3 of this Act;

(2) makes materially false statements in order to obtain a license or permit;

(3) fails to keep the records and make the reports provided under this Act;

(4) advertises any service not authorized by license or permit held;

(5) publishes any advertisement in violation of this Act;

(6) receives within this State any child in violation of Section 16 of this Act; or

(7) violates any other provision of this Act or any reasonable rule or regulation adopted and published by the Department for the enforcement of the provisions of this Act, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and in case of an association or corporation, imprisonment may be imposed upon its officers who knowingly participated in the violation.

Any child care facility that continues to operate after its license is revoked under Section 8 of this Act or after its license expires and the Department refused to renew the license as provided in Section 8 of this Act is guilty of a business offense and shall be fined an amount in excess of $500 but not exceeding $10,000, and each day of violation is a separate offense.

In a prosecution under this Act, a defendant who relies upon the relationship of any child to the defendant himself has the burden of proof as to that relationship.

(Source: P.A. 83-1362.)

Section 50. The Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act is amended by changing Sections 10, 15, 30, and 35 as follows:

(325 ILCS 2/10)

Sec. 10. Definitions. In this Act:

"Abandon" has the same meaning as in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.

"Abused child" has the same meaning as in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.

"Child-placing agency" means a licensed public or private agency that receives a child for the purpose of placing or arranging for the placement of the child in a foster family home or other facility for child care, apart from the custody of the child's parents.

"Department" or "DCFS" means the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

"Emergency medical facility" means a freestanding emergency center or trauma center, as defined in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act.

"Emergency medical professional" includes licensed physicians, and any emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician-intermediate, advanced emergency medical technician, paramedic, trauma nurse specialist, and pre-hospital registered nurse, as defined in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act.

"Fire station" means a fire station within the State with at least one staff person.

"Hospital" has the same meaning as in the Hospital Licensing Act.

"Legal custody" means the relationship created by a court order in the best interest of a newborn infant that imposes on the infant's custodian the responsibility of physical possession of the infant, the duty to protect, train, and discipline the infant, and the duty to provide the infant with food, shelter, education, and medical care, except as these are limited by parental rights and responsibilities.

"Neglected child" has the same meaning as in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.

"Newborn infant" means a child who a licensed physician reasonably believes is 30 days old or less at the time the child is initially relinquished to a hospital, police station, fire station, or emergency medical facility, and who is not an abused or a neglected child.

"Police station" means a municipal police station, a county sheriff's office, a campus police department located on any college or university owned or controlled by the State or any private college or private university that is not owned or controlled by the State when employees of the campus police department are present, or any of the district headquarters of the Illinois State Police.

"Relinquish" means to bring a newborn infant, who a licensed physician reasonably believes is 30 days old or less, to a hospital, police station, fire station, or emergency medical facility and to leave the infant with personnel of the facility, if the person leaving the infant does not express an intent to return for the infant or states that the person he or she will not return for the infant. In the case of a person mother who gives birth to an infant in a hospital, the person's mother's act of leaving that newborn infant at the hospital (i) without expressing an intent to return for the infant or (ii) stating that the person she will not return for the infant is not a "relinquishment" under this Act.

"Temporary protective custody" means the temporary placement of a newborn infant within a hospital or other medical facility out of the custody of the infant's parent.

(Source: P.A. 97-293, eff. 8-11-11; 98-973, eff. 8-15-14.)

(325 ILCS 2/15)

Sec. 15. Presumptions.

(a) There is a presumption that by relinquishing a newborn infant in accordance with this Act, the infant's parent consents to the termination of the parent's his or her parental rights with respect to the infant.

(b) There is a presumption that a person relinquishing a newborn infant in accordance with this Act:

(1) is the newborn infant's birth biological parent; and

(2) either without expressing an intent to return for the infant or expressing an intent not to return for the infant, did intend to relinquish the infant to the hospital, police station, fire station, or emergency medical facility to treat, care for, and provide for the infant in accordance with this Act.

(c) A parent of a relinquished newborn infant may rebut the presumption set forth in either subsection (a) or subsection (b) pursuant to Section 55, at any time before the termination of the parent's parental rights.

(Source: P.A. 92-408, eff. 8-17-01; 92-432, eff. 8-17-01; 93-820, eff. 7-27-04.)

(325 ILCS 2/30)

Sec. 30. Anonymity of relinquishing person. If there is no evidence of abuse or neglect of a relinquished newborn infant, the relinquishing person has the right to remain anonymous and to leave the hospital, police station, fire station, or emergency medical facility at any time and not be pursued or followed. Before the relinquishing person leaves the hospital, police station, fire station, or emergency medical facility, the hospital, police station, fire station, or emergency medical facility personnel shall (i) verbally inform the relinquishing person that by relinquishing the child anonymously, the relinquishing person he or she will have to petition the court if the relinquishing person he or she desires to prevent the termination of parental rights and regain custody of the child and (ii) shall offer the relinquishing person the information packet described in Section 35 of this Act. However, nothing in this Act shall be construed as precluding the relinquishing person from providing the relinquishing person's his or her identity or completing the application forms for the Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange and requesting that the hospital, police station, fire station, or emergency medical facility forward those forms to the Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange.

(Source: P.A. 92-408, eff. 8-17-01; 92-432, eff. 8-17-01; 93-820, eff. 7-27-04.)

(325 ILCS 2/35)

Sec. 35. Information for relinquishing person.

(a) A hospital, police station, fire station, or emergency medical facility that receives a newborn infant relinquished in accordance with this Act must offer an information packet to the relinquishing person and, if possible, must clearly inform the relinquishing person that the relinquishing person's his or her acceptance of the information is completely voluntary. The information packet must include all of the following:

(1) (Blank).

(2) Written notice of the following:

(A) No sooner than 60 days following the date of the initial relinquishment of the infant to a hospital, police station, fire station, or emergency medical facility, the child-placing agency or the Department will commence proceedings for the termination of parental rights and placement of the infant for adoption.

(B) Failure of a parent of the infant to contact the Department and petition for the return of custody of the infant before termination of parental rights bars any future action asserting legal rights with respect to the infant.

(3) A resource list of providers of counseling services including grief counseling, pregnancy counseling, and counseling regarding adoption and other available options for placement of the infant.

Upon request of a parent, the Department of Public Health shall provide the application forms for the Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange.

(b) The information packet given to a relinquishing parent in accordance with this Act shall include, in addition to other information required under this Act, the following:

(1) A brochure (with a self-mailer attached) that describes this Act and the rights of birth parents, including an optional section for the parent to complete and mail to the Department of Children and Family Services, that shall ask for basic anonymous background information about the relinquished child. This brochure shall be maintained by the Department on its website.

(2) A brochure that describes the Illinois Adoption Registry, including a toll-free number and website information. This brochure shall be maintained on the Office of Vital Records website.

(3) A brochure describing postpartum health information for the mother.

The information packet shall be designed in coordination between the Office of Vital Records and the Department of Children and Family Services, with the exception of the resource list of providers of counseling services and adoption agencies, which shall be provided by the hospital, fire station, police station, sheriff's office, or emergency medical facility.

(Source: P.A. 96-1114, eff. 7-20-10; 97-333, eff. 8-12-11.)

Section 55. The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act is amended by changing Sections 2.1, 3, 4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 4.5, 5, 7, 7.3b, 7.3c, 7.4, 7.9, 7.14, 7.16, 7.19, 11.1, 11.1a, 11.3, 11.5, and 11.8 as follows:

(325 ILCS 5/2.1) (from Ch. 23, par. 2052.1)

Sec. 2.1. Any person or family seeking assistance in meeting child care responsibilities may use the services and facilities established by this Act which may assist in meeting such responsibilities. Whether or not the problem presented constitutes child abuse or neglect, such persons or families shall be referred to appropriate resources or agencies. No person seeking assistance under this Section shall be required to give the person's his name or any other identifying information.

(Source: P.A. 81-1077.)

(325 ILCS 5/3) (from Ch. 23, par. 2053)

Sec. 3. As used in this Act unless the context otherwise requires:

"Adult resident" means any person between 18 and 22 years of age who resides in any facility licensed by the Department under the Child Care Act of 1969. For purposes of this Act, the criteria set forth in the definitions of "abused child" and "neglected child" shall be used in determining whether an adult resident is abused or neglected.

"Agency" means a child care facility licensed under Section 2.05 or Section 2.06 of the Child Care Act of 1969 and includes a transitional living program that accepts children and adult residents for placement who are in the guardianship of the Department.

"Blatant disregard" means an incident where the real, significant, and imminent risk of harm would be so obvious to a reasonable parent or caretaker that it is unlikely that a reasonable parent or caretaker would have exposed the child to the danger without exercising precautionary measures to protect the child from harm. With respect to a person working at an agency in the person's his or her professional capacity with a child or adult resident, "blatant disregard" includes a failure by the person to perform job responsibilities intended to protect the child's or adult resident's health, physical well-being, or welfare, and, when viewed in light of the surrounding circumstances, evidence exists that would cause a reasonable person to believe that the child was neglected. With respect to an agency, "blatant disregard" includes a failure to implement practices that ensure the health, physical well-being, or welfare of the children and adult residents residing in the facility.

"Child" means any person under the age of 18 years, unless legally emancipated by reason of marriage or entry into a branch of the United States armed services.

"Department" means Department of Children and Family Services.

"Local law enforcement agency" means the police of a city, town, village or other incorporated area or the sheriff of an unincorporated area or any sworn officer of the Illinois State Police.

"Abused child" means a child whose parent or immediate family member, or any person responsible for the child's welfare, or any individual residing in the same home as the child, or a paramour of the child's parent:

(a) inflicts, causes to be inflicted, or allows to be inflicted upon such child physical injury, by other than accidental means, which causes death, disfigurement, impairment of physical or emotional health, or loss or impairment of any bodily function;

(b) creates a substantial risk of physical injury to such child by other than accidental means which would be likely to cause death, disfigurement, impairment of physical or emotional health, or loss or impairment of any bodily function;

(c) commits or allows to be committed any sex offense against such child, as such sex offenses are defined in the Criminal Code of 2012 or in the Wrongs to Children Act, and extending those definitions of sex offenses to include children under 18 years of age;

(d) commits or allows to be committed an act or acts of torture upon such child;

(e) inflicts excessive corporal punishment or, in the case of a person working for an agency who is prohibited from using corporal punishment, inflicts corporal punishment upon a child or adult resident with whom the person is working in the person's his or her professional capacity;

(f) commits or allows to be committed the offense of female genital mutilation, as defined in Section 12-34 of the Criminal Code of 2012, against the child;

(g) causes to be sold, transferred, distributed, or given to such child under 18 years of age, a controlled substance as defined in Section 102 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act in violation of Article IV of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act or in violation of the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, except for controlled substances that are prescribed in accordance with Article III of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act and are dispensed to such child in a manner that substantially complies with the prescription;

(h) commits or allows to be committed the offense of involuntary servitude, involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, or trafficking in persons as defined in Section 10-9 of the Criminal Code of 2012 against the child; or

(i) commits the offense of grooming, as defined in Section 11-25 of the Criminal Code of 2012, against the child.

A child shall not be considered abused for the sole reason that the child has been relinquished in accordance with the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act.

"Neglected child" means any child who is not receiving the proper or necessary nourishment or medically indicated treatment including food or care not provided solely on the basis of the present or anticipated mental or physical impairment as determined by a physician acting alone or in consultation with other physicians or otherwise is not receiving the proper or necessary support or medical or other remedial care recognized under State law as necessary for a child's well-being, or other care necessary for the child's his or her well-being, including adequate food, clothing and shelter; or who is subjected to an environment which is injurious insofar as (i) the child's environment creates a likelihood of harm to the child's health, physical well-being, or welfare and (ii) the likely harm to the child is the result of a blatant disregard of parent, caretaker, person responsible for the child's welfare, or agency responsibilities; or who is abandoned by the child's his or her parents or other person responsible for the child's welfare without a proper plan of care; or who has been provided with interim crisis intervention services under Section 3-5 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and whose parent, guardian, or custodian refuses to permit the child to return home and no other living arrangement agreeable to the parent, guardian, or custodian can be made, and the parent, guardian, or custodian has not made any other appropriate living arrangement for the child; or who is a newborn infant whose blood, urine, or meconium contains any amount of a controlled substance as defined in subsection (f) of Section 102 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act or a metabolite thereof, with the exception of a controlled substance or metabolite thereof whose presence in the newborn infant is the result of medical treatment administered to the person who gave birth mother or the newborn infant. A child shall not be considered neglected for the sole reason that the child's parent or other person responsible for the child's his or her welfare has left the child in the care of an adult relative for any period of time. A child shall not be considered neglected for the sole reason that the child has been relinquished in accordance with the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act. A child shall not be considered neglected or abused for the sole reason that such child's parent or other person responsible for the child's his or her welfare depends upon spiritual means through prayer alone for the treatment or cure of disease or remedial care as provided under Section 4 of this Act. A child shall not be considered neglected or abused solely because the child is not attending school in accordance with the requirements of Article 26 of The School Code, as amended.

"Child Protective Service Unit" means certain specialized State employees of the Department assigned by the Director to perform the duties and responsibilities as provided under Section 7.2 of this Act.

"Near fatality" means an act that, as certified by a physician, places the child in serious or critical condition, including acts of great bodily harm inflicted upon children under 13 years of age, and as otherwise defined by Department rule.

"Great bodily harm" includes bodily injury which creates a high probability of death, or which causes serious permanent disfigurement, or which causes a permanent or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ, or other serious bodily harm.

"Person responsible for the child's welfare" means the child's parent; guardian; foster parent; relative caregiver; any person responsible for the child's welfare in a public or private residential agency or institution; any person responsible for the child's welfare within a public or private profit or not for profit child care facility; or any other person responsible for the child's welfare at the time of the alleged abuse or neglect, including any person who commits or allows to be committed, against the child, the offense of involuntary servitude, involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, or trafficking in persons for forced labor or services, as provided in Section 10-9 of the Criminal Code of 2012, including, but not limited to, the custodian of the minor, or any person who came to know the child through an official capacity or position of trust, including, but not limited to, health care professionals, educational personnel, recreational supervisors, members of the clergy, and volunteers or support personnel in any setting where children may be subject to abuse or neglect.

"Temporary protective custody" means custody within a hospital or other medical facility or a place previously designated for such custody by the Department, subject to review by the Court, including a licensed foster home, group home, or other institution; but such place shall not be a jail or other place for the detention of criminal or juvenile offenders.

"An unfounded report" means any report made under this Act for which it is determined after an investigation that no credible evidence of abuse or neglect exists.

"An indicated report" means a report made under this Act if an investigation determines that credible evidence of the alleged abuse or neglect exists.

"An undetermined report" means any report made under this Act in which it was not possible to initiate or complete an investigation on the basis of information provided to the Department.

"Subject of report" means any child reported to the central register of child abuse and neglect established under Section 7.7 of this Act as an alleged victim of child abuse or neglect and the parent or guardian of the alleged victim or other person responsible for the alleged victim's welfare who is named in the report or added to the report as an alleged perpetrator of child abuse or neglect.

"Perpetrator" means a person who, as a result of investigation, has been determined by the Department to have caused child abuse or neglect.

"Member of the clergy" means a clergyperson clergyman or practitioner of any religious denomination accredited by the religious body to which the clergyperson or practitioner he or she belongs.

(Source: P.A. 102-567, eff. 1-1-22; 102-676, eff. 12-3-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)

(325 ILCS 5/4)

Sec. 4. Persons required to report; privileged communications; transmitting false report.

(a) The following persons are required to immediately report to the Department when they have reasonable cause to believe that a child known to them in their professional or official capacities may be an abused child or a neglected child:

(1) Medical personnel, including any: physician licensed to practice medicine in any of its branches (medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy); resident; intern; medical administrator or personnel engaged in the examination, care, and treatment of persons; psychiatrist; surgeon; dentist; dental hygienist; chiropractic physician; podiatric physician; physician assistant; emergency medical technician; physical therapist; physical therapy assistant; occupational therapist; occupational therapy assistant; acupuncturist; registered nurse; licensed practical nurse; advanced practice registered nurse; genetic counselor; respiratory care practitioner; home health aide; or certified nursing assistant.

(2) Social services and mental health personnel, including any: licensed professional counselor; licensed clinical professional counselor; licensed social worker; licensed clinical social worker; licensed psychologist or assistant working under the direct supervision of a psychologist; associate licensed marriage and family therapist; licensed marriage and family therapist; field personnel of the Departments of Healthcare and Family Services, Public Health, Human Services, Human Rights, or Children and Family Services; supervisor or administrator of the General Assistance program established under Article VI of the Illinois Public Aid Code; social services administrator; or substance abuse treatment personnel.

(3) Crisis intervention personnel, including any: crisis line or hotline personnel; or domestic violence program personnel.

(4) Education personnel, including any: school personnel (including administrators and certified and non-certified school employees); personnel of institutions of higher education; educational advocate assigned to a child in accordance with the School Code; member of a school board or the Chicago Board of Education or the governing body of a private school (but only to the extent required under subsection (d)); or truant officer.

(5) Recreation or athletic program or facility personnel; or an athletic trainer.

(6) Child care personnel, including any: early intervention provider as defined in the Early Intervention Services System Act; director or staff assistant of a nursery school or a child day care center; or foster parent, homemaker, or child care worker.

(7) Law enforcement personnel, including any: law enforcement officer; field personnel of the Department of Juvenile Justice; field personnel of the Department of Corrections; probation officer; or animal control officer or field investigator of the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare.

(8) Any funeral home director; funeral home director and embalmer; funeral home employee; coroner; or medical examiner.

(9) Any member of the clergy.

(10) Any physician, physician assistant, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, medical technician, certified nursing assistant, licensed social worker, licensed clinical social worker, or licensed professional counselor of any office, clinic, licensed behavior analyst, licensed assistant behavior analyst, or any other physical location that provides abortions, abortion referrals, or contraceptives.

(b) When 2 or more persons who work within the same workplace and are required to report under this Act share a reasonable cause to believe that a child may be an abused or neglected child, one of those reporters may be designated to make a single report. The report shall include the names and contact information for the other mandated reporters sharing the reasonable cause to believe that a child may be an abused or neglected child. The designated reporter must provide written confirmation of the report to those mandated reporters within 48 hours. If confirmation is not provided, those mandated reporters are individually responsible for immediately ensuring a report is made. Nothing in this Section precludes or may be used to preclude any person from reporting child abuse or child neglect.

(c)(1) As used in this Section, "a child known to them in their professional or official capacities" means:

(A) the mandated reporter comes into contact with the child in the course of the reporter's employment or practice of a profession, or through a regularly scheduled program, activity, or service;

(B) the mandated reporter is affiliated with an agency, institution, organization, school, school district, regularly established church or religious organization, or other entity that is directly responsible for the care, supervision, guidance, or training of the child; or

(C) a person makes a specific disclosure to the mandated reporter that an identifiable child is the victim of child abuse or child neglect, and the disclosure happens while the mandated reporter is engaged in the reporter's his or her employment or practice of a profession, or in a regularly scheduled program, activity, or service.

(2) Nothing in this Section requires a child to come before the mandated reporter in order for the reporter to make a report of suspected child abuse or child neglect.

(d) If an allegation is raised to a school board member during the course of an open or closed school board meeting that a child who is enrolled in the school district of which the person he or she is a board member is an abused child as defined in Section 3 of this Act, the member shall direct or cause the school board to direct the superintendent of the school district or other equivalent school administrator to comply with the requirements of this Act concerning the reporting of child abuse. For purposes of this paragraph, a school board member is granted the authority in that board member's his or her individual capacity to direct the superintendent of the school district or other equivalent school administrator to comply with the requirements of this Act concerning the reporting of child abuse.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, if an employee of a school district has made a report or caused a report to be made to the Department under this Act involving the conduct of a current or former employee of the school district and a request is made by another school district for the provision of information concerning the job performance or qualifications of the current or former employee because the current or former employee he or she is an applicant for employment with the requesting school district, the general superintendent of the school district to which the request is being made must disclose to the requesting school district the fact that an employee of the school district has made a report involving the conduct of the applicant or caused a report to be made to the Department, as required under this Act. Only the fact that an employee of the school district has made a report involving the conduct of the applicant or caused a report to be made to the Department may be disclosed by the general superintendent of the school district to which the request for information concerning the applicant is made, and this fact may be disclosed only in cases where the employee and the general superintendent have not been informed by the Department that the allegations were unfounded. An employee of a school district who is or has been the subject of a report made pursuant to this Act during the employee's his or her employment with the school district must be informed by that school district that if the employee he or she applies for employment with another school district, the general superintendent of the former school district, upon the request of the school district to which the employee applies, shall notify that requesting school district that the employee is or was the subject of such a report.

(e) Whenever such person is required to report under this Act in the person's his capacity as a member of the staff of a medical or other public or private institution, school, facility or agency, or as a member of the clergy, the person he shall make report immediately to the Department in accordance with the provisions of this Act and may also notify the person in charge of such institution, school, facility or agency, or church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or other religious institution, or his designated agent of the person in charge that such report has been made. Under no circumstances shall any person in charge of such institution, school, facility or agency, or church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or other religious institution, or his designated agent of the person in charge to whom such notification has been made, exercise any control, restraint, modification or other change in the report or the forwarding of such report to the Department.

(f) In addition to the persons required to report suspected cases of child abuse or child neglect under this Section, any other person may make a report if such person has reasonable cause to believe a child may be an abused child or a neglected child.

(g) The privileged quality of communication between any professional person required to report and the professional person's his patient or client shall not apply to situations involving abused or neglected children and shall not constitute grounds for failure to report as required by this Act or constitute grounds for failure to share information or documents with the Department during the course of a child abuse or neglect investigation. If requested by the professional, the Department shall confirm in writing that the information or documents disclosed by the professional were gathered in the course of a child abuse or neglect investigation.

The reporting requirements of this Act shall not apply to the contents of a privileged communication between an attorney and the attorney's his or her client or to confidential information within the meaning of Rule 1.6 of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct relating to the legal representation of an individual client.

A member of the clergy may claim the privilege under Section 8-803 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(h) Any office, clinic, or any other physical location that provides abortions, abortion referrals, or contraceptives shall provide to all office personnel copies of written information and training materials about abuse and neglect and the requirements of this Act that are provided to employees of the office, clinic, or physical location who are required to make reports to the Department under this Act, and instruct such office personnel to bring to the attention of an employee of the office, clinic, or physical location who is required to make reports to the Department under this Act any reasonable suspicion that a child known to office personnel him or her in their his or her professional or official capacity may be an abused child or a neglected child.

(i) Any person who enters into employment on and after July 1, 1986 and is mandated by virtue of that employment to report under this Act, shall sign a statement on a form prescribed by the Department, to the effect that the employee has knowledge and understanding of the reporting requirements of this Act. On and after January 1, 2019, the statement shall also include information about available mandated reporter training provided by the Department. The statement shall be signed prior to commencement of the employment. The signed statement shall be retained by the employer. The cost of printing, distribution, and filing of the statement shall be borne by the employer.

(j) Persons required to report child abuse or child neglect as provided under this Section must complete an initial mandated reporter training, including a section on implicit bias, within 3 months of their date of engagement in a professional or official capacity as a mandated reporter, or within the time frame of any other applicable State law that governs training requirements for a specific profession, and at least every 3 years thereafter. The initial requirement only applies to the first time they engage in their professional or official capacity. In lieu of training every 3 years, medical personnel, as listed in paragraph (1) of subsection (a), must meet the requirements described in subsection (k).

The mandated reporter trainings shall be in-person or web-based, and shall include, at a minimum, information on the following topics: (i) indicators for recognizing child abuse and child neglect, as defined under this Act; (ii) the process for reporting suspected child abuse and child neglect in Illinois as required by this Act and the required documentation; (iii) responding to a child in a trauma-informed manner; and (iv) understanding the response of child protective services and the role of the reporter after a call has been made. Child-serving organizations are encouraged to provide in-person annual trainings.

The implicit bias section shall be in-person or web-based, and shall include, at a minimum, information on the following topics: (i) implicit bias and (ii) racial and ethnic sensitivity. As used in this subsection, "implicit bias" means the attitudes or internalized stereotypes that affect people's perceptions, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner and that exist and often contribute to unequal treatment of people based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, and other characteristics. The implicit bias section shall provide tools to adjust automatic patterns of thinking and ultimately eliminate discriminatory behaviors. During these trainings mandated reporters shall complete the following: (1) a pretest to assess baseline implicit bias levels; (2) an implicit bias training task; and (3) a posttest to reevaluate bias levels after training. The implicit bias curriculum for mandated reporters shall be developed within one year after January 1, 2022 (the effective date of Public Act 102-604) this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly and shall be created in consultation with organizations demonstrating expertise and or experience in the areas of implicit bias, youth and adolescent developmental issues, prevention of child abuse, exploitation, and neglect, culturally diverse family systems, and the child welfare system.

The mandated reporter training, including a section on implicit bias, shall be provided through the Department, through an entity authorized to provide continuing education for professionals licensed through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the State Board of Education, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, or the Illinois Department of State Police, or through an organization approved by the Department to provide mandated reporter training, including a section on implicit bias. The Department must make available a free web-based training for reporters.

Each mandated reporter shall report to the mandated reporter's his or her employer and, when applicable, to the mandated reporter's his or her licensing or certification board that the mandated reporter he or she received the mandated reporter training. The mandated reporter shall maintain records of completion.

Beginning January 1, 2021, if a mandated reporter receives licensure from the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation or the State Board of Education, and the mandated reporter's his or her profession has continuing education requirements, the training mandated under this Section shall count toward meeting the licensee's required continuing education hours.

(k)(1) Medical personnel, as listed in paragraph (1) of subsection (a), who work with children in their professional or official capacity, must complete mandated reporter training at least every 6 years. Such medical personnel, if licensed, must attest at each time of licensure renewal on their renewal form that they understand they are a mandated reporter of child abuse and neglect, that they are aware of the process for making a report, that they know how to respond to a child in a trauma-informed manner, and that they are aware of the role of child protective services and the role of a reporter after a call has been made.

(2) In lieu of repeated training, medical personnel, as listed in paragraph (1) of subsection (a), who do not work with children in their professional or official capacity, may instead attest each time at licensure renewal on their renewal form that they understand they are a mandated reporter of child abuse and neglect, that they are aware of the process for making a report, that they know how to respond to a child in a trauma-informed manner, and that they are aware of the role of child protective services and the role of a reporter after a call has been made. Nothing in this paragraph precludes medical personnel from completing mandated reporter training and receiving continuing education credits for that training.

(l) The Department shall provide copies of this Act, upon request, to all employers employing persons who shall be required under the provisions of this Section to report under this Act.

(m) Any person who knowingly transmits a false report to the Department commits the offense of disorderly conduct under subsection (a)(7) of Section 26-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012. A violation of this provision is a Class 4 felony.

Any person who knowingly and willfully violates any provision of this Section other than a second or subsequent violation of transmitting a false report as described in the preceding paragraph, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for a first violation and a Class 4 felony for a second or subsequent violation; except that if the person acted as part of a plan or scheme having as its object the prevention of discovery of an abused or neglected child by lawful authorities for the purpose of protecting or insulating any person or entity from arrest or prosecution, the person is guilty of a Class 4 felony for a first offense and a Class 3 felony for a second or subsequent offense (regardless of whether the second or subsequent offense involves any of the same facts or persons as the first or other prior offense).

(n) A child whose parent, guardian or custodian in good faith selects and depends upon spiritual means through prayer alone for the treatment or cure of disease or remedial care may be considered neglected or abused, but not for the sole reason that the child's his parent, guardian or custodian accepts and practices such beliefs.

(o) A child shall not be considered neglected or abused solely because the child is not attending school in accordance with the requirements of Article 26 of the School Code, as amended.

(p) Nothing in this Act prohibits a mandated reporter who reasonably believes that an animal is being abused or neglected in violation of the Humane Care for Animals Act from reporting animal abuse or neglect to the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare.

(q) A home rule unit may not regulate the reporting of child abuse or neglect in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of this Section. This Section is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent exercise by home rule units of powers and functions exercised by the State.

(r) For purposes of this Section "child abuse or neglect" includes abuse or neglect of an adult resident as defined in this Act.

(Source: P.A. 101-564, eff. 1-1-20; 102-604, eff. 1-1-22; 102-861, eff. 1-1-23; 102-953, eff. 5-27-22; revised 12-14-22.)

(325 ILCS 5/4.1) (from Ch. 23, par. 2054.1)

Sec. 4.1. Any person required to report under this Act who has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has died as a result of abuse or neglect shall also immediately report the person's his suspicion to the appropriate medical examiner or coroner. Any other person who has reasonable cause to believe that a child has died as a result of abuse or neglect may report the person's his suspicion to the appropriate medical examiner or coroner. The medical examiner or coroner shall investigate the report and communicate the medical examiner's or coroner's his apparent gross findings, orally, immediately upon completion of the gross autopsy, but in all cases within 72 hours and within 21 days in writing, to the local law enforcement agency, the appropriate State's attorney, the Department and, if the institution making the report is a hospital, the hospital. The child protective investigator assigned to the death investigation shall have the right to require a copy of the completed autopsy report from the coroner or medical examiner.

(Source: P.A. 85-193.)

(325 ILCS 5/4.2)

Sec. 4.2. Departmental report on death or serious life-threatening injury of child.

(a) In the case of the death or serious life-threatening injury of a child whose care and custody or custody and guardianship has been transferred to the Department, or in the case of a child abuse or neglect report made to the central register involving the death of a child, the Department shall (i) investigate or provide for an investigation of the cause of and circumstances surrounding the death or serious life-threatening injury, (ii) review the investigation, and (iii) prepare and issue a report on the death or serious life-threatening injury.

(b) The report shall include (i) the cause of death or serious life-threatening injury, whether from natural or other causes, (ii) any extraordinary or pertinent information concerning the circumstances of the child's death or serious life-threatening injury, (iii) identification of child protective or other social services provided or actions taken regarding the child or the child's his or her family at the time of the death or serious life-threatening injury or within the preceding 5 years, (iv) any action or further investigation undertaken by the Department since the death or serious life-threatening injury of the child, (v) as appropriate, recommendations for State administrative or policy changes, (vi) whether the alleged perpetrator of the abuse or neglect has been charged with committing a crime related to the report and allegation of abuse or neglect, and (vii) a copy of any documents, files, records, books, and papers created or used in connection with the Department's investigation of the death or serious life-threatening injury of the child. In any case involving the death or near death of a child, when a person responsible for the child has been charged with committing a crime that results in the child's death or near death, there shall be a presumption that the best interest of the public will be served by public disclosure of certain information concerning the circumstances of the investigations of the death or near death of the child and any other investigations concerning that child or other children living in the same household.

If the Department receives from the public a request for information relating to a case of child abuse or neglect involving the death or serious life-threatening injury of a child, the Director shall consult with the State's Attorney in the county of venue and release the report related to the case, except for the following, which may be redacted from the information disclosed to the public: any mental health or psychological information that is confidential as otherwise provided in State law; privileged communications of an attorney; the identity of the individual or individuals, if known, who made the report; information that may cause mental or physical harm to a sibling or another child living in the household; information that may undermine an ongoing criminal investigation; and any information prohibited from disclosure by federal law or regulation. Any information provided by an adult subject of a report that is released about the case in a public forum shall be subject to disclosure upon a public information request. Information about the case shall also be subject to disclosure upon consent of an adult subject. Information about the case shall also be subject to disclosure if it has been publicly disclosed in a report by a law enforcement agency or official, a State's Attorney, a judge, or any other State or local investigative agency or official. Except as it may apply directly to the cause of the death or serious life-threatening injury of the child, nothing in this Section shall be deemed to authorize the release or disclosure to the public of the substance or content of any psychological, psychiatric, therapeutic, clinical, or medical reports, evaluation, or like materials or information pertaining to the child or the child's family.

(c) No later than 6 months after the date of the death or serious life-threatening injury of the child, the Department shall notify the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives in whose district the child's death or serious life-threatening injury occurred upon the completion of each report and shall submit an annual cumulative report to the Governor and the General Assembly incorporating cumulative data about the above reports and including appropriate findings and recommendations. The reports required by this subsection (c) shall be made available to the public after completion or submittal.

(d) To enable the Department to prepare the report, the Department may request and shall timely receive from departments, boards, bureaus, or other agencies of the State, or any of its political subdivisions, or any duly authorized agency, or any other agency which provided assistance, care, or services to the deceased or injured child any information they are authorized to provide.

(Source: P.A. 97-1068, eff. 1-1-13.)

(325 ILCS 5/4.4)

Sec. 4.4. DCFS duty to report to State's Attorney. Whenever the Department receives, by means of its statewide toll-free telephone number established under Section 7.6 for the purpose of reporting suspected child abuse or neglect or by any other means or from any mandated reporter under Section 4, a report of a newborn infant whose blood, urine, or meconium contains any amount of a controlled substance as defined in subsection (f) of Section 102 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act or a metabolite thereof, with the exception of a controlled substance or metabolite thereof whose presence in the newborn infant is the result of medical treatment administered to the person who gave birth mother or the newborn infant, the Department must immediately report that information to the State's Attorney of the county in which the infant was born.

(Source: P.A. 95-361, eff. 8-23-07.)

(325 ILCS 5/4.5)

Sec. 4.5. Electronic and information technology workers; reporting child pornography.

(a) In this Section:

"Child pornography" means child pornography as described in Section 11-20.1 of the Criminal Code of 2012.

"Electronic and information technology equipment" means equipment used in the creation, manipulation, storage, display, or transmission of data, including internet and intranet systems, software applications, operating systems, video and multimedia, telecommunications products, kiosks, information transaction machines, copiers, printers, and desktop and portable computers.

"Electronic and information technology equipment worker" means a person who in the scope and course of the person's his or her employment or business installs, repairs, or otherwise services electronic and information technology equipment for a fee but does not include (i) an employee, independent contractor, or other agent of a telecommunications carrier or telephone or telecommunications cooperative, as those terms are defined in the Public Utilities Act, or (ii) an employee, independent contractor, or other agent of a provider of commercial mobile radio service, as defined in 47 C.F.R. 20.3.

(b) If an electronic and information technology equipment worker discovers any depiction of child pornography while installing, repairing, or otherwise servicing an item of electronic and information technology equipment, that worker or the worker's employer shall immediately report the discovery to the local law enforcement agency or to the Cyber Tipline at the National Center for Missing and & Exploited Children.

(c) If a report is filed in accordance with the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 13032, the requirements of this Section 4.5 will be deemed to have been met.

(d) An electronic and information technology equipment worker or electronic and information technology equipment worker's employer who reports a discovery of child pornography as required under this Section is immune from any criminal, civil, or administrative liability in connection with making the report, except for willful or wanton misconduct.

(e) Failure to report a discovery of child pornography as required under this Section is a business offense subject to a fine of $1,001.

(Source: P.A. 96-1551, eff. 7-1-11; 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)

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