Full Text of HB4242 94th General Assembly
HB4242 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006 HB4242
Introduced 12/09/05, by Rep. William Delgado SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
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20 ILCS 505/7 |
from Ch. 23, par. 5007 |
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Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that 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 if the placement is consistent with the child's best interests taking into consideration the factors set out by statute for a "best interests" determination. Provides that in placing a child under the Act, the Department shall make reasonable efforts to identify and locate a relative who is ready, willing, and able to care for the child and that, at a minimum, these efforts are to be renewed each time the child requires a placement change when it is appropriate for the child to be cared for in a home environment. Requires the Department to document its efforts to identify and locate a relative placement and maintain the documentation in the child's case file. Provides that if any person files an administrative appeal of the Department's decision not to place a child with a relative, it will be the Department's burden to prove that its decision is consistent with the child's best interests. Sets forth additional requirements for the Department regarding relative placements. Provides that the definition of relative under this Act shall include any person who would have qualified as a relative under this paragraph, prior to an adoption, but only if the Department determines, and documents its determination, that it would be in the child's best interests to consider this person a relative. Makes other changes. Effective August 1, 2006.
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A BILL FOR
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HB4242 |
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LRB094 15651 RSP 50859 b |
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| AN ACT concerning State government.
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| represented in the General Assembly:
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| Section 5. The Children and Family Services Act is amended | 5 |
| by changing Section 7 as follows:
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| (20 ILCS 505/7) (from Ch. 23, par. 5007)
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| Sec. 7. Placement of children; considerations.
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| (a) In placing any child under this Act, the Department | 9 |
| shall place
such child, as far as possible, in the care and | 10 |
| custody of some individual
holding the same religious belief as | 11 |
| the parents of the child, or with some
child care facility | 12 |
| which is operated by persons of like religious faith as
the | 13 |
| parents of such child.
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| (b) In placing a child under this Act, the Department may | 15 |
| place a child
with a relative if the Department determines
has | 16 |
| reason to believe that the relative
will be able to adequately | 17 |
| provide for the child's safety and welfare based on the factors | 18 |
| set forth in the Department's Rules governing relative | 19 |
| placements, and that the placement is consistent with the | 20 |
| child's best interests, taking into consideration the factors | 21 |
| set out in subsection (4.05) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile | 22 |
| Court Act of 1987. | 23 |
| When the Department first assumes custody of a child, in | 24 |
| placing that child under this Act, the Department shall make | 25 |
| reasonable efforts to identify and locate a relative who is | 26 |
| ready, willing, and able to care for the child. At a minimum, | 27 |
| these efforts shall be renewed each time the child requires a | 28 |
| placement change and it is appropriate for the child to be | 29 |
| cared for in a home environment. The Department must document | 30 |
| its efforts to identify and locate such a relative placement | 31 |
| and maintain the documentation in the child's case file. | 32 |
| If the Department determines that a placement with any |
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LRB094 15651 RSP 50859 b |
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| identified relative is not in the child's best interests or | 2 |
| that the relative does not meet the requirements to be a | 3 |
| relative caregiver, as set forth in Department Rules or by | 4 |
| statute, the Department must document the basis for that | 5 |
| decision and maintain the documentation in the child's case | 6 |
| file .
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| If, pursuant to the Department's Rules, any person files an | 8 |
| administrative appeal of the Department's decision not to place | 9 |
| a child with a relative, it is the Department's burden to prove | 10 |
| that the decision is consistent with the child's best | 11 |
| interests. | 12 |
| When the Department determines that the child requires | 13 |
| placement in an environment, other than a home environment, the | 14 |
| Department shall continue to make reasonable efforts to | 15 |
| identify and locate relatives to serve as visitation resources | 16 |
| for the child and potential future placement resources, except | 17 |
| when the Department determines that those efforts would be | 18 |
| futile or inconsistent with the child's best interests. | 19 |
| If the Department determines that efforts to identify and | 20 |
| locate relatives would be futile or inconsistent with the | 21 |
| child's best interests, the Department shall document the basis | 22 |
| of its determination and maintain the documentation in the | 23 |
| child's case file. | 24 |
| If the Department determines that an individual or a group | 25 |
| of relatives are inappropriate to serve as visitation resources | 26 |
| or possible placement resources, the Department shall document | 27 |
| the basis of its determination and maintain the documentation | 28 |
| in the child's case file. | 29 |
| When the Department determines that an individual or a | 30 |
| group of relatives are appropriate to serve as visitation | 31 |
| resources or possible future placement resources, the | 32 |
| Department shall document the basis of its determination, | 33 |
| maintain the documentation in the child's case file, create a | 34 |
| visitation or transition plan, or both, and incorporate the | 35 |
| visitation or transition plan, or both, into the child's case | 36 |
| plan. For the purpose of this subsection, any determination as |
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LRB094 15651 RSP 50859 b |
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| to the child's best interests shall include consideration of | 2 |
| the factors set out in subsection (4.05) of Section 1-3 of the | 3 |
| Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
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| The Department may not place a child with a relative, with | 5 |
| the exception of
certain circumstances which may be waived as | 6 |
| defined by the Department in
rules, if the results of a check | 7 |
| of the Law Enforcement Agencies
Agency
Data System (LEADS) | 8 |
| identifies a prior criminal conviction of the relative or
any | 9 |
| adult member of the relative's household for any of the | 10 |
| following offenses
under the Criminal Code of 1961:
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| (1) murder;
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| (1.1) solicitation of murder;
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| (1.2) solicitation of murder for hire;
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| (1.3) intentional homicide of an unborn child;
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| (1.4) voluntary manslaughter of an unborn child;
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| (1.5) involuntary manslaughter;
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| (1.6) reckless homicide;
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| (1.7) concealment of a homicidal death;
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| (1.8) involuntary manslaughter of an unborn child;
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| (1.9) reckless homicide of an unborn child;
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| (1.10) drug-induced homicide;
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| (2) a sex offense under Article 11, except offenses | 23 |
| described in Sections
11-7, 11-8, 11-12, and 11-13;
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| (3) kidnapping;
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| (3.1) aggravated unlawful restraint;
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| (3.2) forcible detention;
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| (3.3) aiding and abetting child abduction;
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| (4) aggravated kidnapping;
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| (5) child abduction;
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| (6) aggravated battery of a child;
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| (7) criminal sexual assault;
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| (8) aggravated criminal sexual assault;
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| (8.1) predatory criminal sexual assault of a child;
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| (9) criminal sexual abuse;
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| (10) aggravated sexual abuse;
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| (11) heinous battery;
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| (12) aggravated battery with a firearm;
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| (13) tampering with food, drugs, or cosmetics;
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| (14) drug-induced infliction of great bodily harm;
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| (15) aggravated stalking;
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| (16) home invasion;
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| (17) vehicular invasion;
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| (18) criminal transmission of HIV;
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| (19) criminal abuse or neglect of an elderly or | 9 |
| disabled person;
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| (20) child abandonment;
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| (21) endangering the life or health of a child;
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| (22) ritual mutilation;
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| (23) ritualized abuse of a child;
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| (24) an offense in any other state the elements of | 15 |
| which are similar and
bear a substantial relationship to | 16 |
| any of the foregoing offenses.
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| For the purpose of this subsection, "relative" shall include
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| any person, 21 years of age or over, other than the parent, who | 19 |
| (i) is
currently related to the child in any of the following | 20 |
| ways by blood or
adoption: grandparent, sibling, | 21 |
| great-grandparent, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece,
first cousin, | 22 |
| second cousin, godparent, great-uncle, or great-aunt; or (ii) | 23 |
| is
the spouse of such a
relative; or (iii) is the child's | 24 |
| step-father, step-mother, or adult
step-brother or | 25 |
| step-sister; "relative" also includes a person related in any
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| of the foregoing ways to a sibling of a child, even though the | 27 |
| person is not
related to the child, when the
child and its | 28 |
| sibling are placed together with that person. For children who | 29 |
| have been in the guardianship of the Department, have been | 30 |
| adopted, and are subsequently returned to the temporary custody | 31 |
| or guardianship of the Department, a "relative" may also | 32 |
| include any person who would have qualified as a relative under | 33 |
| this paragraph prior to the adoption, but only if the | 34 |
| Department determines, and documents, that it would be in the | 35 |
| child's best interests to consider this person a relative, | 36 |
| based upon the factors for determining best interests set forth |
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LRB094 15651 RSP 50859 b |
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| in subsection (4.05) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile Court Act | 2 |
| of 1987. A relative with
whom a child is placed pursuant to | 3 |
| this subsection may, but is not required to,
apply for | 4 |
| licensure as a foster family home pursuant to the Child Care | 5 |
| Act of
1969; provided, however, that as of July 1, 1995, foster | 6 |
| care payments shall be
made only to licensed foster family | 7 |
| homes pursuant to the terms of Section 5 of
this Act.
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| (c) In placing a child under this Act, the Department shall | 9 |
| ensure that
the child's health, safety, and best interests are | 10 |
| met in making a family
foster care placement .
In rejecting | 11 |
| placement of a child with an identified relative, the | 12 |
| Department shall ensure that the child's health, safety, and | 13 |
| best interests are met. In evaluating the best interests of the | 14 |
| child, the Department shall take into consideration the factors | 15 |
| set forth in subsection (4.05) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile | 16 |
| Court Act of 1987.
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| The Department shall consider the individual needs of the
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| child and the capacity of the prospective foster or adoptive
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| parents to meet the needs of the child. When a child must be | 20 |
| placed
outside his or her home and cannot be immediately | 21 |
| returned to his or her
parents or guardian, a comprehensive, | 22 |
| individualized assessment shall be
performed of that child at | 23 |
| which time the needs of the child shall be
determined. Only if | 24 |
| race, color, or national origin is identified as a
legitimate | 25 |
| factor in advancing the child's best interests shall it be
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| considered. Race, color, or national origin shall not be | 27 |
| routinely
considered in making a placement decision. The | 28 |
| Department shall make
special
efforts for the diligent | 29 |
| recruitment of potential foster and adoptive families
that | 30 |
| reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of the children for | 31 |
| whom foster
and adoptive homes are needed. "Special efforts" | 32 |
| shall include contacting and
working with community | 33 |
| organizations and religious organizations and may
include | 34 |
| contracting with those organizations, utilizing local media | 35 |
| and other
local resources, and conducting outreach activities.
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| (c-1) At the time of placement, the Department shall |
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LRB094 15651 RSP 50859 b |
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| consider concurrent
planning, as described in subsection (l-1) | 2 |
| of Section 5, so that permanency may
occur at the earliest | 3 |
| opportunity. Consideration should be given so that if
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| reunification fails or is delayed, the placement made is the | 5 |
| best available
placement to provide permanency for the child.
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| (d) The Department may accept gifts, grants, offers of | 7 |
| services, and
other contributions to use in making special | 8 |
| recruitment efforts.
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| (e) The Department in placing children in adoptive or | 10 |
| foster care homes
may not, in any policy or practice relating | 11 |
| to the placement of children for
adoption or foster care, | 12 |
| discriminate against any child or prospective adoptive
or | 13 |
| foster parent on the basis of race.
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| (Source: P.A. 92-192, eff. 1-1-02; 92-328, eff. 1-1-02; 92-334, | 15 |
| eff. 8-10-01;
92-651, eff. 7-11-02; revised 2-17-03.)
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| Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect August 1, | 17 |
| 2006.
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