20 ILCS 4104/15

(20 ILCS 4104/15)

Sec. 15. Duties. The Advisory Commission shall be a coordinating and advocating body that acts on behalf of the interests of African-American children who are at risk of placement within the State's child welfare system. The Advisory Commission shall advise the Governor and the General Assembly, as well as work directly with State agencies, to identify those causes and factors that contribute to the overrepresentation of African-American children in foster care. In addition, the Advisory Commission shall collaborate with State agencies and other social services organizations to develop effective strategies, policies, services, and programs that are aimed at providing African-American children and their families with the resources and preventive services they need to stay out of foster care and the child welfare system generally. The Advisory Commission shall also assist in the development of child welfare policies and practices that advance more equitable outcomes for African-American children and their families who have contact with the Department of Children and Family Services. In furtherance of these purposes, the Advisory Commission shall do the following:

(1) Regularly track and analyze State and local data on the racial disproportionality of children in foster care in order to develop effective policies to prevent African-American children's placement in foster or substitute care.

(2) Examine and develop strategies and policies to address the 2018 data released by the University of Illinois' Children and Family Research Center, School of Social Work, which showed racial disproportionality during 5 key stages of the child welfare decision-making process: investigated maltreatment reports; protective custody; indicated maltreatment reports; entries into substitute care; and timely exits from substitute care.

(3) Assist in the development of cultural competency training programs for child welfare caseworkers to eliminate racial bias and cultural misconceptions about African-American families and communities during the child welfare decision-making process.

(4) Monitor and comment on existing and proposed legislation that affects African-American children who are at risk of placement in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems.

(5) Identify best practices to safely increase the number of family or relative placements for African-American children who enter the child welfare system.

(6) Collaborate with other State agencies and social services agencies in the development of programs that improve African-American families access to preventive and supportive services, including, but not limited to, mental health and substance use disorder services, medical care, legal assistance, housing assistance, and family counseling.

(Source: P.A. 102-470, eff. 8-20-21.)