HB1551 EngrossedLRB101 07904 SLF 52959 b

1    AN ACT concerning courts.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Children and Family Services Act is amended
5by adding Section 7.8 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 505/7.8 new)
7    Sec. 7.8. Home safety checklist; aftercare services;
8immunization checks.
9    (a) As used in this Section, "purchase of service agency"
10means any entity that contracts with the Department to provide
11services that are consistent with the purposes of this Act.
12    (b) Whenever a child is placed in the custody or
13guardianship of the Department or a child is returned to the
14custody of a parent or guardian and the court retains
15jurisdiction of the case, the Department must ensure that the
16child is up to date on his or her well-child visits, including
17age-appropriate immunizations, or that there is a documented
18religious or medical reason the child did not receive the
19immunizations.
20    (c) Whenever a child has been placed in foster or
21substitute care by court order and the court later determines
22that the child can return to the custody of his or her parent
23or guardian, the Department must complete, prior to the child's

 

 

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1discharge from foster or substitute care, a home safety
2checklist to ensure that the conditions of the child's home are
3sufficient to ensure the child's safety and well-being, as
4defined in Department rules and procedures. At a minimum, the
5home safety checklist shall be completed within 24 hours prior
6to the child's return home and completed again or recertified
7in the absence of any environmental barriers or hazards within
85 working days after a child is returned home and every month
9thereafter until the child's case is closed pursuant to the
10Juvenile Court Act of 1987. The home safety checklist shall
11include a certification that there are no environmental
12barriers or hazards to prevent returning the child home.
13    (d) When a court determines that a child should return to
14the custody or guardianship of a parent or guardian, any
15aftercare services provided to the child and the child's family
16by the Department or a purchase of service agency shall
17commence on the date upon which the child is returned to the
18custody or guardianship of his or her parent or guardian.
19However, if multiple children are returned at different times
20to the custody or guardianship of the parent or guardian,
21aftercare services shall commence on the date upon which the
22last child returns home.
23    (e) One year after the effective date of this amendatory
24Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Auditor General shall
25commence a performance audit of the Department of Children and
26Family Services to determine whether the Department is meeting

 

 

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1the requirements of this Section. Within 2 years after the
2audit's release, the Auditor General shall commence a follow-up
3performance audit to determine whether the Department has
4implemented the recommendations contained in the initial
5performance audit. Upon completion of each audit, the Auditor
6General shall report its findings to the General Assembly. The
7Auditor General's reports shall include any issues or
8deficiencies and recommendations. The audits required by this
9Section shall be in accordance with and subject to the Illinois
10State Auditing Act.
 
11    Section 10. The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act is
12amended by adding Section 7.01 as follows:
 
13    (325 ILCS 5/7.01 new)
14    Sec. 7.01. Safety assessments for reports made by mandated
15reporters.
16    (a) When a report is made by a mandated reporter to the
17statewide toll-free telephone number established under Section
187.6 of this Act and there is a prior indicated report of abuse
19or neglect and a prior open service case involving any member
20of the household, the Department must, at a minimum, accept the
21report as a child welfare services referral. If the family
22refuses to cooperate or refuses access to the home or children,
23then a child protective services investigation shall be
24initiated if the facts otherwise meet the criteria to accept a

 

 

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1report.
2    As used in this Section, "child welfare services referral"
3means an assessment of the family for service needs and linkage
4to available local community resources for the purpose of
5preventing or remedying or assisting in the solution of
6problems which may result in the neglect, abuse, exploitation,
7or delinquency of children, and as further defined in
8Department rules and procedures.
9    As used in this Section, "prior open service case" means a
10case in which the Department has provided services to the
11family either directly or through a purchase of service agency.
12    (b) One year after the effective date of this amendatory
13Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Auditor General shall
14commence a performance audit of the Department of Children and
15Family Services to determine whether the Department is meeting
16the requirements of this Section. Within 2 years after the
17audit's release, the Auditor General shall commence a follow-up
18performance audit to determine whether the Department has
19implemented the recommendations contained in the initial
20performance audit. Upon completion of each audit, the Auditor
21General shall report its findings to the General Assembly. The
22Auditor General's reports shall include any issues or
23deficiencies and recommendations. The audits required by this
24Section shall be in accordance with and subject to the Illinois
25State Auditing Act.