Full Text of HR0418 100th General Assembly
HR0418ham001 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | AMENDMENT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 418
| 2 | | AMENDMENT NO. ___. Amend House Resolution 418 by replacing | 3 | | everything after the heading with the following:
| 4 | | "WHEREAS, The Department of Children and Family Services | 5 | | ("DCFS" or "Department") is responsible for providing child | 6 | | protective services and programs to abused, neglected, and | 7 | | dependent children and their families; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, The shooting death of 17 year-old Laquan McDonald
| 9 | | by a Chicago police officer on October 20, 2014 shed light on
| 10 | | the inefficiencies that plague the DCFS foster care program as | 11 | | media reports revealed the instability and abuse Laquan | 12 | | McDonald experienced throughout his youth as he moved through | 13 | | the foster care system; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Last month's suspicious death of 16 month-old | 15 | | Semaj Crosby, whose body was found in her family's Joliet home |
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| 1 | | a day and a half after DCFS case workers visited the home to | 2 | | investigate an allegation of child neglect, has elicited sharp | 3 | | criticism on how DCFS
investigates reports of child abuse and | 4 | | neglect; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Illinois has an interest in ensuring that all | 6 | | reports of child abuse and neglect are thoroughly investigated | 7 | | and that the children of this State have access to adequate and | 8 | | efficient protective services and programs; therefore, be it
| 9 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 10 | | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the | 11 | | Auditor General is directed in accordance with Section 3-2 of | 12 | | the Illinois State Auditing Act to conduct a performance audit | 13 | | on the Department of Children and Family Services to review and | 14 | | assess the Department's protocols for investigating reports of | 15 | | child abuse and neglect; and be it further
| 16 | | RESOLVED, That the audit include a review of abuse and | 17 | | neglect investigations conducted by the Department of Children | 18 | | and Family Services in Fiscal Year 2015, Fiscal Year 2016, and | 19 | | Fiscal Year 2017, including, but not limited to, a review of: | 20 | | (1) the status of abuse and neglect investigations; | 21 | | (2) the final determination or findings made by the | 22 | | Department for abuse and neglect investigations; | 23 | | (3) the time frame within which the Department |
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| 1 | | completed or closed abuse and neglect investigations; | 2 | | (4) for sampled cases, recommendations made by the | 3 | | Department to families who were the subject of an abuse or | 4 | | neglect investigation, including any services provided by | 5 | | the Department to the child or family; and | 6 | | (5) demographic information on abuse and neglect | 7 | | investigations, including the age, race, and gender of | 8 | | children who were subjects of the abuse or neglect | 9 | | investigations, and, if available, the zip code and county | 10 | | where the abuse or neglect was alleged to have occurred; | 11 | | and be it further | 12 | | RESOLVED, That the Auditor General compile a detailed | 13 | | report that includes a full summary on the number of lawsuits | 14 | | or other legal actions filed against the Department within the | 15 | | past 3 fiscal years that concern an abuse or neglect | 16 | | investigation and the number of lawsuits the Department settled | 17 | | within the past 3 fiscal years that concern an abuse or neglect | 18 | | investigation; and be it further | 19 | | RESOLVED, That the Department of Children and Family | 20 | | Services cooperate fully and promptly with the Auditor General | 21 | | in the conduct of this audit; and be it further | 22 | | RESOLVED, That the Auditor General is not allowed or | 23 | | authorized to release or disclose in his report any information |
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| 1 | | that is prohibited from public disclosure under the Abused and | 2 | | Neglected Child Reporting Act or under any other State or | 3 | | federal law; and be it further | 4 | | RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as | 5 | | soon as possible and submit his report, including his findings | 6 | | and recommendations, upon completion in accordance with the | 7 | | provisions of Section 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act; | 8 | | and be it further
| 9 | | RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be delivered to | 10 | | the Auditor General and the Department of Children and Family | 11 | | Services.". |
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