101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB2723

 

Introduced , by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
325 ILCS 70/10
325 ILCS 70/15

    Amends the Strengthening the Child Welfare Workforce for Children and Families Act. Increases the membership of the Task Force on Strengthening the Child Welfare Workforce for Children and Families to include 2 persons who each serve as a chief executive officer or chief administrator of a private sector child welfare provider. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services (rather than the Children and Family Research Center of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) to provide administrative and other support to the Task Force. Requires the Department to engage the services of the Children and Family Research Center to aid in the collection, cataloguing, and analysis of child welfare data. Extends the deadline date by which the Task Force must submit certain reports to the Governor and the General Assembly concerning the State's child welfare workforce. Changes the date the Task Force is dissolved from January 1, 2021 to January 1, 2022. Changes the date the Act is repealed from January 1, 2021 to January 1, 2022. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB2723LRB101 07994 KTG 53051 b

1    AN ACT concerning children.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Strengthening the Child Welfare Workforce
5for Children and Families Act is amended by changing Sections
610 and 15 as follows:
 
7    (325 ILCS 70/10)
8    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2021)
9    Sec. 10. Task Force on Strengthening the Child Welfare
10Workforce for Children and Families.
11    (a) As used in this Act:
12    "Child welfare workers" or "staff" means child welfare
13caseworkers, child welfare specialists, and child welfare
14specialist supervisors.
15    "Child welfare services job" mean an employment position as
16a child welfare caseworker, child welfare specialist, or child
17welfare specialist supervisor.
18    (b) The Task Force on Strengthening the Child Welfare
19Workforce for Children and Families is created to do all of the
20following:
21        (1) Perform a policy and literature review regarding:
22    (i) compensation and caseload standards in the field of
23    child welfare; (ii) staff turnover rates; and (iii) the

 

 

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1    impact compensation, caseload, and staff turnover have on
2    achieving safety and timely permanency for children.
3        (2) Survey employers in the public and private sector
4    to determine:
5            (A) how many child welfare service jobs exist;
6            (B) the compensation paid to child welfare
7        workers;
8            (C) how many child welfare service jobs are filled
9        and how many are vacant;
10            (D) how many child welfare service jobs are filled
11        by persons who have at least 18 months in the position;
12            (E) the rate of turnover for child welfare workers;
13        and
14            (F) the causes of turnover for child welfare
15        workers.
16        (3) Conduct a detailed time log analysis for child
17    welfare workers to determine how much time is available to
18    complete each administrative task and how much time is
19    actually spent to complete each administrative task. The
20    time log analysis shall expressly ask child welfare workers
21    the following question for each administrative task, "Is
22    this task duplicative of one that you have already
23    completed?".
24        (4) Develop recommendations on how to (i) improve the
25    recruitment and retention of child welfare workers; and
26    (ii) reduce the turnover rates for child welfare workers.

 

 

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1    (c) Members of the Task Force shall include:
2        (1) 2 members appointed by the Governor;
3        (2) 2 legislative members appointed by the Speaker of
4    the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be
5    designated as Co-Chairperson;
6        (3) 2 legislative members appointed by the Minority
7    Leader of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall
8    be designated as Co-Chairperson;
9        (4) 2 legislative members appointed by the President of
10    the Senate, one of whom shall be designated as
11    Co-Chairperson;
12        (5) 2 legislative members appointed by the Senate
13    Minority Leader, one of whom shall be designated as
14    Co-Chairperson;
15        (6) the Director of the Illinois Criminal Justice
16    Information Authority, or his or her designee;
17        (7) the Director of Children and Family Services, or
18    his or her designee;
19        (8) the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity,
20    or his or her designee;
21        (9) the Principal Investigator for the Child
22    Protection Training Academy at the University of Illinois;
23        (10) a person appointed by a labor union that
24    represents State employees;
25        (11) a current private sector employee appointed by the
26    Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

 

 

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1        (12) a person representing a non-profit, statewide
2    organization that represents private sector child welfare
3    providers; and .
4        (13) 2 persons who each serve as a chief executive
5    officer or chief administrator of a private sector child
6    welfare provider.
7    (d) The Department of Children and Family Services Children
8and Family Research Center of the University of Illinois at
9Urbana-Champaign shall provide administrative and other
10support to the Task Force.
11    (e) The Department of Children and Family Services shall
12engage the services of the Children and Family Research Center
13of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The
14Department of Children and Family Services shall engage the
15services of a university-based consultant to aid in the
16collection, cataloguing, and analysis of child welfare data.
17Services provided by the Children and Family Research Center as
18described in this subsection and whose services shall conclude
19when the Task Force submits its final report to the General
20Assembly and the Governor as required under subsection (h).
21    (f) The Task Force shall consider contracting with a
22qualified company, university, or other entity with
23demonstrated experience studying and improving human resources
24management.
25    (g) The Task Force shall meet no less than 6 times.
26    (h) The Task Force shall submit a preliminary report to the

 

 

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1General Assembly and the Governor no later than October 1, 2020
22019, and a final electronic report, along with recommendations
3and any proposed legislation, to the General Assembly and the
4Governor by January 1, 2021 2020.
5    The reports to the General Assembly shall be filed with the
6Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the
7Senate in electronic form only, in the manner that the Clerk
8and the Secretary shall direct.
9    (i) The Task Force is dissolved on January 1, 2022 2021.
10(Source: P.A. 100-879, eff. 8-14-18.)
 
11    (325 ILCS 70/15)
12    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2021)
13    Sec. 15. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1, 2022
142021.
15(Source: P.A. 100-879, eff. 8-14-18.)
 
16    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
17becoming law.