HB2995 EngrossedLRB103 26969 KTG 53335 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Foster Parent Law is amended by changing
5Section 1-15 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 520/1-15)
7    Sec. 1-15. Foster parent rights. A foster parent's rights
8include, but are not limited to, the following:
9        (1) The right to be treated with dignity, respect, and
10    consideration as a professional member of the child
11    welfare team.
12        (2) The right to be given standardized pre-service
13    training and appropriate ongoing training to meet mutually
14    assessed needs and improve the foster parent's skills.
15        (3) The right to be informed as to how to contact the
16    appropriate child placement agency in order to receive
17    information and assistance to access supportive services
18    for children in the foster parent's care.
19        (4) The right to receive timely financial
20    reimbursement commensurate with the care needs of the
21    child as specified in the service plan. This shall include
22    an initial payment of $480 per child to be made within 21
23    days of a permanent placement. If the final monthly

 

 

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1    payment for a child amounts to $480 or more, the amount of
2    $480 shall be deducted from the final monthly payment. If
3    the final monthly payment amounts to less than $480, the
4    final monthly payment shall not be made.
5        (5) The right to be provided a clear, written
6    understanding of a placement agency's plan concerning the
7    placement of a child in the foster parent's home. Inherent
8    in this right is the foster parent's responsibility to
9    support activities that will promote the child's right to
10    relationships with his or her own family and cultural
11    heritage.
12        (6) The right to be provided a fair, timely, and
13    impartial investigation of complaints concerning the
14    foster parent's licensure, to be provided the opportunity
15    to have a person of the foster parent's choosing present
16    during the investigation, and to be provided due process
17    during the investigation; the right to be provided the
18    opportunity to request and receive mediation or an
19    administrative review of decisions that affect licensing
20    parameters, or both mediation and an administrative
21    review; and the right to have decisions concerning a
22    licensing corrective action plan specifically explained
23    and tied to the licensing standards violated.
24        (7) The right, at any time during which a child is
25    placed with the foster parent, to receive additional or
26    necessary information that is relevant to the care of the

 

 

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1    child.
2        (7.5) The right to be given information concerning a
3    child (i) from the Department as required under subsection
4    (u) of Section 5 of the Children and Family Services Act
5    and (ii) from a child welfare agency as required under
6    subsection (c-5) of Section 7.4 of the Child Care Act of
7    1969.
8        (8) The right to be notified of scheduled meetings and
9    staffings concerning the foster child in order to actively
10    participate in the case planning and decision-making
11    process regarding the child, including individual service
12    planning meetings, administrative case reviews,
13    interdisciplinary staffings, and individual educational
14    planning meetings; the right to be informed of decisions
15    made by the courts or the child welfare agency concerning
16    the child; the right to provide input concerning the plan
17    of services for the child and to have that input given full
18    consideration in the same manner as information presented
19    by any other professional on the team; and the right to
20    communicate with other professionals who work with the
21    foster child within the context of the team, including
22    therapists, physicians, attending health care
23    professionals, and teachers.
24        (9) The right to be given, in a timely and consistent
25    manner, any information a case worker has regarding the
26    child and the child's family which is pertinent to the

 

 

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1    care and needs of the child and to the making of a
2    permanency plan for the child. Disclosure of information
3    concerning the child's family shall be limited to that
4    information that is essential for understanding the needs
5    of and providing care to the child in order to protect the
6    rights of the child's family. When a positive relationship
7    exists between the foster parent and the child's family,
8    the child's family may consent to disclosure of additional
9    information.
10        (10) The right to be given reasonable written notice
11    of (i) any change in a child's case plan, (ii) plans to
12    terminate the placement of the child with the foster
13    parent, and (iii) the reasons for the change or
14    termination in placement. The notice shall be waived only
15    in cases of a court order or when the child is determined
16    to be at imminent risk of harm.
17        (11) The right to be notified in a timely and complete
18    manner of all court hearings, including notice of the date
19    and time of the court hearing, the name of the judge or
20    hearing officer hearing the case, the location of the
21    hearing, and the court docket number of the case; and the
22    right to intervene in court proceedings or to seek
23    mandamus under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
24        (12) The right to be considered as a placement option
25    when a foster child who was formerly placed with the
26    foster parent is to be re-entered into foster care, if

 

 

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1    that placement is consistent with the best interest of the
2    child and other children in the foster parent's home.
3        (13) The right to have timely access to the child
4    placement agency's existing appeals process and the right
5    to be free from acts of harassment and retaliation by any
6    other party when exercising the right to appeal.
7        (14) The right to be informed of the Foster Parent
8    Hotline established under Section 35.6 of the Children and
9    Family Services Act and all of the rights accorded to
10    foster parents concerning reports of misconduct by
11    Department employees, service providers, or contractors,
12    confidential handling of those reports, and investigation
13    by the Inspector General appointed under Section 35.5 of
14    the Children and Family Services Act.
15(Source: P.A. 99-581, eff. 1-1-17.)