103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5585

 

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Rep. Hoan Huynh

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 505/5

    Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Department of Children and Family Services shall develop a Universal Basic Income for Transition-Age Youth Program under which it may grant universal basic income of $1,000 per month for a period of 3 years to individuals who resided in foster care on their 18th birthday regardless of when the individuals entered foster care and whose 18th birthday was on or after July 1, 2023. Provides that, subject to federal approval, payments issued under the Program may not be considered income or resources in determining eligibility to receive benefits or the amount of benefits notwithstanding any other State or federal law. Provides that, on or before January 1, 2026 and annually thereafter, the Department shall submit a report to the General Assembly that contains descriptive information and outcome measures of Program recipients during the previous year. Authorizes the Department to adopt rules to develop and administer the Program.


LRB103 38468 JRC 68604 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5585LRB103 38468 JRC 68604 b

1    AN ACT concerning children's welfare.
 
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 changing Section 5 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 505/5)
7    Sec. 5. Direct child welfare services; Department of
8Children and Family Services. To provide direct child welfare
9services when not available through other public or private
10child care or program facilities.
11    (a) For purposes of this Section:
12        (1) "Children" means persons found within the State
13    who are under the age of 18 years. The term also includes
14    persons under age 21 who:
15            (A) were committed to the Department pursuant to
16        the Juvenile Court Act or the Juvenile Court Act of
17        1987 and who continue under the jurisdiction of the
18        court; or
19            (B) were accepted for care, service and training
20        by the Department prior to the age of 18 and whose best
21        interest in the discretion of the Department would be
22        served by continuing that care, service and training
23        because of severe emotional disturbances, physical

 

 

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1        disability, social adjustment or any combination
2        thereof, or because of the need to complete an
3        educational or vocational training program.
4        (2) "Homeless youth" means persons found within the
5    State who are under the age of 19, are not in a safe and
6    stable living situation and cannot be reunited with their
7    families.
8        (3) "Child welfare services" means public social
9    services which are directed toward the accomplishment of
10    the following purposes:
11            (A) protecting and promoting the health, safety
12        and welfare of children, including homeless,
13        dependent, or neglected children;
14            (B) remedying, or assisting in the solution of
15        problems which may result in, the neglect, abuse,
16        exploitation, or delinquency of children;
17            (C) preventing the unnecessary separation of
18        children from their families by identifying family
19        problems, assisting families in resolving their
20        problems, and preventing the breakup of the family
21        where the prevention of child removal is desirable and
22        possible when the child can be cared for at home
23        without endangering the child's health and safety;
24            (D) restoring to their families children who have
25        been removed, by the provision of services to the
26        child and the families when the child can be cared for

 

 

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1        at home without endangering the child's health and
2        safety;
3            (E) placing children in suitable permanent family
4        arrangements, through guardianship or adoption, in
5        cases where restoration to the birth family is not
6        safe, possible, or appropriate;
7            (F) at the time of placement, conducting
8        concurrent planning, as described in subsection (l-1)
9        of this Section, so that permanency may occur at the
10        earliest opportunity. Consideration should be given so
11        that if reunification fails or is delayed, the
12        placement made is the best available placement to
13        provide permanency for the child;
14            (G) (blank);
15            (H) (blank); and
16            (I) placing and maintaining children in facilities
17        that provide separate living quarters for children
18        under the age of 18 and for children 18 years of age
19        and older, unless a child 18 years of age is in the
20        last year of high school education or vocational
21        training, in an approved individual or group treatment
22        program, in a licensed shelter facility, or secure
23        child care facility. The Department is not required to
24        place or maintain children:
25                (i) who are in a foster home, or
26                (ii) who are persons with a developmental

 

 

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1            disability, as defined in the Mental Health and
2            Developmental Disabilities Code, or
3                (iii) who are female children who are
4            pregnant, pregnant and parenting, or parenting, or
5                (iv) who are siblings, in facilities that
6            provide separate living quarters for children 18
7            years of age and older and for children under 18
8            years of age.
9    (b) (Blank).
10    (b-5) The Department shall adopt rules to establish a
11process for all licensed residential providers in Illinois to
12submit data as required by the Department, if they contract or
13receive reimbursement for children's mental health, substance
14use, and developmental disability services from the Department
15of Human Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, or the
16Department of Healthcare and Family Services. The requested
17data must include, but is not limited to, capacity, staffing,
18and occupancy data for the purpose of establishing State need
19and placement availability.
20    All information collected, shared, or stored pursuant to
21this subsection shall be handled in accordance with all State
22and federal privacy laws and accompanying regulations and
23rules, including without limitation the federal Health
24Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public
25Law 104-191) and the Mental Health and Developmental
26Disabilities Confidentiality Act.

 

 

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1    (c) The Department shall establish and maintain
2tax-supported child welfare services and extend and seek to
3improve voluntary services throughout the State, to the end
4that services and care shall be available on an equal basis
5throughout the State to children requiring such services.
6    (d) The Director may authorize advance disbursements for
7any new program initiative to any agency contracting with the
8Department. As a prerequisite for an advance disbursement, the
9contractor must post a surety bond in the amount of the advance
10disbursement and have a purchase of service contract approved
11by the Department. The Department may pay up to 2 months
12operational expenses in advance. The amount of the advance
13disbursement shall be prorated over the life of the contract
14or the remaining months of the fiscal year, whichever is less,
15and the installment amount shall then be deducted from future
16bills. Advance disbursement authorizations for new initiatives
17shall not be made to any agency after that agency has operated
18during 2 consecutive fiscal years. The requirements of this
19Section concerning advance disbursements shall not apply with
20respect to the following: payments to local public agencies
21for child day care services as authorized by Section 5a of this
22Act; and youth service programs receiving grant funds under
23Section 17a-4.
24    (e) (Blank).
25    (f) (Blank).
26    (g) The Department shall establish rules and regulations

 

 

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1concerning its operation of programs designed to meet the
2goals of child safety and protection, family preservation,
3family reunification, and adoption, including, but not limited
4to:
5        (1) adoption;
6        (2) foster care;
7        (3) family counseling;
8        (4) protective services;
9        (5) (blank);
10        (6) homemaker service;
11        (7) return of runaway children;
12        (8) (blank);
13        (9) placement under Section 5-7 of the Juvenile Court
14    Act or Section 2-27, 3-28, 4-25, or 5-740 of the Juvenile
15    Court Act of 1987 in accordance with the federal Adoption
16    Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980; and
17        (10) interstate services.
18    Rules and regulations established by the Department shall
19include provisions for training Department staff and the staff
20of Department grantees, through contracts with other agencies
21or resources, in screening techniques to identify substance
22use disorders, as defined in the Substance Use Disorder Act,
23approved by the Department of Human Services, as a successor
24to the Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, for the
25purpose of identifying children and adults who should be
26referred for an assessment at an organization appropriately

 

 

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1licensed by the Department of Human Services for substance use
2disorder treatment.
3    (h) If the Department finds that there is no appropriate
4program or facility within or available to the Department for
5a youth in care and that no licensed private facility has an
6adequate and appropriate program or none agrees to accept the
7youth in care, the Department shall create an appropriate
8individualized, program-oriented plan for such youth in care.
9The plan may be developed within the Department or through
10purchase of services by the Department to the extent that it is
11within its statutory authority to do.
12    (i) Service programs shall be available throughout the
13State and shall include but not be limited to the following
14services:
15        (1) case management;
16        (2) homemakers;
17        (3) counseling;
18        (4) parent education;
19        (5) day care; and
20        (6) emergency assistance and advocacy.
21    In addition, the following services may be made available
22to assess and meet the needs of children and families:
23        (1) comprehensive family-based services;
24        (2) assessments;
25        (3) respite care; and
26        (4) in-home health services.

 

 

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1    The Department shall provide transportation for any of the
2services it makes available to children or families or for
3which it refers children or families.
4    (j) The Department may provide categories of financial
5assistance and education assistance grants, and shall
6establish rules and regulations concerning the assistance and
7grants, to persons who adopt children with physical or mental
8disabilities, children who are older, or other hard-to-place
9children who (i) immediately prior to their adoption were
10youth in care or (ii) were determined eligible for financial
11assistance with respect to a prior adoption and who become
12available for adoption because the prior adoption has been
13dissolved and the parental rights of the adoptive parents have
14been terminated or because the child's adoptive parents have
15died. The Department may continue to provide financial
16assistance and education assistance grants for a child who was
17determined eligible for financial assistance under this
18subsection (j) in the interim period beginning when the
19child's adoptive parents died and ending with the finalization
20of the new adoption of the child by another adoptive parent or
21parents. The Department may also provide categories of
22financial assistance and education assistance grants, and
23shall establish rules and regulations for the assistance and
24grants, to persons appointed guardian of the person under
25Section 5-7 of the Juvenile Court Act or Section 2-27, 3-28,
264-25, or 5-740 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 for children

 

 

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1who were youth in care for 12 months immediately prior to the
2appointment of the guardian.
3    The amount of assistance may vary, depending upon the
4needs of the child and the adoptive parents, as set forth in
5the annual assistance agreement. Special purpose grants are
6allowed where the child requires special service but such
7costs may not exceed the amounts which similar services would
8cost the Department if it were to provide or secure them as
9guardian of the child.
10    Any financial assistance provided under this subsection is
11inalienable by assignment, sale, execution, attachment,
12garnishment, or any other remedy for recovery or collection of
13a judgment or debt.
14    (j-5) The Department shall not deny or delay the placement
15of a child for adoption if an approved family is available
16either outside of the Department region handling the case, or
17outside of the State of Illinois.
18    (k) The Department shall accept for care and training any
19child who has been adjudicated neglected or abused, or
20dependent committed to it pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act
21or the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
22    (l) The Department shall offer family preservation
23services, as defined in Section 8.2 of the Abused and
24Neglected Child Reporting Act, to help families, including
25adoptive and extended families. Family preservation services
26shall be offered (i) to prevent the placement of children in

 

 

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1substitute care when the children can be cared for at home or
2in the custody of the person responsible for the children's
3welfare, (ii) to reunite children with their families, or
4(iii) to maintain an adoptive placement. Family preservation
5services shall only be offered when doing so will not endanger
6the children's health or safety. With respect to children who
7are in substitute care pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of
81987, family preservation services shall not be offered if a
9goal other than those of subdivisions (A), (B), or (B-1) of
10subsection (2) of Section 2-28 of that Act has been set, except
11that reunification services may be offered as provided in
12paragraph (F) of subsection (2) of Section 2-28 of that Act.
13Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to create a
14private right of action or claim on the part of any individual
15or child welfare agency, except that when a child is the
16subject of an action under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act
17of 1987 and the child's service plan calls for services to
18facilitate achievement of the permanency goal, the court
19hearing the action under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act
20of 1987 may order the Department to provide the services set
21out in the plan, if those services are not provided with
22reasonable promptness and if those services are available.
23    The Department shall notify the child and the child's
24family of the Department's responsibility to offer and provide
25family preservation services as identified in the service
26plan. The child and the child's family shall be eligible for

 

 

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1services as soon as the report is determined to be
2"indicated". The Department may offer services to any child or
3family with respect to whom a report of suspected child abuse
4or neglect has been filed, prior to concluding its
5investigation under Section 7.12 of the Abused and Neglected
6Child Reporting Act. However, the child's or family's
7willingness to accept services shall not be considered in the
8investigation. The Department may also provide services to any
9child or family who is the subject of any report of suspected
10child abuse or neglect or may refer such child or family to
11services available from other agencies in the community, even
12if the report is determined to be unfounded, if the conditions
13in the child's or family's home are reasonably likely to
14subject the child or family to future reports of suspected
15child abuse or neglect. Acceptance of such services shall be
16voluntary. The Department may also provide services to any
17child or family after completion of a family assessment, as an
18alternative to an investigation, as provided under the
19"differential response program" provided for in subsection
20(a-5) of Section 7.4 of the Abused and Neglected Child
21Reporting Act.
22    The Department may, at its discretion except for those
23children also adjudicated neglected or dependent, accept for
24care and training any child who has been adjudicated addicted,
25as a truant minor in need of supervision or as a minor
26requiring authoritative intervention, under the Juvenile Court

 

 

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1Act or the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, but no such child shall
2be committed to the Department by any court without the
3approval of the Department. On and after January 1, 2015 (the
4effective date of Public Act 98-803) and before January 1,
52017, a minor charged with a criminal offense under the
6Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 or
7adjudicated delinquent shall not be placed in the custody of
8or committed to the Department by any court, except (i) a minor
9less than 16 years of age committed to the Department under
10Section 5-710 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, (ii) a minor
11for whom an independent basis of abuse, neglect, or dependency
12exists, which must be defined by departmental rule, or (iii) a
13minor for whom the court has granted a supplemental petition
14to reinstate wardship pursuant to subsection (2) of Section
152-33 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. On and after January 1,
162017, a minor charged with a criminal offense under the
17Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 or
18adjudicated delinquent shall not be placed in the custody of
19or committed to the Department by any court, except (i) a minor
20less than 15 years of age committed to the Department under
21Section 5-710 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, (ii) a minor
22for whom an independent basis of abuse, neglect, or dependency
23exists, which must be defined by departmental rule, or (iii) a
24minor for whom the court has granted a supplemental petition
25to reinstate wardship pursuant to subsection (2) of Section
262-33 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. An independent basis

 

 

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1exists when the allegations or adjudication of abuse, neglect,
2or dependency do not arise from the same facts, incident, or
3circumstances which give rise to a charge or adjudication of
4delinquency. The Department shall assign a caseworker to
5attend any hearing involving a youth in the care and custody of
6the Department who is placed on aftercare release, including
7hearings involving sanctions for violation of aftercare
8release conditions and aftercare release revocation hearings.
9    As soon as is possible after August 7, 2009 (the effective
10date of Public Act 96-134), the Department shall develop and
11implement a special program of family preservation services to
12support intact, foster, and adoptive families who are
13experiencing extreme hardships due to the difficulty and
14stress of caring for a child who has been diagnosed with a
15pervasive developmental disorder if the Department determines
16that those services are necessary to ensure the health and
17safety of the child. The Department may offer services to any
18family whether or not a report has been filed under the Abused
19and Neglected Child Reporting Act. The Department may refer
20the child or family to services available from other agencies
21in the community if the conditions in the child's or family's
22home are reasonably likely to subject the child or family to
23future reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. Acceptance
24of these services shall be voluntary. The Department shall
25develop and implement a public information campaign to alert
26health and social service providers and the general public

 

 

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1about these special family preservation services. The nature
2and scope of the services offered and the number of families
3served under the special program implemented under this
4paragraph shall be determined by the level of funding that the
5Department annually allocates for this purpose. The term
6"pervasive developmental disorder" under this paragraph means
7a neurological condition, including, but not limited to,
8Asperger's Syndrome and autism, as defined in the most recent
9edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
10Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association.
11    (l-1) The General Assembly recognizes that the best
12interests of the child require that the child be placed in the
13most permanent living arrangement as soon as is practically
14possible. To achieve this goal, the General Assembly directs
15the Department of Children and Family Services to conduct
16concurrent planning so that permanency may occur at the
17earliest opportunity. Permanent living arrangements may
18include prevention of placement of a child outside the home of
19the family when the child can be cared for at home without
20endangering the child's health or safety; reunification with
21the family, when safe and appropriate, if temporary placement
22is necessary; or movement of the child toward the most
23permanent living arrangement and permanent legal status.
24    When determining reasonable efforts to be made with
25respect to a child, as described in this subsection, and in
26making such reasonable efforts, the child's health and safety

 

 

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1shall be the paramount concern.
2    When a child is placed in foster care, the Department
3shall ensure and document that reasonable efforts were made to
4prevent or eliminate the need to remove the child from the
5child's home. The Department must make reasonable efforts to
6reunify the family when temporary placement of the child
7occurs unless otherwise required, pursuant to the Juvenile
8Court Act of 1987. At any time after the dispositional hearing
9where the Department believes that further reunification
10services would be ineffective, it may request a finding from
11the court that reasonable efforts are no longer appropriate.
12The Department is not required to provide further
13reunification services after such a finding.
14    A decision to place a child in substitute care shall be
15made with considerations of the child's health, safety, and
16best interests. At the time of placement, consideration should
17also be given so that if reunification fails or is delayed, the
18placement made is the best available placement to provide
19permanency for the child.
20    The Department shall adopt rules addressing concurrent
21planning for reunification and permanency. The Department
22shall consider the following factors when determining
23appropriateness of concurrent planning:
24        (1) the likelihood of prompt reunification;
25        (2) the past history of the family;
26        (3) the barriers to reunification being addressed by

 

 

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1    the family;
2        (4) the level of cooperation of the family;
3        (5) the foster parents' willingness to work with the
4    family to reunite;
5        (6) the willingness and ability of the foster family
6    to provide an adoptive home or long-term placement;
7        (7) the age of the child;
8        (8) placement of siblings.
9    (m) The Department may assume temporary custody of any
10child if:
11        (1) it has received a written consent to such
12    temporary custody signed by the parents of the child or by
13    the parent having custody of the child if the parents are
14    not living together or by the guardian or custodian of the
15    child if the child is not in the custody of either parent,
16    or
17        (2) the child is found in the State and neither a
18    parent, guardian nor custodian of the child can be
19    located.
20If the child is found in the child's residence without a
21parent, guardian, custodian, or responsible caretaker, the
22Department may, instead of removing the child and assuming
23temporary custody, place an authorized representative of the
24Department in that residence until such time as a parent,
25guardian, or custodian enters the home and expresses a
26willingness and apparent ability to ensure the child's health

 

 

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1and safety and resume permanent charge of the child, or until a
2relative enters the home and is willing and able to ensure the
3child's health and safety and assume charge of the child until
4a parent, guardian, or custodian enters the home and expresses
5such willingness and ability to ensure the child's safety and
6resume permanent charge. After a caretaker has remained in the
7home for a period not to exceed 12 hours, the Department must
8follow those procedures outlined in Section 2-9, 3-11, 4-8, or
95-415 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
10    The Department shall have the authority, responsibilities
11and duties that a legal custodian of the child would have
12pursuant to subsection (9) of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile
13Court Act of 1987. Whenever a child is taken into temporary
14custody pursuant to an investigation under the Abused and
15Neglected Child Reporting Act, or pursuant to a referral and
16acceptance under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 of a minor in
17limited custody, the Department, during the period of
18temporary custody and before the child is brought before a
19judicial officer as required by Section 2-9, 3-11, 4-8, or
205-415 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, shall have the
21authority, responsibilities and duties that a legal custodian
22of the child would have under subsection (9) of Section 1-3 of
23the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
24    The Department shall ensure that any child taken into
25custody is scheduled for an appointment for a medical
26examination.

 

 

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1    A parent, guardian, or custodian of a child in the
2temporary custody of the Department who would have custody of
3the child if the child were not in the temporary custody of the
4Department may deliver to the Department a signed request that
5the Department surrender the temporary custody of the child.
6The Department may retain temporary custody of the child for
710 days after the receipt of the request, during which period
8the Department may cause to be filed a petition pursuant to the
9Juvenile Court Act of 1987. If a petition is so filed, the
10Department shall retain temporary custody of the child until
11the court orders otherwise. If a petition is not filed within
12the 10-day period, the child shall be surrendered to the
13custody of the requesting parent, guardian, or custodian not
14later than the expiration of the 10-day period, at which time
15the authority and duties of the Department with respect to the
16temporary custody of the child shall terminate.
17    (m-1) The Department may place children under 18 years of
18age in a secure child care facility licensed by the Department
19that cares for children who are in need of secure living
20arrangements for their health, safety, and well-being after a
21determination is made by the facility director and the
22Director or the Director's designate prior to admission to the
23facility subject to Section 2-27.1 of the Juvenile Court Act
24of 1987. This subsection (m-1) does not apply to a child who is
25subject to placement in a correctional facility operated
26pursuant to Section 3-15-2 of the Unified Code of Corrections,

 

 

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1unless the child is a youth in care who was placed in the care
2of the Department before being subject to placement in a
3correctional facility and a court of competent jurisdiction
4has ordered placement of the child in a secure care facility.
5    (n) The Department may place children under 18 years of
6age in licensed child care facilities when in the opinion of
7the Department, appropriate services aimed at family
8preservation have been unsuccessful and cannot ensure the
9child's health and safety or are unavailable and such
10placement would be for their best interest. Payment for board,
11clothing, care, training and supervision of any child placed
12in a licensed child care facility may be made by the
13Department, by the parents or guardians of the estates of
14those children, or by both the Department and the parents or
15guardians, except that no payments shall be made by the
16Department for any child placed in a licensed child care
17facility for board, clothing, care, training, and supervision
18of such a child that exceed the average per capita cost of
19maintaining and of caring for a child in institutions for
20dependent or neglected children operated by the Department.
21However, such restriction on payments does not apply in cases
22where children require specialized care and treatment for
23problems of severe emotional disturbance, physical disability,
24social adjustment, or any combination thereof and suitable
25facilities for the placement of such children are not
26available at payment rates within the limitations set forth in

 

 

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1this Section. All reimbursements for services delivered shall
2be absolutely inalienable by assignment, sale, attachment, or
3garnishment or otherwise.
4    (n-1) The Department shall provide or authorize child
5welfare services, aimed at assisting minors to achieve
6sustainable self-sufficiency as independent adults, for any
7minor eligible for the reinstatement of wardship pursuant to
8subsection (2) of Section 2-33 of the Juvenile Court Act of
91987, whether or not such reinstatement is sought or allowed,
10provided that the minor consents to such services and has not
11yet attained the age of 21. The Department shall have
12responsibility for the development and delivery of services
13under this Section. An eligible youth may access services
14under this Section through the Department of Children and
15Family Services or by referral from the Department of Human
16Services. Youth participating in services under this Section
17shall cooperate with the assigned case manager in developing
18an agreement identifying the services to be provided and how
19the youth will increase skills to achieve self-sufficiency. A
20homeless shelter is not considered appropriate housing for any
21youth receiving child welfare services under this Section. The
22Department shall continue child welfare services under this
23Section to any eligible minor until the minor becomes 21 years
24of age, no longer consents to participate, or achieves
25self-sufficiency as identified in the minor's service plan.
26The Department of Children and Family Services shall create

 

 

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1clear, readable notice of the rights of former foster youth to
2child welfare services under this Section and how such
3services may be obtained. The Department of Children and
4Family Services and the Department of Human Services shall
5disseminate this information statewide. The Department shall
6adopt regulations describing services intended to assist
7minors in achieving sustainable self-sufficiency as
8independent adults.
9    (n-2)(1) Purpose. The purpose of the Universal Basic
10Income for Transition-Age Youth Program is to provide for the
11economic security of individuals who have aged out of the
12foster care program under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 as
13part of the child welfare services.
14    (2) Definitions. As used in this subsection:
15    "Eligible person" means an individual who resided in
16foster care on his or her 18th birthday regardless of when the
17individual entered foster care and whose 18th birthday was on
18or after July 1, 2023.
19    "Program" means the Universal Basic Income for
20Transition-Age Youth Program.
21    "Universal basic income" means unconditional cash payments
22distributed to eligible persons under this Program.
23    (3) Duty of Department. Subject to appropriation, the
24Department must develop and administer a program under which
25it may grant universal basic income of $1,000 per month to an
26eligible person for a period of 3 years.

 

 

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1    (4) Other governmental programs. Subject to federal
2approval, payments issued under this Program may not be
3considered income or resources in determining eligibility to
4receive benefits or the amount of benefits notwithstanding any
5other State or federal law. The Department shall seek any
6federal approval necessary to implement this paragraph (4).
7    (5) Reports. On or before January 1, 2026 and annually
8thereafter, the Department shall submit a report to the
9General Assembly that contains descriptive information and
10outcome measures of Program recipients during the previous
11year, including, at a minimum:
12        (A) the starting income of each recipient, exclusive
13    of universal basic income payments;
14        (B) geographic information about each recipient,
15    including city, county, and zip code of residence;
16        (C) the employment status of each recipient before
17    receiving universal basic income payments; and
18        (D) the housing status of each recipient before
19    receiving universal basic income payments.
20    (6) Rules. The Department may adopt rules to develop and
21administer this Program.
22    (o) The Department shall establish an administrative
23review and appeal process for children and families who
24request or receive child welfare services from the Department.
25Youth in care who are placed by private child welfare
26agencies, and foster families with whom those youth are

 

 

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1placed, shall be afforded the same procedural and appeal
2rights as children and families in the case of placement by the
3Department, including the right to an initial review of a
4private agency decision by that agency. The Department shall
5ensure that any private child welfare agency, which accepts
6youth in care for placement, affords those rights to children
7and foster families. The Department shall accept for
8administrative review and an appeal hearing a complaint made
9by (i) a child or foster family concerning a decision
10following an initial review by a private child welfare agency
11or (ii) a prospective adoptive parent who alleges a violation
12of subsection (j-5) of this Section. An appeal of a decision
13concerning a change in the placement of a child shall be
14conducted in an expedited manner. A court determination that a
15current foster home placement is necessary and appropriate
16under Section 2-28 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 does not
17constitute a judicial determination on the merits of an
18administrative appeal, filed by a former foster parent,
19involving a change of placement decision.
20    (p) (Blank).
21    (q) The Department may receive and use, in their entirety,
22for the benefit of children any gift, donation, or bequest of
23money or other property which is received on behalf of such
24children, or any financial benefits to which such children are
25or may become entitled while under the jurisdiction or care of
26the Department, except that the benefits described in Section

 

 

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15.46 must be used and conserved consistent with the provisions
2under Section 5.46.
3    The Department shall set up and administer no-cost,
4interest-bearing accounts in appropriate financial
5institutions for children for whom the Department is legally
6responsible and who have been determined eligible for
7Veterans' Benefits, Social Security benefits, assistance
8allotments from the armed forces, court ordered payments,
9parental voluntary payments, Supplemental Security Income,
10Railroad Retirement payments, Black Lung benefits, or other
11miscellaneous payments. Interest earned by each account shall
12be credited to the account, unless disbursed in accordance
13with this subsection.
14    In disbursing funds from children's accounts, the
15Department shall:
16        (1) Establish standards in accordance with State and
17    federal laws for disbursing money from children's
18    accounts. In all circumstances, the Department's
19    Guardianship Administrator or the Guardianship
20    Administrator's designee must approve disbursements from
21    children's accounts. The Department shall be responsible
22    for keeping complete records of all disbursements for each
23    account for any purpose.
24        (2) Calculate on a monthly basis the amounts paid from
25    State funds for the child's board and care, medical care
26    not covered under Medicaid, and social services; and

 

 

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1    utilize funds from the child's account, as covered by
2    regulation, to reimburse those costs. Monthly,
3    disbursements from all children's accounts, up to 1/12 of
4    $13,000,000, shall be deposited by the Department into the
5    General Revenue Fund and the balance over 1/12 of
6    $13,000,000 into the DCFS Children's Services Fund.
7        (3) Maintain any balance remaining after reimbursing
8    for the child's costs of care, as specified in item (2).
9    The balance shall accumulate in accordance with relevant
10    State and federal laws and shall be disbursed to the child
11    or the child's guardian, or to the issuing agency.
12    (r) The Department shall promulgate regulations
13encouraging all adoption agencies to voluntarily forward to
14the Department or its agent names and addresses of all persons
15who have applied for and have been approved for adoption of a
16hard-to-place child or child with a disability and the names
17of such children who have not been placed for adoption. A list
18of such names and addresses shall be maintained by the
19Department or its agent, and coded lists which maintain the
20confidentiality of the person seeking to adopt the child and
21of the child shall be made available, without charge, to every
22adoption agency in the State to assist the agencies in placing
23such children for adoption. The Department may delegate to an
24agent its duty to maintain and make available such lists. The
25Department shall ensure that such agent maintains the
26confidentiality of the person seeking to adopt the child and

 

 

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1of the child.
2    (s) The Department of Children and Family Services may
3establish and implement a program to reimburse Department and
4private child welfare agency foster parents licensed by the
5Department of Children and Family Services for damages
6sustained by the foster parents as a result of the malicious or
7negligent acts of foster children, as well as providing third
8party coverage for such foster parents with regard to actions
9of foster children to other individuals. Such coverage will be
10secondary to the foster parent liability insurance policy, if
11applicable. The program shall be funded through appropriations
12from the General Revenue Fund, specifically designated for
13such purposes.
14    (t) The Department shall perform home studies and
15investigations and shall exercise supervision over visitation
16as ordered by a court pursuant to the Illinois Marriage and
17Dissolution of Marriage Act or the Adoption Act only if:
18        (1) an order entered by an Illinois court specifically
19    directs the Department to perform such services; and
20        (2) the court has ordered one or both of the parties to
21    the proceeding to reimburse the Department for its
22    reasonable costs for providing such services in accordance
23    with Department rules, or has determined that neither
24    party is financially able to pay.
25    The Department shall provide written notification to the
26court of the specific arrangements for supervised visitation

 

 

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1and projected monthly costs within 60 days of the court order.
2The Department shall send to the court information related to
3the costs incurred except in cases where the court has
4determined the parties are financially unable to pay. The
5court may order additional periodic reports as appropriate.
6    (u) In addition to other information that must be
7provided, whenever the Department places a child with a
8prospective adoptive parent or parents, in a licensed foster
9home, group home, or child care institution, or in a relative
10home, the Department shall provide to the prospective adoptive
11parent or parents or other caretaker:
12        (1) available detailed information concerning the
13    child's educational and health history, copies of
14    immunization records (including insurance and medical card
15    information), a history of the child's previous
16    placements, if any, and reasons for placement changes
17    excluding any information that identifies or reveals the
18    location of any previous caretaker;
19        (2) a copy of the child's portion of the client
20    service plan, including any visitation arrangement, and
21    all amendments or revisions to it as related to the child;
22    and
23        (3) information containing details of the child's
24    individualized educational plan when the child is
25    receiving special education services.
26    The caretaker shall be informed of any known social or

 

 

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1behavioral information (including, but not limited to,
2criminal background, fire setting, perpetuation of sexual
3abuse, destructive behavior, and substance abuse) necessary to
4care for and safeguard the children to be placed or currently
5in the home. The Department may prepare a written summary of
6the information required by this paragraph, which may be
7provided to the foster or prospective adoptive parent in
8advance of a placement. The foster or prospective adoptive
9parent may review the supporting documents in the child's file
10in the presence of casework staff. In the case of an emergency
11placement, casework staff shall at least provide known
12information verbally, if necessary, and must subsequently
13provide the information in writing as required by this
14subsection.
15    The information described in this subsection shall be
16provided in writing. In the case of emergency placements when
17time does not allow prior review, preparation, and collection
18of written information, the Department shall provide such
19information as it becomes available. Within 10 business days
20after placement, the Department shall obtain from the
21prospective adoptive parent or parents or other caretaker a
22signed verification of receipt of the information provided.
23Within 10 business days after placement, the Department shall
24provide to the child's guardian ad litem a copy of the
25information provided to the prospective adoptive parent or
26parents or other caretaker. The information provided to the

 

 

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1prospective adoptive parent or parents or other caretaker
2shall be reviewed and approved regarding accuracy at the
3supervisory level.
4    (u-5) Effective July 1, 1995, only foster care placements
5licensed as foster family homes pursuant to the Child Care Act
6of 1969 shall be eligible to receive foster care payments from
7the Department. Relative caregivers who, as of July 1, 1995,
8were approved pursuant to approved relative placement rules
9previously promulgated by the Department at 89 Ill. Adm. Code
10335 and had submitted an application for licensure as a foster
11family home may continue to receive foster care payments only
12until the Department determines that they may be licensed as a
13foster family home or that their application for licensure is
14denied or until September 30, 1995, whichever occurs first.
15    (v) The Department shall access criminal history record
16information as defined in the Illinois Uniform Conviction
17Information Act and information maintained in the adjudicatory
18and dispositional record system as defined in Section 2605-355
19of the Illinois State Police Law if the Department determines
20the information is necessary to perform its duties under the
21Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, the Child Care Act
22of 1969, and the Children and Family Services Act. The
23Department shall provide for interactive computerized
24communication and processing equipment that permits direct
25on-line communication with the Illinois State Police's central
26criminal history data repository. The Department shall comply

 

 

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1with all certification requirements and provide certified
2operators who have been trained by personnel from the Illinois
3State Police. In addition, one Office of the Inspector General
4investigator shall have training in the use of the criminal
5history information access system and have access to the
6terminal. The Department of Children and Family Services and
7its employees shall abide by rules and regulations established
8by the Illinois State Police relating to the access and
9dissemination of this information.
10    (v-1) Prior to final approval for placement of a child,
11the Department shall conduct a criminal records background
12check of the prospective foster or adoptive parent, including
13fingerprint-based checks of national crime information
14databases. Final approval for placement shall not be granted
15if the record check reveals a felony conviction for child
16abuse or neglect, for spousal abuse, for a crime against
17children, or for a crime involving violence, including rape,
18sexual assault, or homicide, but not including other physical
19assault or battery, or if there is a felony conviction for
20physical assault, battery, or a drug-related offense committed
21within the past 5 years.
22    (v-2) Prior to final approval for placement of a child,
23the Department shall check its child abuse and neglect
24registry for information concerning prospective foster and
25adoptive parents, and any adult living in the home. If any
26prospective foster or adoptive parent or other adult living in

 

 

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1the home has resided in another state in the preceding 5 years,
2the Department shall request a check of that other state's
3child abuse and neglect registry.
4    (w) Within 120 days of August 20, 1995 (the effective date
5of Public Act 89-392), the Department shall prepare and submit
6to the Governor and the General Assembly, a written plan for
7the development of in-state licensed secure child care
8facilities that care for children who are in need of secure
9living arrangements for their health, safety, and well-being.
10For purposes of this subsection, secure care facility shall
11mean a facility that is designed and operated to ensure that
12all entrances and exits from the facility, a building or a
13distinct part of the building, are under the exclusive control
14of the staff of the facility, whether or not the child has the
15freedom of movement within the perimeter of the facility,
16building, or distinct part of the building. The plan shall
17include descriptions of the types of facilities that are
18needed in Illinois; the cost of developing these secure care
19facilities; the estimated number of placements; the potential
20cost savings resulting from the movement of children currently
21out-of-state who are projected to be returned to Illinois; the
22necessary geographic distribution of these facilities in
23Illinois; and a proposed timetable for development of such
24facilities.
25    (x) The Department shall conduct annual credit history
26checks to determine the financial history of children placed

 

 

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1under its guardianship pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of
21987. The Department shall conduct such credit checks starting
3when a youth in care turns 12 years old and each year
4thereafter for the duration of the guardianship as terminated
5pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. The Department
6shall determine if financial exploitation of the child's
7personal information has occurred. If financial exploitation
8appears to have taken place or is presently ongoing, the
9Department shall notify the proper law enforcement agency, the
10proper State's Attorney, or the Attorney General.
11    (y) Beginning on July 22, 2010 (the effective date of
12Public Act 96-1189), a child with a disability who receives
13residential and educational services from the Department shall
14be eligible to receive transition services in accordance with
15Article 14 of the School Code from the age of 14.5 through age
1621, inclusive, notwithstanding the child's residential
17services arrangement. For purposes of this subsection, "child
18with a disability" means a child with a disability as defined
19by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education
20Improvement Act of 2004.
21    (z) The Department shall access criminal history record
22information as defined as "background information" in this
23subsection and criminal history record information as defined
24in the Illinois Uniform Conviction Information Act for each
25Department employee or Department applicant. Each Department
26employee or Department applicant shall submit the employee's

 

 

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1or applicant's fingerprints to the Illinois State Police in
2the form and manner prescribed by the Illinois State Police.
3These fingerprints shall be checked against the fingerprint
4records now and hereafter filed in the Illinois State Police
5and the Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history
6records databases. The Illinois State Police shall charge a
7fee for conducting the criminal history record check, which
8shall be deposited into the State Police Services Fund and
9shall not exceed the actual cost of the record check. The
10Illinois State Police shall furnish, pursuant to positive
11identification, all Illinois conviction information to the
12Department of Children and Family Services.
13    For purposes of this subsection:
14    "Background information" means all of the following:
15        (i) Upon the request of the Department of Children and
16    Family Services, conviction information obtained from the
17    Illinois State Police as a result of a fingerprint-based
18    criminal history records check of the Illinois criminal
19    history records database and the Federal Bureau of
20    Investigation criminal history records database concerning
21    a Department employee or Department applicant.
22        (ii) Information obtained by the Department of
23    Children and Family Services after performing a check of
24    the Illinois State Police's Sex Offender Database, as
25    authorized by Section 120 of the Sex Offender Community
26    Notification Law, concerning a Department employee or

 

 

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1    Department applicant.
2        (iii) Information obtained by the Department of
3    Children and Family Services after performing a check of
4    the Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System (CANTS)
5    operated and maintained by the Department.
6    "Department employee" means a full-time or temporary
7employee coded or certified within the State of Illinois
8Personnel System.
9    "Department applicant" means an individual who has
10conditional Department full-time or part-time work, a
11contractor, an individual used to replace or supplement staff,
12an academic intern, a volunteer in Department offices or on
13Department contracts, a work-study student, an individual or
14entity licensed by the Department, or an unlicensed service
15provider who works as a condition of a contract or an agreement
16and whose work may bring the unlicensed service provider into
17contact with Department clients or client records.
18(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21;
19102-1014, eff. 5-27-22; 103-22, eff. 8-8-23; 103-50, eff.
201-1-24; 103-546, eff. 8-11-23; revised 9-25-23.)