103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB1278

 

Introduced 2/3/2023, by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

     Creates the Task Force on Grandparents Raising their Grandchildren to conduct public hearings throughout the State regarding services needed by and available to grandparents raising their grandchildren. Provides that the Task Force shall be comprised of 10 appointed members of the General Assembly who shall serve without compensation. Requires the Department on Aging, in collaboration with the Departments of Children and Family Services, Healthcare and Family Services, and Human Services and any other relevant agencies, to issue a report to the Task Force by July 1, 2023 that assesses existing State and federal assistance programs that include the following: (1) a review of all guaranteed benefits and other available support provided to grandparents through the Department of Children and Family Services' foster care program, the Children's Health Insurance Program, the Covering ALL KIDS Health Insurance program, and other relevant programs; (2) a review of all guaranteed benefits and other available support provided to grandparents through the Department of Human Services' Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and other relevant programs; (3) a review of all other means of grandparent-related support provided by State-funded and federally funded programs; and (4) the estimated cost to the State if grandparents were not willing to or refused to take custody of and raise their grandchildren. Requires the Task Force to submit a report to the General Assembly no later than January 1, 2024 that makes recommendations on changes that should be made to services provided to grandparents raising their grandchildren through the foster care and TANF "child-only" grant programs. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB1278LRB103 29994 KTG 56414 b

1    AN ACT concerning grandparent caregiver.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Task
5Force on Grandparents Raising their Grandchildren Act.
 
6    Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds the
7following:
8        (1) In Illinois, over 200,000 children under the age
9    of 18 are living with and being cared for by more than
10    100,000 grandparents.
11        (2) Grandparent caregivers, the majority of whom are
12    single women ranging in age from 30 to 90 with an average
13    annual income of $15,000 to $25,000, typically raise one
14    to 2 grandchildren and have been doing so for 5 years or
15    longer.
16        (3) Factors contributing to the growing number of
17    grandparents raising grandchildren include, but are not
18    limited to, alcohol and drug abuse, neglect, abuse,
19    abandonment, death of a parent, HIV/AIDS, divorce,
20    unemployment, poverty, parental incarceration, teen
21    pregnancy, and welfare reform.
22        (4) Due to their assumed caregiving responsibilities,
23    many grandparents deplete their savings and retirement

 

 

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1    income and face severe financial risk and economic strains
2    while struggling to pay for expenses related to caring for
3    their grandchildren, such as, but not limited to, food,
4    diapers, clothing, child care, medical treatment, legal
5    assistance, and housing needs.
6        (5) Many grandparents take custody of and raise their
7    grandchildren after a harmful incident has been suffered
8    by their grandchildren that has caused the Department of
9    Children and Family Services to designate them to be "at
10    risk".
11        (6) Many other grandparents take preventive measures
12    by choosing to take custody of and raise their
13    grandchildren prior to their grandchildren suffering a
14    harmful incident when they recognize that their
15    grandchildren's health, safety, and welfare are at risk.
16        (7) Grandparents who take custody of their
17    grandchildren prior to the grandchildren's suffering of a
18    harmful incident are ineligible for foster care funding
19    and assistance from the Department of Children and Family
20    Services.
21        (8) The only financial assistance option for this
22    group of grandparents is "child only" grants from the
23    Department of Human Services' Temporary Assistance to
24    Needy Families (TANF) program.
25        (9) The Department of Children and Family Services'
26    foster care program provides monthly financial assistance

 

 

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1    that is 3 to 4 times greater than the TANF "child only"
2    grants, and it also provides counseling, child care
3    support, education services, college scholarships, and
4    health services.
5        (10) Grandparents raising grandchildren who are not in
6    the foster care program are as valuable to the
7    grandchildren and to the State as those who are in the
8    foster care program.
9        (11) A significant function of government is to
10    promote the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens.
 
11    Section 10. Task Force on Grandparents Raising their
12Grandchildren.
13    (a) The Task Force on Grandparents Raising their
14Grandchildren is created and shall be comprised of 10 members
15of the General Assembly appointed as follows:
16        (1) Three members of the Senate, one of whom shall be
17    co-chairperson, appointed by the President of the Senate.
18        (2) Two members of the Senate appointed by the
19    Minority Leader of the Senate.
20        (3) Three members of the House of Representatives, one
21    of whom shall be co-chairperson, appointed by the Speaker
22    of the House of Representatives.
23        (4) Two members of the House of Representatives
24    appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
25    Representatives.

 

 

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1    (b) Task Force members shall serve without compensation.
2The Department on Aging shall provide administrative support
3to the Task Force.
 
4    Section 15. Agency reports. The Department on Aging, in
5collaboration with the Departments of Children and Family
6Services, Healthcare and Family Services, and Human Services
7and any other relevant agencies, shall issue a report to the
8Task Force no later than July 1, 2023 that assesses existing
9State and federal assistance programs, including the
10following:
11        (1) a review of all guaranteed benefits and other
12    available support provided to grandparents through the
13    Department of Children and Family Services' foster care
14    program, including counseling, child care support,
15    education services, college scholarships, and health
16    services; the Children's Health Insurance Program; the
17    Covering ALL KIDS Health Insurance program; and other
18    relevant programs;
19        (2) a review of all guaranteed benefits and other
20    available support provided to grandparents through the
21    Department of Human Services' Temporary Assistance for
22    Needy Families (TANF) program and other relevant programs;
23        (3) a review of all other means of grandparent-related
24    support provided by State-funded and federally funded
25    programs; and

 

 

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1        (4) the estimated cost to the State if grandparents
2    were not willing to or refused to take custody of and raise
3    their grandchildren.
 
4    Section 20. Public hearings. The Task Force shall hold
5public hearings throughout the State regarding services needed
6by and available to grandparents raising their grandchildren.
 
7    Section 25. Task Force reports. The Task Force shall issue
8a report to the General Assembly no later than January 1, 2024
9that makes recommendations on changes that should be made to
10services provided to grandparents raising their grandchildren
11through the foster care and TANF "child-only" grant programs.
 
12    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
13becoming law.