State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
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[ Introduced ][ House Amendment 001 ]

91_HB4336eng

 
HB4336 Engrossed                              LRB9111091JMmbA

 1        AN ACT to amend the Children and Family Services Act.

 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section  5.  The  Children  and  Family  Services  Act is
 5    amended by changing Sections 7,  7.3,  and  35.6  and  adding
 6    Section 5d as follows:

 7        (20 ILCS 505/5d new)
 8        Sec. 5d.  Advocacy Office for Children and Families.  The
 9    Department  of  Children  and Family Services shall establish
10    and maintain an Advocacy Office  for  Children  and  Families
11    that  shall,  in  addition  to  other  duties assigned by the
12    Director, receive and respond to complaints that may be filed
13    by children, parents, caretakers, and relatives  of  children
14    receiving  child  welfare  services  from  the  Department of
15    Children and Family Services or its agents.   The  Department
16    shall   promulgate   policies   and  procedures  for  filing,
17    processing, investigating, and resolving the complaints.  The
18    Department shall make a final report to  the  complainant  of
19    its  findings.   If  a  final  report  is  not completed, the
20    Department shall report on its  disposition  every  30  days.
21    The  Advocacy  Office  shall  include  a  statewide toll-free
22    telephone number that may be used to file complaints,  or  to
23    obtain  information  about  the  delivery  of  child  welfare
24    services  by  the  Department  or its agents.  This telephone
25    number shall be  included  in  all  appropriate  notices  and
26    handbooks    regarding   services   available   through   the
27    Department.

28        (20 ILCS 505/7) (from Ch. 23, par. 5007)
29        Sec. 7.  Placement of children; considerations.
30        (a)  In placing any child under this Act, the  Department
 
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 1    shall  place  such child, as far as possible, in the care and
 2    custody of some individual holding the same religious  belief
 3    as the parents of the child, or with some child care facility
 4    which  is  operated by persons of like religious faith as the
 5    parents of such child.
 6        (b)  In placing a child under this  Act,  the  Department
 7    may  place  a  child  with  a  relative if the Department has
 8    reason  to  believe  that  the  relative  will  be  able   to
 9    adequately  provide  for  the child's safety and welfare. The
10    Department may not place a child with a  relative,  with  the
11    exception  of  certain  circumstances  which may be waived as
12    defined by the Department in rules, if the results of a check
13    of the Law Enforcement Agency Data System (LEADS)  identifies
14    a  prior  criminal  conviction  of  the relative or any adult
15    member of the relative's household for any of  the  following
16    offenses under the Criminal Code of 1961:
17             (1)  murder;
18             (1.1)  solicitation of murder;
19             (1.2)  solicitation of murder for hire;
20             (1.3)  intentional homicide of an unborn child;
21             (1.4)  voluntary manslaughter of an unborn child;
22             (1.5)  involuntary manslaughter;
23             (1.6)  reckless homicide;
24             (1.7)  concealment of a homicidal death;
25             (1.8)  involuntary manslaughter of an unborn child;
26             (1.9)  reckless homicide of an unborn child;
27             (1.10)  drug-induced homicide;
28             (2)  a sex offense under Article 11, except offenses
29        described in Sections 11-7, 11-8, 11-12, and 11-13;
30             (3)  kidnapping;
31             (3.1)  aggravated unlawful restraint;
32             (3.2)  forcible detention;
33             (3.3)  aiding and abetting child abduction;
34             (4)  aggravated kidnapping;
 
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 1             (5)  child abduction;
 2             (6)  aggravated battery of a child;
 3             (7)  criminal sexual assault;
 4             (8)  aggravated criminal sexual assault;
 5             (8.1)  predatory criminal sexual assault of a child;
 6             (9)  criminal sexual abuse;
 7             (10)  aggravated sexual abuse;
 8             (11)  heinous battery;
 9             (12)  aggravated battery with a firearm;
10             (13)  tampering with food, drugs, or cosmetics;
11             (14)  drug-induced infliction of great bodily harm;
12             (15)  aggravated stalking;
13             (16)  home invasion;
14             (17)  vehicular invasion;
15             (18)  criminal transmission of HIV;
16             (19)  criminal  neglect  of  an  elderly or disabled
17        person;
18             (20)  child abandonment;
19             (21)  endangering the life or health of a child;
20             (22)  ritual mutilation;
21             (23)  ritualized abuse of a child;
22             (24)  an offense in any other state the elements  of
23        which  are similar and bear a substantial relationship to
24        any of the foregoing offenses.
25    For the purpose of this subsection, "relative" shall  include
26    any  person,  21 years of age or over, other than the parent,
27    who (i) is currently related to  the  child  in  any  of  the
28    following  ways  by  blood or adoption: grandparent, sibling,
29    great-grandparent, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, first  cousin,
30    great-uncle,  or  great-aunt; or (ii) is the spouse of such a
31    relative; or (iii) is the child's  step-father,  step-mother,
32    or   adult   step-brother  or  step-sister;  "relative"  also
33    includes a person related in any of the foregoing ways  to  a
34    sibling  of a child, even though the person is not related to
 
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 1    the child, when the child and its sibling are placed together
 2    with that person.  A relative with whom  a  child  is  placed
 3    pursuant  to  this  subsection  may,  but is not required to,
 4    apply for licensure as a foster family home pursuant  to  the
 5    Child Care Act of 1969; provided, however, that as of July 1,
 6    1995,  foster  care  payments  shall be made only to licensed
 7    foster family homes pursuant to the terms  of  Section  5  of
 8    this Act.
 9        (c)  In  placing  a  child under this Act, the Department
10    shall ensure  that  the  child's  health,  safety,  and  best
11    interests  are  met in making a family foster care placement.
12    The Department shall consider the  individual  needs  of  the
13    child  and the capacity of the prospective foster or adoptive
14    parents to meet the needs of the child. When a child must  be
15    placed  outside  his  or  her  home and cannot be immediately
16    returned to his or her parents or guardian, a  comprehensive,
17    individualized assessment shall be performed of that child at
18    which  time the needs of the child shall be determined.  Only
19    if race,  color,  or  national  origin  is  identified  as  a
20    legitimate  factor  in  advancing  the child's best interests
21    shall it be considered.   Race,  color,  or  national  origin
22    shall  not  be  routinely  considered  in  making a placement
23    decision.  The Department shall make special efforts for  the
24    diligent   recruitment   of  potential  foster  and  adoptive
25    families that reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of  the
26    children  for  whom  foster  and  adoptive  homes are needed.
27    "Special efforts" shall include contacting and  working  with
28    community  organizations  and religious organizations and may
29    include contracting with those organizations, utilizing local
30    media and other  local  resources,  and  conducting  outreach
31    activities.
32        (c-1)  At  the  time  of  placement, the Department shall
33    consider concurrent  planning,  as  described  in  subsection
34    (l-1)  of  Section  5,  so  that  permanency may occur at the
 
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 1    earliest opportunity.  Consideration should be given so  that
 2    if  reunification  fails or is delayed, the placement made is
 3    the best available placement to provide  permanency  for  the
 4    child.
 5        (d)  The  Department  may accept gifts, grants, offers of
 6    services, and other contributions to use  in  making  special
 7    recruitment efforts.
 8        (e)  The  Department  in  placing children in adoptive or
 9    foster care homes may not, in any policy or practice relating
10    to the placement of children for  adoption  or  foster  care,
11    discriminate  against  any  child  or prospective adoptive or
12    foster parent on the basis of race.
13    (Source:  P.A.  89-21,  eff.  7-1-95;  89-422;  89-428,  eff.
14    12-13-95; 89-462, eff. 5-29-96; 89-626, eff.  8-9-96;  90-27,
15    eff. 1-1-98; 90-28, eff. 1-1-98; 90-608, eff. 6-30-98.)

16        (20 ILCS 505/7.3)
17        Sec.  7.3.  Placement plan.  The Department shall develop
18    and implement a written plan for placing children.  The  plan
19    shall include at least the following features:
20             (1)  A  plan  for  recruiting  minority adoptive and
21        foster families.  The plan shall include  strategies  for
22        using  existing resources in minority communities, use of
23        minority  outreach  staff  whenever  possible,   use   of
24        minority  foster  homes  for  placements  after birth and
25        before adoption, and other techniques as appropriate.
26             (2)  A  plan  for  training  adoptive   and   foster
27        families of minority children.
28             (3)  A plan for employing social workers in adoption
29        and  foster  care.  The plan shall include staffing goals
30        and objectives.
31             (4)  A plan for ensuring that  adoption  and  foster
32        care  workers  attend training offered or approved by the
33        Department regarding  the  State's  goal  of  encouraging
 
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 1        cultural   diversity  and  the  needs  of  special  needs
 2        children.
 3             (5)  A plan that includes  policies  and  procedures
 4        for   determining  for  each  child  requiring  placement
 5        outside of his or her home, and who cannot be immediately
 6        returned to his or her parents or guardian, the placement
 7        needs of that  child.   In  the  rare  instance  when  an
 8        individualized   assessment  identifies,  documents,  and
 9        substantiates that race, color, or national origin  is  a
10        factor  that  needs  to  be  considered  in  advancing  a
11        particular child's best interests, it shall be considered
12        in making a placement.
13    (Source:  P.A. 89-422.)

14        (20 ILCS 505/35.6)
15        Sec.   35.6.    State-wide   Foster   parent  state-wide,
16    toll-free telephone number.
17        (a)  There shall be  a  State-wide,  toll-free  telephone
18    number for any person foster parents, whether or not mandated
19    by law, to report to the Inspector General of the Department,
20    suspected misconduct, malfeasance, misfeasance, or violations
21    of  rules,  procedures,  or  laws  by  Department  employees,
22    service  providers, or contractors that is detrimental to the
23    best  interest  of  children  receiving  care,  services,  or
24    training from or who were  committed  to  the  Department  as
25    allowed  under  Section  5  of  this  Act.   Immediately upon
26    receipt of a telephone  call  regarding  suspected  abuse  or
27    neglect  of  children,  the Inspector General shall refer the
28    call to the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline or to  the  State
29    Police   as  mandated  by  the  Abused  and  Neglected  Child
30    Reporting Act and Section  35.5  of  this  Act.   A  mandated
31    reporter  shall  not be relieved of his or her duty to report
32    incidents to the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline referred  to
33    in   this  subsection.   The  Inspector  General  shall  also
 
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 1    establish rules and  procedures  for  evaluating  reports  of
 2    suspected   misconduct   and   violation  of  rules  and  for
 3    conducting an investigation of such reports.
 4        (b)  The Inspector General  shall  prepare  and  maintain
 5    written  records from the reporting source that shall contain
 6    the following information to the extent known at the time the
 7    report is made: (1) the names and addresses of the child  and
 8    the  person  responsible  for  the  child's  welfare; (2) the
 9    nature of the misconduct  and  the  detriment  cause  to  the
10    child's  best  interest;  (3)  the  names  of  the persons or
11    agencies  responsible  for  the  alleged   misconduct.    Any
12    investigation  conducted by the Inspector General pursuant to
13    such information shall not duplicate and  shall  be  separate
14    from  the  investigation mandated by the Abused and Neglected
15    Child Reporting Act.   However,  the  Inspector  General  may
16    include the results of such investigation in reports compiled
17    under  this  Section.  At the request of the reporting agent,
18    the  Inspector  General  shall  keep  the  identity  of   the
19    reporting  agent  strictly confidential from the operation of
20    the Department, until the Inspector General  shall  determine
21    what  recommendations shall be made with regard to discipline
22    or sanction of the Department employee, service provider,  or
23    contractor,  with  the  exception of suspected child abuse or
24    neglect which shall be handled consistent with the Abused and
25    Neglected Child Reporting Act and Section 35.5 of  this  Act.
26    The  Department  shall  take  whatever steps are necessary to
27    assure that a person making a report in good faith under this
28    Section is not adversely affected  solely  on  the  basis  of
29    having made such report.
30    (Source: P.A. 88-7; 88-491.)

31        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
32    becoming law.

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