Public Act 099-0348
 
SB0653 EnrolledLRB099 06163 KTG 26221 b

    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Children and Family Services Act is amended
by adding Section 21.2 as follows:
 
    (20 ILCS 505/21.2 new)
    Sec. 21.2. Child welfare training academy.
    Subject to appropriations, the Department shall establish
within its operations a child welfare training academy for
child protective investigators and supervisors employed by the
Department.
    The training efforts of the child welfare training academy
shall include, but shall not be limited to, establishing:
        (1) training curricula on recognizing and responding
    to cases of child abuse or neglect;
        (2) cultural competency training that provides tools
    and other supports to ensure that a child welfare
    provider's response to and engagement with families and
    children of color are conducted or provided in a manner
    that is responsive to the beliefs, interpersonal styles,
    attitudes, language, and behaviors of the individuals who
    are receiving services, and are conducted or provided in a
    manner that has the greatest likelihood of ensuring maximum
    success of or participation in the child welfare program or
    services being provided;
        (3) laboratory training facilities that include mock
    houses, mock medical facilities, mock courtrooms, and mock
    forensic interview rooms that allow for simulated,
    interactive, and intensive training; and
        (4) minimum standards of competence that a person shall
    be required to demonstrate prior to receiving
    certification from the Department.
    By January 1, 2016, the Department shall adopt rules for
the administration of the child welfare training academy that
not only establish statewide competence, assessment, and
training standards for persons providing child welfare
services, but that also ensure that persons who provide child
welfare services have the knowledge, skills, professionalism,
and abilities to make decisions that keep children safe and
secure.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.