97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB1229

 

Introduced 02/08/11, by Rep. Rita Mayfield

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
705 ILCS 405/2-28  from Ch. 37, par. 802-28

    Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 relating to abused, neglected, and dependent minors who have been removed from the parent's custody. Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall conduct a study every 4 months for the first year that the child has not been reunited with his or her family. Provides that the Department of Children and Family Services shall document in detail why the parent and child have not been reunited and what specific steps are being taken to reunite the family. Provides that the court may appoint an independent third party to review the service plan as to whether the goal has been achieved, including a determination that all necessary steps have been taken to reunite the child with his or her family and that the return of the child home cannot be achieved under the plan. Provides that the appointment may include, but is not limited to, court appointed special advocates.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning courts.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is amended by
5changing Section 2-28 as follows:
 
6    (705 ILCS 405/2-28)  (from Ch. 37, par. 802-28)
7    Sec. 2-28. Court review.
8    (1) The court may require any legal custodian or guardian
9of the person appointed under this Act to report periodically
10to the court or may cite him into court and require him or his
11agency, to make a full and accurate report of his or its doings
12in behalf of the minor. The custodian or guardian, within 10
13days after such citation, shall make the report, either in
14writing verified by affidavit or orally under oath in open
15court, or otherwise as the court directs. Upon the hearing of
16the report the court may remove the custodian or guardian and
17appoint another in his stead or restore the minor to the
18custody of his parents or former guardian or custodian.
19However, custody of the minor shall not be restored to any
20parent, guardian or legal custodian in any case in which the
21minor is found to be neglected or abused under Section 2-3 or
22dependent under Section 2-4 of this Act, unless the minor can
23be cared for at home without endangering the minor's health or

 

 

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1safety and it is in the best interests of the minor, and if
2such neglect, abuse, or dependency is found by the court under
3paragraph (1) of Section 2-21 of this Act to have come about
4due to the acts or omissions or both of such parent, guardian
5or legal custodian, until such time as an investigation is made
6as provided in paragraph (5) and a hearing is held on the issue
7of the fitness of such parent, guardian or legal custodian to
8care for the minor and the court enters an order that such
9parent, guardian or legal custodian is fit to care for the
10minor.
11    (2) The first permanency hearing shall be conducted by the
12judge. Subsequent permanency hearings may be heard by a judge
13or by hearing officers appointed or approved by the court in
14the manner set forth in Section 2-28.1 of this Act. The initial
15hearing shall be held (a) within 12 months from the date
16temporary custody was taken, (b) if the parental rights of both
17parents have been terminated in accordance with the procedure
18described in subsection (5) of Section 2-21, within 30 days of
19the order for termination of parental rights and appointment of
20a guardian with power to consent to adoption, or (c) in
21accordance with subsection (2) of Section 2-13.1. Subsequent
22permanency hearings shall be held every 6 months or more
23frequently if necessary in the court's determination following
24the initial permanency hearing, in accordance with the
25standards set forth in this Section, until the court determines
26that the plan and goal have been achieved. Once the plan and

 

 

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1goal have been achieved, if the minor remains in substitute
2care, the case shall be reviewed at least every 6 months
3thereafter, subject to the provisions of this Section, unless
4the minor is placed in the guardianship of a suitable relative
5or other person and the court determines that further
6monitoring by the court does not further the health, safety or
7best interest of the child and that this is a stable permanent
8placement. The permanency hearings must occur within the time
9frames set forth in this subsection and may not be delayed in
10anticipation of a report from any source or due to the agency's
11failure to timely file its written report (this written report
12means the one required under the next paragraph and does not
13mean the service plan also referred to in that paragraph).
14    The public agency that is the custodian or guardian of the
15minor, or another agency responsible for the minor's care,
16shall ensure that all parties to the permanency hearings are
17provided a copy of the most recent service plan prepared within
18the prior 6 months at least 14 days in advance of the hearing.
19If not contained in the plan, the agency shall also include a
20report setting forth (i) any special physical, psychological,
21educational, medical, emotional, or other needs of the minor or
22his or her family that are relevant to a permanency or
23placement determination and (ii) for any minor age 16 or over,
24a written description of the programs and services that will
25enable the minor to prepare for independent living. The
26agency's written report must detail what progress or lack of

 

 

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1progress the parent has made in correcting the conditions
2requiring the child to be in care; whether the child can be
3returned home without jeopardizing the child's health, safety,
4and welfare, and if not, what permanency goal is recommended to
5be in the best interests of the child, and why the other
6permanency goals are not appropriate. The caseworker must
7appear and testify at the permanency hearing. If a permanency
8hearing has not previously been scheduled by the court, the
9moving party shall move for the setting of a permanency hearing
10and the entry of an order within the time frames set forth in
11this subsection.
12    At the permanency hearing, the court shall determine the
13future status of the child. The court shall set one of the
14following permanency goals:
15        (A) The minor will be returned home by a specific date
16    within 5 months.
17        (B) The minor will be in short-term care with a
18    continued goal to return home within a period not to exceed
19    one year, where the progress of the parent or parents is
20    substantial giving particular consideration to the age and
21    individual needs of the minor.
22        (B-1) The minor will be in short-term care with a
23    continued goal to return home pending a status hearing.
24    When the court finds that a parent has not made reasonable
25    efforts or reasonable progress to date, the court shall
26    identify what actions the parent and the Department must

 

 

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1    take in order to justify a finding of reasonable efforts or
2    reasonable progress and shall set a status hearing to be
3    held not earlier than 9 months from the date of
4    adjudication nor later than 11 months from the date of
5    adjudication during which the parent's progress will again
6    be reviewed.
7        (C) The minor will be in substitute care pending court
8    determination on termination of parental rights.
9        (D) Adoption, provided that parental rights have been
10    terminated or relinquished.
11        (E) The guardianship of the minor will be transferred
12    to an individual or couple on a permanent basis provided
13    that goals (A) through (D) have been ruled out.
14        (F) The minor over age 15 will be in substitute care
15    pending independence.
16        (G) The minor will be in substitute care because he or
17    she cannot be provided for in a home environment due to
18    developmental disabilities or mental illness or because he
19    or she is a danger to self or others, provided that goals
20    (A) through (D) have been ruled out.
21    In selecting any permanency goal, the court shall indicate
22in writing the reasons the goal was selected and why the
23preceding goals were ruled out. Where the court has selected a
24permanency goal other than (A), (B), or (B-1), the Department
25of Children and Family Services shall not provide further
26reunification services, but shall provide services consistent

 

 

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1with the goal selected.
2        (H) Notwithstanding any other provision in this
3    Section, the court may select the goal of continuing foster
4    care as a permanency goal if:
5            (1) The Department of Children and Family Services
6        has custody and guardianship of the minor;
7            (2) The court has ruled out all other permanency
8        goals based on the child's best interest;
9            (3) The court has found compelling reasons, based
10        on written documentation reviewed by the court, to
11        place the minor in continuing foster care. Compelling
12        reasons include:
13                (a) the child does not wish to be adopted or to
14            be placed in the guardianship of his or her
15            relative or foster care placement;
16                (b) the child exhibits an extreme level of need
17            such that the removal of the child from his or her
18            placement would be detrimental to the child; or
19                (c) the child who is the subject of the
20            permanency hearing has existing close and strong
21            bonds with a sibling, and achievement of another
22            permanency goal would substantially interfere with
23            the subject child's sibling relationship, taking
24            into consideration the nature and extent of the
25            relationship, and whether ongoing contact is in
26            the subject child's best interest, including

 

 

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1            long-term emotional interest, as compared with the
2            legal and emotional benefit of permanence;
3            (4) The child has lived with the relative or foster
4        parent for at least one year; and
5            (5) The relative or foster parent currently caring
6        for the child is willing and capable of providing the
7        child with a stable and permanent environment.
8    The court shall set a permanency goal that is in the best
9interest of the child. In determining that goal, the court
10shall consult with the minor in an age-appropriate manner
11regarding the proposed permanency or transition plan for the
12minor. The court's determination shall include the following
13factors:
14        (1) Age of the child.
15        (2) Options available for permanence, including both
16    out-of-State and in-State placement options.
17        (3) Current placement of the child and the intent of
18    the family regarding adoption.
19        (4) Emotional, physical, and mental status or
20    condition of the child.
21        (5) Types of services previously offered and whether or
22    not the services were successful and, if not successful,
23    the reasons the services failed.
24        (6) Availability of services currently needed and
25    whether the services exist.
26        (7) Status of siblings of the minor.

 

 

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1    The court shall consider (i) the permanency goal contained
2in the service plan, (ii) the appropriateness of the services
3contained in the plan and whether those services have been
4provided, (iii) whether reasonable efforts have been made by
5all the parties to the service plan to achieve the goal, and
6(iv) whether the plan and goal have been achieved. All evidence
7relevant to determining these questions, including oral and
8written reports, may be admitted and may be relied on to the
9extent of their probative value. The Department of Children and
10Family Services shall conduct a study every 4 months for the
11first year that the child has not been reunited with his or her
12family. The Department of Children and Family Services shall
13document in detail why the parent and child have not been
14reunited and what specific steps are being taken to reunite the
15family. The court may appoint an independent third party to
16review the service plan as to whether the goal has been
17achieved, including a determination that all necessary steps
18have been taken to reunite the child with his or her family and
19that the return of the child home cannot be achieved under the
20plan. The appointment may include, but is not limited to, court
21appointed special advocates appointed under Section 2-17.1.
22    The court shall make findings as to whether, in violation
23of Section 8.2 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act,
24any portion of the service plan compels a child or parent to
25engage in any activity or refrain from any activity that is not
26reasonably related to remedying a condition or conditions that

 

 

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1gave rise or which could give rise to any finding of child
2abuse or neglect. The services contained in the service plan
3shall include services reasonably related to remedy the
4conditions that gave rise to removal of the child from the home
5of his or her parents, guardian, or legal custodian or that the
6court has found must be remedied prior to returning the child
7home. Any tasks the court requires of the parents, guardian, or
8legal custodian or child prior to returning the child home,
9must be reasonably related to remedying a condition or
10conditions that gave rise to or which could give rise to any
11finding of child abuse or neglect.
12    If the permanency goal is to return home, the court shall
13make findings that identify any problems that are causing
14continued placement of the children away from the home and
15identify what outcomes would be considered a resolution to
16these problems. The court shall explain to the parents that
17these findings are based on the information that the court has
18at that time and may be revised, should additional evidence be
19presented to the court.
20    If the goal has been achieved, the court shall enter orders
21that are necessary to conform the minor's legal custody and
22status to those findings.
23    If, after receiving evidence, the court determines that the
24services contained in the plan are not reasonably calculated to
25facilitate achievement of the permanency goal, the court shall
26put in writing the factual basis supporting the determination

 

 

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1and enter specific findings based on the evidence. The court
2also shall enter an order for the Department to develop and
3implement a new service plan or to implement changes to the
4current service plan consistent with the court's findings. The
5new service plan shall be filed with the court and served on
6all parties within 45 days of the date of the order. The court
7shall continue the matter until the new service plan is filed.
8Unless otherwise specifically authorized by law, the court is
9not empowered under this subsection (2) or under subsection (3)
10to order specific placements, specific services, or specific
11service providers to be included in the plan.
12    A guardian or custodian appointed by the court pursuant to
13this Act shall file updated case plans with the court every 6
14months.
15    Rights of wards of the court under this Act are enforceable
16against any public agency by complaints for relief by mandamus
17filed in any proceedings brought under this Act.
18    (3) Following the permanency hearing, the court shall enter
19a written order that includes the determinations required under
20subsection (2) of this Section and sets forth the following:
21        (a) The future status of the minor, including the
22    permanency goal, and any order necessary to conform the
23    minor's legal custody and status to such determination; or
24        (b) If the permanency goal of the minor cannot be
25    achieved immediately, the specific reasons for continuing
26    the minor in the care of the Department of Children and

 

 

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1    Family Services or other agency for short term placement,
2    and the following determinations:
3            (i) (Blank).
4            (ii) Whether the services required by the court and
5        by any service plan prepared within the prior 6 months
6        have been provided and (A) if so, whether the services
7        were reasonably calculated to facilitate the
8        achievement of the permanency goal or (B) if not
9        provided, why the services were not provided.
10            (iii) Whether the minor's placement is necessary,
11        and appropriate to the plan and goal, recognizing the
12        right of minors to the least restrictive (most
13        family-like) setting available and in close proximity
14        to the parents' home consistent with the health,
15        safety, best interest and special needs of the minor
16        and, if the minor is placed out-of-State, whether the
17        out-of-State placement continues to be appropriate and
18        consistent with the health, safety, and best interest
19        of the minor.
20            (iv) (Blank).
21            (v) (Blank).
22    (4) The minor or any person interested in the minor may
23apply to the court for a change in custody of the minor and the
24appointment of a new custodian or guardian of the person or for
25the restoration of the minor to the custody of his parents or
26former guardian or custodian.

 

 

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1    When return home is not selected as the permanency goal:
2        (a) The Department, the minor, or the current foster
3    parent or relative caregiver seeking private guardianship
4    may file a motion for private guardianship of the minor.
5    Appointment of a guardian under this Section requires
6    approval of the court.
7        (b) The State's Attorney may file a motion to terminate
8    parental rights of any parent who has failed to make
9    reasonable efforts to correct the conditions which led to
10    the removal of the child or reasonable progress toward the
11    return of the child, as defined in subdivision (D)(m) of
12    Section 1 of the Adoption Act or for whom any other
13    unfitness ground for terminating parental rights as
14    defined in subdivision (D) of Section 1 of the Adoption Act
15    exists.
16        When parental rights have been terminated for a minimum
17    of 3 years and the child who is the subject of the
18    permanency hearing is 13 years old or older and is not
19    currently placed in a placement likely to achieve
20    permanency, the Department of Children and Family Services
21    shall make reasonable efforts to locate parents whose
22    rights have been terminated, except when the Court
23    determines that those efforts would be futile or
24    inconsistent with the subject child's best interests. The
25    Department of Children and Family Services shall assess the
26    appropriateness of the parent whose rights have been

 

 

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1    terminated, and shall, as appropriate, foster and support
2    connections between the parent whose rights have been
3    terminated and the youth. The Department of Children and
4    Family Services shall document its determinations and
5    efforts to foster connections in the child's case plan.
6    Custody of the minor shall not be restored to any parent,
7guardian or legal custodian in any case in which the minor is
8found to be neglected or abused under Section 2-3 or dependent
9under Section 2-4 of this Act, unless the minor can be cared
10for at home without endangering his or her health or safety and
11it is in the best interest of the minor, and if such neglect,
12abuse, or dependency is found by the court under paragraph (1)
13of Section 2-21 of this Act to have come about due to the acts
14or omissions or both of such parent, guardian or legal
15custodian, until such time as an investigation is made as
16provided in paragraph (5) and a hearing is held on the issue of
17the health, safety and best interest of the minor and the
18fitness of such parent, guardian or legal custodian to care for
19the minor and the court enters an order that such parent,
20guardian or legal custodian is fit to care for the minor. In
21the event that the minor has attained 18 years of age and the
22guardian or custodian petitions the court for an order
23terminating his guardianship or custody, guardianship or
24custody shall terminate automatically 30 days after the receipt
25of the petition unless the court orders otherwise. No legal
26custodian or guardian of the person may be removed without his

 

 

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1consent until given notice and an opportunity to be heard by
2the court.
3    When the court orders a child restored to the custody of
4the parent or parents, the court shall order the parent or
5parents to cooperate with the Department of Children and Family
6Services and comply with the terms of an after-care plan, or
7risk the loss of custody of the child and possible termination
8of their parental rights. The court may also enter an order of
9protective supervision in accordance with Section 2-24.
10    (5) Whenever a parent, guardian, or legal custodian files a
11motion for restoration of custody of the minor, and the minor
12was adjudicated neglected, abused, or dependent as a result of
13physical abuse, the court shall cause to be made an
14investigation as to whether the movant has ever been charged
15with or convicted of any criminal offense which would indicate
16the likelihood of any further physical abuse to the minor.
17Evidence of such criminal convictions shall be taken into
18account in determining whether the minor can be cared for at
19home without endangering his or her health or safety and
20fitness of the parent, guardian, or legal custodian.
21        (a) Any agency of this State or any subdivision thereof
22    shall co-operate with the agent of the court in providing
23    any information sought in the investigation.
24        (b) The information derived from the investigation and
25    any conclusions or recommendations derived from the
26    information shall be provided to the parent, guardian, or

 

 

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1    legal custodian seeking restoration of custody prior to the
2    hearing on fitness and the movant shall have an opportunity
3    at the hearing to refute the information or contest its
4    significance.
5        (c) All information obtained from any investigation
6    shall be confidential as provided in Section 5-150 of this
7    Act.
8(Source: P.A. 95-10, eff. 6-30-07; 95-182, eff. 8-14-07;
995-876, eff. 8-21-08; 96-600, eff. 8-21-09; 96-1375, eff.
107-29-10.)