Section 326.5  Department Planning Documents

a)         The Department shall prepare planning documents required by State and Federal laws and regulations and shall assist, when so required, in the preparation of other such planning documents.  In addition to required plans, the Department shall prepare other planning documents to facilitate effective management and judicious allocation of Department resources.

b)         Planning Documents Required by the Federal Government

            Planning documents the Department is required by the federal government to prepare or assist in preparing include the following federal requirements of the Social Security Act, as amended:

1)         The Title IV-B Child Welfare Services Plan (42 U.S.C. 620 et seq.) is prepared annually by the Department as the designated single state agency for IV-B administration. Under Title IV-B, formula grants are allocated to the states for providing and improving child welfare services to children and families in need of services.  The Title IV-B plan is required by federal regulations, 45 CFR 1355, 45 CFR 1357, and 45 CFR 1932, issued by the Department of Health and Human Services.  It contains a description of all child welfare services to be provided, the geographic areas in which they are available and what is being done to expand, improve and strengthen those services or provide new ones.

2)         The Title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption Assistance Program Plan (42 U.S.C. 670 et seq.) prepared by the Department as the designated single state agency for IV-E administration. Once the original plan has been submitted and approved by the federal government, the Department need only submit amendments to the plan whenever they are required by the federal government in accordance with 45 CFR 1356.20d, as a result of significant changes in the information or assurances in the plan, or the organization, policies or operations described in the plan.

c)         Planning Documents Required by the State

            The Illinois Human Services Plan (Phase I and Phase II) is a planning document required by the State.  The Human Services Plan is developed in accordance with guidelines issued by the Illinois Bureau of the Budget.

1)         The Department shall coordinate and integrate Phase I and II of its Human Services Plans with the Department's assessment of client needs and the budget development process.

2)         In Phase I, Human Services Data Report, the Department will show the relationship of resource allocation to Department programs and statewide targeted client populations for three fiscal years: the past fiscal year, the current fiscal year, and the next fiscal year.  In addition, the Department shall analyze and compare the actual expenditures for the past fiscal year to the planned expenditures, report on expenditures and fiscal projections for the current and prospective fiscal years, and generally describe long-range goals and emerging issues.

3)         In Phase II of the Human Services Plan, the Department shall analyze a specific program or a series of emerging issues in order to specify service planning initiatives and long-range program goals. In addition, the Department shall include a family impact statement indicating how its actions have strengthened and promoted stability within Illinois families.

4)         The Department will solicit public comment on both phases of its Human Services Plan in accordance with instructions provided by the Illinois Bureau of the Budget.

d)         The Department will make the final Federal and State planning documents identified in subsections (b) and (c) of this Section available to the public for their review and inspection.

e)         In addition to required plans, the Department will prepare other planning documents to facilitate effective management of the Department and judicious allocation of resources.

(Source:  Amended at 21 Ill. Reg. 15491, effective December 15, 1997)