(20 ILCS 5/5-535) (was 20 ILCS 5/6.15)

Sec. 5-535. In the Department of Children and Family Services. A Children and Family Services Advisory Council of 21 members shall be appointed by the Governor. The Department of Children and Family Services may involve the participation of additional persons with specialized expertise to assist the Council in specified tasks. The Council shall advise the Department with respect to services and programs for individuals under the Department of Children and Family Services' care, which may include, but is not limited to:

(1) reviewing the Department of Children and Family Services' monitoring process for child care facilities and child care institutions, as defined in Sections 2.05 and 2.06 of the Child Care Act of 1969;

(2) reviewing monitoring standards to address the quality of life for youth in Department of Children and Family Services' licensed child care facilities;

(3) assisting and making recommendations to establish standards for monitoring the safety and well-being of youth placed in Department of Children and Family Services' licensed child care facilities and overseeing the implementation of its recommendations;

(4) identifying areas of improvement in the quality of investigations of allegations of child abuse or neglect in Department of Children and Family Services' licensed child care facilities and institutions and transitional living programs;

(5) reviewing indicated and unfounded reports selected at random or requested by the Council;

(6) reviewing a random sample of comprehensive call data reports on (i) calls made to the Department of Children and Family Services' statewide toll-free telephone number established under Section 9.1a of the Child Care Act of 1969 and (ii) calls made to the central register established under Section 7.7 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act through the State-wide, toll-free telephone number established under Section 7.6 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, including those where investigations were not initiated; and

(7) preparing and providing recommendations that identify areas of needed improvement regarding the investigation of allegations of abuse and neglect to children in Department of Children and Family Services' licensed child care facilities and institutions and transitional living programs, as well as needed changes to existing laws, rules, and procedures of the Department of Children and Family Services, and overseeing implementation of its recommendations.

The Council's initial recommendations shall be filed with the General Assembly and made available to the public no later than March 1, 2017.

The Department of Children and Family Services shall provide, upon request, all records and information in the Department of Children and Family Services' possession relevant to the Advisory Council's review. All documents, in compliance with applicable privacy laws and redacted where appropriate, concerning reports and investigations of child abuse and neglect made available to members of the Advisory Council and all records generated as a result of the reports shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed, except as specifically authorized by applicable law. It is a Class A misdemeanor to permit, assist, or encourage the unauthorized release of any information contained in reports or records and these reports or records are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

In appointing the first Council, 8 members shall be named to serve 2 years, and 8 members named to serve 4 years. The member first appointed under Public Act 83-1538 shall serve for a term of 4 years. All members appointed thereafter shall be appointed for terms of 4 years. Beginning July 1, 2015, the Advisory Council shall include as appointed members at least one youth from each of the Department of Children and Family Services' regional youth advisory boards established pursuant to Section 5 of the Department of Children and Family Services Statewide Youth Advisory Board Act and at least 2 adult former youth in care as defined in Section 4d of the Children and Family Services Act. At its first meeting the Council shall select a chairperson from among its members and appoint a committee to draft rules of procedure.

(Source: P.A. 99-346, eff. 1-1-16; 100-159, eff. 8-18-17.)