(20 ILCS 525/5-10)

Sec. 5-10. Membership.

(a) The Statewide Foster Care Advisory Council shall consist of the following membership:

(1) 2 foster parents from the Department's southern and northern administrative regions; 3 foster parents from the Department's central administrative region; and 2 foster parents from each of the Department's Cook County administrative regions. One of the 6 foster parents representing the Cook County administrative regions shall be the current President of the Cook County Foster Parent Advisory Committee;

(2) 2 foster parents representing the Department's Child Welfare Advisory Committee, with at least one foster parent residing in Cook County;

(3) 2 foster care professionals representing the Department's Child Welfare Advisory Committee to represent agencies providing foster care services under contract to the Department;

(4) the current president of the Illinois Foster Parent Association; and

(5) 4 other non-Department persons with recognized expertise regarding foster care who shall be nominated by the Director of the Department ("the Director").

Each Administrator of the Department's specified administrative regions shall make recommendations of foster parents for appointment as members to the Director. The recommendations of the Regional Administrator shall be based upon consultation by the Regional Administrator with organized foster parent groups and Department staff.

All appointments to the Council shall be made in writing by the Director. In soliciting and making appointments, the Director shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure the membership of the Council is culturally diverse and representative and also geographically representative of the Department's administrative regions.

(b) Each member shall be appointed for a term of 3 years. No member shall be appointed to more than 2 terms, except the President of the Illinois Foster Parent Association and the President of the Cook County Foster Parent Association may serve as long as the member holds office. Members shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed. The terms of original members and of members subsequently appointed to fill vacancies created by a change in the number of the Council's members shall be determined to assure as nearly as possible that the terms of one-third of the members in each sector expire each year on June 30th. The original members in each sector shall determine by lot the length of each member's term, one-third to be for 3 years, one-third to be for 2 years, and one-third to be for one year, and the Council's secretary shall record the results. Thereafter, any member appointed to fill a vacancy other than one created by the expiration of a regular 3 year term shall be appointed for the unexpired term of the predecessor member, or in the case of new memberships created by change in number of members, for such term as is appropriate under this subsection.

(c) Members of the Advisory Council shall serve without compensation, except that the Department shall reimburse members for travel and per diem expenses associated with participation in Advisory Council meetings and activities. Reimbursement shall be consistent with Illinois Department of Central Management Services rules, as approved by the Governor's Travel Control Board.

(Source: P.A. 103-22, eff. 8-8-23.)