(20 ILCS 4105/20)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2024)

Sec. 20. Duties. The Task Force shall:

(1) Examine the historical and current role of mandatory reporting and its impact on the racial and gender disparities of families involved with the Department of Children and Family Services.

(2) Examine the underlying factors that bring families into contact with the Department of Children and Family Services and the factors that lead to child removal, including, but not limited to, suspected or known substance use or dependency, intergenerational child welfare system involvement, and lack of access to shelter, food, clothing, income or employment, and healthcare, and how these impact the length of time families remain involved in the child welfare system.

(3) Review the Department of Children and Family Services' progress on the planning and implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act and determine what impact, if any, the plan may have on the current racial disparities of children and families in the child welfare system.

(4) Examine the current processes and policies, data, and data collection methods for families involved simultaneously in the child welfare, juvenile justice, or criminal justice systems, including, but not limited to, youth who are dually involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

(5) Explore policies and protocols that honor language, culture, and heritage in identity formation and familial relationships, including, but not limited to, race-blind child protection screenings and child removal reviews, as implemented in other jurisdictions around the United States, and make recommendations for implementation in Illinois.

(6) Explore the development of a curriculum for a child welfare specific implicit bias training for all public and private direct service staff and supervisors who interact with children and families.

(Source: P.A. 102-506, eff. 8-20-21.)