(325 ILCS 42/10)

Sec. 10. Legislative findings and intent.

(1) Caregivers often provide kinship care without compensation or support systems.

(2) Kinship caregivers are crucial to avoiding institutionalization of children and saving taxpayer dollars.

(3) Kinship caregivers are frequently under substantial physical, psychological, and financial stress. Unrelieved by support services available to the caregiver, this stress may lead to premature or unnecessary institutionalization for the care recipient or deterioration of the health condition and family circumstances of the kinship caregiver.

(4) Sudden responsibility for children often precludes kinship caregivers the opportunity to plan basic day to day responsibility.

(5) The Kinship Navigator shall be seamless, statewide, and coordinated among the Department of Human Services, Department on Aging, Illinois Housing Authority, Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Corrections, and federal and local governments as well as other public and private sources.

(6) Additional services provided under the Kinship Navigator shall be: organizing diverse, enriched, and culturally conscious kinship support groups and counseling; assisting with applying for benefits within the Illinois Department of Human Services' Family Community Resource Centers for those who qualify; publishing monthly newsletters; coordinating respite and crisis care services; assisting kinship caregivers with job readiness, job search, and job retention; and providing technical assistance to start up kinship support groups.

(Source: P.A. 96-276, eff. 8-11-09.)