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| Public Act 099-0351 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning children.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | ||||
Safeguard Our Children Act. | ||||
Section 5. Definitions. In this Act: | ||||
"Caseworker" means an employee of the Department of | ||||
Children and Family Services who is assigned case management | ||||
duties concerning a child or person under the care and legal | ||||
custody of the Department. | ||||
"Child or person" means any child or person, regardless of | ||||
age, who is under the care and legal custody of the Department | ||||
of Children and Family Services. | ||||
"Department" means the Department of Children and Family | ||||
Services. | ||||
"Plan of Care" means a written or electronic document that | ||||
details the information required under Section 15 of this Act. | ||||
Section 10. Duty to report. Any child or person in the care | ||||
of the Department who is placed in a residential facility under | ||||
contract with the Department pursuant to the Children and | ||||
Family Services Act shall be reported as missing to the local | ||||
law enforcement agency within whose jurisdiction the facility | ||||
is located, if: | ||
(1) there is no contact between an employee of the | ||
residential facility and the child or person within a | ||
period of 12 hours; and | ||
(2) the child or person is absent from the residential | ||
facility without prior approval. | ||
The operator of the residential facility shall inform the | ||
child's or person's caseworker that the child or person has | ||
been reported as missing to the appropriate local law | ||
enforcement agency. The operator of the residential facility | ||
shall also report the child or person as missing to the | ||
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and shall | ||
make a subsequent telephone notification to the sheriff of the | ||
county in which the residential facility is located. | ||
The operator of the residential facility making the missing | ||
persons report to the local law enforcement agency within whose | ||
jurisdiction the facility is located shall report that the | ||
missing person is a ward of the Department and shall inform the | ||
law enforcement agency taking the report to include the | ||
following statement within the missing persons report, in the | ||
field of the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS) known | ||
as "Miscellaneous": | ||
"This individual is a ward of the Illinois Department | ||
of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and, regardless of | ||
age, shall be released only to the custody of DCFS. Contact | ||
the 24-hour hotline: 866.503.0184." | ||
Section 15. Plan of Care. The operator of a residential | ||
facility under contract with the Department shall record a Plan | ||
of Care for any child or person who resides at the facility and | ||
who plans to leave the facility temporarily for more than 24 | ||
hours. A child's or person's Plan of Care must contain the | ||
following information: | ||
(1) The location of the place that the child or person | ||
intends to visit after leaving the residential facility. | ||
(2) The contact information of the individual the child | ||
or person intends to stay with after leaving the | ||
residential facility. | ||
(3) The duration of the visit. | ||
(4) The expected time or date the child or person | ||
intends to return to the residential facility. | ||
Section 20. The Intergovernmental Missing Child Recovery | ||
Act of 1984 is amended by adding Section 3.6 as follows: | ||
(325 ILCS 40/3.6 new) | ||
Sec. 3.6. Department of Children and Family Services; | ||
missing persons. The Department shall develop and conduct a | ||
training advisory for LEADS reporting of missing persons when | ||
the missing individual, regardless of age, is under the care | ||
and legal custody of the Department of Children and Family | ||
Services.
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