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1 | AN ACT concerning courts.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is amended by | |||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | changing Sections 1-3 and 2-28 and by adding Section 2-27.2 as | |||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | follows:
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7 | (705 ILCS 405/1-3) (from Ch. 37, par. 801-3)
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8 | Sec. 1-3. Definitions. Terms used in this Act, unless the | |||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | context
otherwise requires, have the following meanings | |||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | ascribed to them:
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11 | (1) "Adjudicatory hearing" means a hearing to
determine | |||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | whether the allegations of a petition under Section 2-13, 3-15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | or
4-12 that a minor under 18 years of age is abused, neglected | |||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | or dependent, or
requires authoritative intervention, or | |||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | addicted, respectively, are supported
by a preponderance of the | |||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | evidence or whether the allegations of a petition
under Section | |||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | 5-520 that a minor is delinquent are proved beyond a reasonable
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18 | doubt.
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19 | (2) "Adult" means a person 21 years of age or older.
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20 | (3) "Agency" means a public or private child care facility
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21 | legally authorized or licensed by this State for placement or | |||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | institutional
care or for both placement and institutional | |||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | care.
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1 | (4) "Association" means any organization, public or
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2 | private, engaged in welfare functions which include services to | ||||||
3 | or on behalf of
children but does not include "agency" as | ||||||
4 | herein defined.
| ||||||
5 | (4.05) Whenever a "best interest" determination is
| ||||||
6 | required, the following factors shall be considered in the | ||||||
7 | context of the
child's age and developmental needs:
| ||||||
8 | (a) the physical safety and welfare of the child, | ||||||
9 | including food, shelter,
health, and clothing;
| ||||||
10 | (b) the development of the child's identity;
| ||||||
11 | (c) the child's background and ties, including | ||||||
12 | familial,
cultural, and religious;
| ||||||
13 | (d) the child's sense of attachments, including:
| ||||||
14 | (i) where the child actually feels love, | ||||||
15 | attachment, and a sense of
being valued (as opposed to | ||||||
16 | where adults believe the child should
feel such love, | ||||||
17 | attachment, and a sense of being valued);
| ||||||
18 | (ii) the child's sense of security;
| ||||||
19 | (iii) the child's sense of familiarity;
| ||||||
20 | (iv) continuity of affection for the child;
| ||||||
21 | (v) the least disruptive placement alternative for | ||||||
22 | the child;
| ||||||
23 | (e) the child's wishes and long-term goals;
| ||||||
24 | (f) the child's community ties, including church, | ||||||
25 | school, and friends;
| ||||||
26 | (g) the child's need for permanence which includes the |
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| |||||||
1 | child's need for
stability and continuity of relationships | ||||||
2 | with parent figures and with siblings
and other relatives;
| ||||||
3 | (h) the uniqueness of every family and child;
| ||||||
4 | (i) the risks attendant to entering and being in | ||||||
5 | substitute care; and
| ||||||
6 | (j) the preferences of the persons available to care | ||||||
7 | for the child.
| ||||||
8 | (4.1) "Chronic truant" shall have the definition
ascribed | ||||||
9 | to it in Section 26-2a of the School Code.
| ||||||
10 | (5) "Court" means the circuit court in a session or | ||||||
11 | division
assigned to hear proceedings under this Act.
| ||||||
12 | (6) "Dispositional hearing" means a hearing to
determine | ||||||
13 | whether a minor should be adjudged to be a ward of the court, | ||||||
14 | and to
determine what order of disposition should be made in | ||||||
15 | respect to a minor
adjudged to be a ward of the court.
| ||||||
16 | (7) "Emancipated minor" means any minor 16 years of age or | ||||||
17 | over who has
been completely or partially emancipated under the | ||||||
18 | Emancipation of
Minors Act or
under this Act.
| ||||||
19 | (7.05) "Foster parent" includes a relative caregiver | ||||||
20 | selected by the Department of Children and Family Services to | ||||||
21 | provide care for the minor. | ||||||
22 | (8) "Guardianship of the person" of a minor
means the duty | ||||||
23 | and authority to act in the best interests of the minor, | ||||||
24 | subject
to residual parental rights and responsibilities, to | ||||||
25 | make important decisions
in matters having a permanent effect | ||||||
26 | on the life and development of the minor
and to be concerned |
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1 | with his or her general welfare. It includes but is not
| ||||||
2 | necessarily limited to:
| ||||||
3 | (a) the authority to consent to marriage, to enlistment | ||||||
4 | in the armed
forces of the United States, or to a major | ||||||
5 | medical, psychiatric, and
surgical treatment; to represent | ||||||
6 | the minor in legal actions; and to make
other decisions of | ||||||
7 | substantial legal significance concerning the minor;
| ||||||
8 | (b) the authority and duty of reasonable visitation, | ||||||
9 | except to the
extent that these have been limited in the | ||||||
10 | best interests of the minor by
court order;
| ||||||
11 | (c) the rights and responsibilities of legal custody | ||||||
12 | except where legal
custody has been vested in another | ||||||
13 | person or agency; and
| ||||||
14 | (d) the power to consent to the adoption of the minor, | ||||||
15 | but only if
expressly conferred on the guardian in | ||||||
16 | accordance with Section 2-29, 3-30, or
4-27.
| ||||||
17 | (9) "Legal custody" means the relationship created by an
| ||||||
18 | order of court in the best interests of the minor which imposes | ||||||
19 | on the
custodian the responsibility of physical possession of a | ||||||
20 | minor and the duty to
protect, train and discipline him and to | ||||||
21 | provide him with food, shelter,
education and ordinary medical | ||||||
22 | care, except as these are limited by residual
parental rights | ||||||
23 | and responsibilities and the rights and responsibilities of the
| ||||||
24 | guardian of the person, if any.
| ||||||
25 | (9.1) "Mentally capable adult relative" means a person 21 | ||||||
26 | years of age or older who is not suffering from a mental |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | illness that prevents him or her from providing the care | ||||||
2 | necessary to safeguard the physical safety and welfare of a | ||||||
3 | minor who is left in that person's care by the parent or | ||||||
4 | parents or other person responsible for the minor's welfare. | ||||||
5 | (10) "Minor" means a person under the age of 21 years | ||||||
6 | subject to
this Act.
| ||||||
7 | (11) "Parent" means a father or mother of a child and
| ||||||
8 | includes any adoptive parent. It also includes a person (i)
| ||||||
9 | whose parentage
is presumed or has been established under the | ||||||
10 | law of this or another
jurisdiction or (ii) who has registered | ||||||
11 | with the Putative Father Registry in
accordance with Section | ||||||
12 | 12.1 of the Adoption Act and whose paternity has not
been ruled | ||||||
13 | out under the law of this or another jurisdiction. It does not
| ||||||
14 | include a
parent whose rights in respect to the
minor have been | ||||||
15 | terminated in any manner provided by law. It does not include a | ||||||
16 | person who has been or could be determined to be a parent under | ||||||
17 | the Illinois Parentage Act of 1984 or the Illinois Parentage | ||||||
18 | Act of 2015, or similar parentage law in any other state, if | ||||||
19 | that person has been convicted of or pled nolo contendere to a | ||||||
20 | crime that resulted in the conception of the child under | ||||||
21 | Section 11-1.20, 11-1.30, 11-1.40, 11-11, 12-13, 12-14, | ||||||
22 | 12-14.1, subsection (a) or (b) (but not subsection (c)) of | ||||||
23 | Section 11-1.50 or 12-15, or subsection (a), (b), (c), (e), or | ||||||
24 | (f) (but not subsection (d)) of Section 11-1.60 or 12-16 of the | ||||||
25 | Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, or similar | ||||||
26 | statute in another jurisdiction unless upon motion of any |
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| |||||||
1 | party, other than the offender, to the juvenile court | ||||||
2 | proceedings the court finds it is in the child's best interest | ||||||
3 | to deem the offender a parent for purposes of the juvenile | ||||||
4 | court proceedings.
| ||||||
5 | (11.1) "Permanency goal" means a goal set by the court as | ||||||
6 | defined in
subdivision (2) of Section 2-28.
| ||||||
7 | (11.2) "Permanency hearing" means a hearing to set the | ||||||
8 | permanency goal and
to review and determine (i) the | ||||||
9 | appropriateness of the services contained in
the plan and | ||||||
10 | whether those services have been provided, (ii) whether | ||||||
11 | reasonable
efforts have been made by all the parties to the | ||||||
12 | service plan to achieve the
goal, and (iii) whether the plan | ||||||
13 | and goal have been achieved.
| ||||||
14 | (12) "Petition" means the petition provided for in Section
| ||||||
15 | 2-13, 3-15, 4-12 or 5-520, including any supplemental petitions | ||||||
16 | thereunder
in Section 3-15, 4-12 or 5-520.
| ||||||
17 | (12.1) "Physically capable adult relative" means a person | ||||||
18 | 21 years of age or older who does not have a severe physical | ||||||
19 | disability or medical condition, or is not suffering from | ||||||
20 | alcoholism or drug addiction, that prevents him or her from | ||||||
21 | providing the care necessary to safeguard the physical safety | ||||||
22 | and welfare of a minor who is left in that person's care by the | ||||||
23 | parent or parents or other person responsible for the minor's | ||||||
24 | welfare. | ||||||
25 | (12.2) "Post Permanency Sibling Contact Agreement" has the | ||||||
26 | meaning ascribed to the term in Section 7.4 of the Children and |
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| |||||||
1 | Family Services Act. | ||||||
2 | (12.3) "Residential treatment center" means a licensed | ||||||
3 | setting that provides 24 hour care to children in a group home | ||||||
4 | or institution, including a facility licensed as a child care | ||||||
5 | institution under Section 2.06 of the Child Care Act, a | ||||||
6 | licensed group home under Section 2.16 of the Child Care Act, a | ||||||
7 | secure child care facility as defined in paragraph (18) of this | ||||||
8 | Section, or any similar facility in another state. Residential | ||||||
9 | treatment center does not include a relative foster home or a | ||||||
10 | licensed foster family home. | ||||||
11 | (13) "Residual parental
rights and responsibilities" means | ||||||
12 | those rights and responsibilities remaining
with the parent | ||||||
13 | after the transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the
| ||||||
14 | person, including, but not necessarily limited to, the right to | ||||||
15 | reasonable
visitation (which may be limited by the court in the | ||||||
16 | best interests of the
minor as provided in subsection (8)(b) of | ||||||
17 | this Section), the right to consent
to adoption, the right to | ||||||
18 | determine the minor's religious affiliation, and the
| ||||||
19 | responsibility for his support.
| ||||||
20 | (14) "Shelter" means the temporary care of a minor in
| ||||||
21 | physically unrestricting facilities pending court disposition | ||||||
22 | or execution of
court order for placement.
| ||||||
23 | (14.1) "Sibling Contact Support Plan" has the meaning | ||||||
24 | ascribed to the term in Section 7.4 of the Children and Family | ||||||
25 | Services Act. | ||||||
26 | (15) "Station adjustment" means the informal
handling of an |
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| |||||||
1 | alleged offender by a juvenile police officer.
| ||||||
2 | (16) "Ward of the court" means a minor who is so
adjudged | ||||||
3 | under Section 2-22, 3-23, 4-20 or 5-705, after a finding of the
| ||||||
4 | requisite jurisdictional facts, and thus is subject to the | ||||||
5 | dispositional powers
of the court under this Act.
| ||||||
6 | (17) "Juvenile police officer" means a sworn
police officer | ||||||
7 | who has completed a Basic Recruit Training Course, has been
| ||||||
8 | assigned to the position of juvenile police officer by his or | ||||||
9 | her chief law
enforcement officer and has completed the | ||||||
10 | necessary juvenile officers training
as prescribed by the | ||||||
11 | Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, or in
the | ||||||
12 | case of a State police officer, juvenile officer
training | ||||||
13 | approved by the Director of the Department of State Police.
| ||||||
14 | (18) "Secure child care facility" means any child care | ||||||
15 | facility licensed
by the Department of Children and Family | ||||||
16 | Services to provide secure living
arrangements for children | ||||||
17 | under 18 years of age who are subject to placement in
| ||||||
18 | facilities under the Children and Family Services Act and who | ||||||
19 | are not subject
to placement in facilities for whom standards | ||||||
20 | are established by the Department
of Corrections under Section | ||||||
21 | 3-15-2 of the Unified Code of Corrections.
"Secure child care | ||||||
22 | facility" also means a
facility that is designed and operated | ||||||
23 | to ensure that all entrances and
exits
from the facility, a | ||||||
24 | building, or a distinct part of the building are under the
| ||||||
25 | exclusive control of the staff of the facility, whether or not | ||||||
26 | the child has
the freedom of movement within the perimeter of |
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| |||||||
1 | the facility, building, or
distinct part of the building.
| ||||||
2 | (Source: P.A. 98-249, eff. 1-1-14; 99-85, eff. 1-1-16 .)
| ||||||
3 | (705 ILCS 405/2-27.2 new) | ||||||
4 | Sec. 2-27.2. Placement; out-of-state residential treatment | ||||||
5 | center. | ||||||
6 | (a) In addition to the provisions of subsection (3) of | ||||||
7 | Section 2-27 of this Act, no placement by any probation officer | ||||||
8 | or agency whose representative is an appointed guardian of the | ||||||
9 | person or legal custodian of the minor may be made in an | ||||||
10 | out-of-state residential treatment center unless the court has | ||||||
11 | determined that the out-of-state residential placement is in | ||||||
12 | the best interest and is the least restrictive, most | ||||||
13 | family-like setting for the minor. The Department's | ||||||
14 | application to the court to place a minor in an out-of-state | ||||||
15 | residential treatment center shall include: | ||||||
16 | (1) an explanation of what in State resources, if any, | ||||||
17 | were considered for the minor and why the minor cannot be | ||||||
18 | placed in a residential treatment center or other placement | ||||||
19 | in this State; | ||||||
20 | (2) an explanation as to how the out-of-state | ||||||
21 | residential treatment center will impact the minor's | ||||||
22 | relationships with family and other individuals important | ||||||
23 | to the minor in and what steps the Department will take to | ||||||
24 | preserve those relationships; | ||||||
25 | (3) an explanation as to how the Department will ensure |
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| |||||||
1 | the safety and well-being of the minor in the out-of-state | ||||||
2 | residential treatment center; and | ||||||
3 | (4) an explanation as to why it is in the minor's best | ||||||
4 | interest to be placed in an out-of-state residential | ||||||
5 | treatment center, including a description of the minor's | ||||||
6 | treatment needs and how those needs will be met in the | ||||||
7 | proposed placement. | ||||||
8 | (b) If the out-of-state residential treatment center is a | ||||||
9 | secure facility as defined in paragraph (18) of Section 1-3 of | ||||||
10 | this Act, the requirements of Section 27.1 of this Act shall | ||||||
11 | also be met prior to the minor's placement in the out-of-state | ||||||
12 | residential treatment center. | ||||||
13 | (c) This Section does not apply to an out-of-state | ||||||
14 | placement of a minor in a family foster home, relative foster | ||||||
15 | home, a home of a parent, or a dormitory or independent living | ||||||
16 | setting of a minor attending a post-secondary educational | ||||||
17 | institution.
| ||||||
18 | (705 ILCS 405/2-28) (from Ch. 37, par. 802-28)
| ||||||
19 | Sec. 2-28. Court review.
| ||||||
20 | (1) The court may require any legal custodian or guardian | ||||||
21 | of the person
appointed under this Act to report periodically | ||||||
22 | to the court or may cite
him into court and require him or his | ||||||
23 | agency, to make a full and
accurate report of his or its doings | ||||||
24 | in behalf of the minor. The
custodian or guardian, within 10 | ||||||
25 | days after such citation, shall make
the report, either in |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | writing verified by affidavit or orally under oath
in open | ||||||
2 | court, or otherwise as the court directs. Upon the hearing of
| ||||||
3 | the report the court may remove the custodian or guardian and | ||||||
4 | appoint
another in his stead or restore the minor to the | ||||||
5 | custody of his parents
or former guardian or custodian. | ||||||
6 | However, custody of the minor shall
not be restored to any | ||||||
7 | parent, guardian or legal custodian in any case
in which the | ||||||
8 | minor is found to be neglected or abused under Section 2-3 or
| ||||||
9 | dependent under Section 2-4 of this
Act, unless the minor can | ||||||
10 | be cared for at home without endangering the
minor's health or | ||||||
11 | safety and it is in the best interests of the minor, and
if | ||||||
12 | such neglect,
abuse, or dependency is found by the court under | ||||||
13 | paragraph (1)
of Section 2-21 of
this Act to have come about | ||||||
14 | due to the acts or omissions or both of such
parent, guardian
| ||||||
15 | or legal custodian, until such time as an investigation is made | ||||||
16 | as provided in
paragraph (5) and a hearing is held on the issue | ||||||
17 | of the fitness of such parent,
guardian or legal custodian to | ||||||
18 | care for the minor and the court enters an order
that such | ||||||
19 | parent, guardian or legal custodian is fit to care for the | ||||||
20 | minor.
| ||||||
21 | (2) The first permanency hearing shall be
conducted by the | ||||||
22 | judge. Subsequent permanency hearings may be
heard by a judge | ||||||
23 | or by hearing officers appointed or approved by the court in
| ||||||
24 | the manner set forth in Section 2-28.1 of this Act.
The initial | ||||||
25 | hearing shall be held (a) within 12 months from the date
| ||||||
26 | temporary
custody was taken, regardless of whether an |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | adjudication or dispositional hearing has been completed | ||||||
2 | within that time frame, (b) if the parental rights of both | ||||||
3 | parents have been
terminated in accordance with the procedure | ||||||
4 | described in subsection (5) of
Section 2-21, within
30 days of | ||||||
5 | the order for termination of parental rights and appointment of
| ||||||
6 | a guardian with power to consent to adoption, or (c) in | ||||||
7 | accordance with
subsection
(2) of Section 2-13.1. Subsequent | ||||||
8 | permanency hearings
shall be held every 6 months
or more | ||||||
9 | frequently if necessary in the court's determination following | ||||||
10 | the
initial permanency hearing, in accordance with the | ||||||
11 | standards set forth in this
Section, until the court determines | ||||||
12 | that the plan and goal have been achieved.
Once the plan and | ||||||
13 | goal have been achieved, if the minor remains in substitute
| ||||||
14 | care, the case shall be reviewed at least every 6 months | ||||||
15 | thereafter, subject to
the provisions of this Section, unless | ||||||
16 | the minor is placed in the guardianship
of a suitable relative | ||||||
17 | or other person and the court determines that further
| ||||||
18 | monitoring by the court does not further the health, safety or | ||||||
19 | best interest of
the child and that this is a stable permanent | ||||||
20 | placement.
The permanency hearings must occur within the time | ||||||
21 | frames set forth in this
subsection and may not be delayed in | ||||||
22 | anticipation of a report from any source or due to the agency's | ||||||
23 | failure to timely file its written report (this
written report | ||||||
24 | means the one required under the next paragraph and does not
| ||||||
25 | mean the service plan also referred to in that paragraph).
| ||||||
26 | The public agency that is the custodian or guardian of the |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | minor, or another
agency responsible for the minor's care, | ||||||
2 | shall ensure that all parties to the
permanency hearings are | ||||||
3 | provided a copy of the most recent
service plan prepared within | ||||||
4 | the prior 6 months
at least 14 days in advance of the hearing. | ||||||
5 | If not contained in the plan, the
agency shall also include a | ||||||
6 | report setting forth (i) any special
physical, psychological, | ||||||
7 | educational, medical, emotional, or other needs of the
minor or | ||||||
8 | his or her family that are relevant to a permanency or | ||||||
9 | placement
determination and (ii) for any minor age 16 or over, | ||||||
10 | a written description of
the programs and services that will | ||||||
11 | enable the minor to prepare for independent
living. The | ||||||
12 | agency's written report must detail what progress or lack of
| ||||||
13 | progress the parent has made in correcting the conditions | ||||||
14 | requiring the child
to be in care; whether the child can be | ||||||
15 | returned home without jeopardizing the
child's health, safety, | ||||||
16 | and welfare, and if not, what permanency goal is
recommended to | ||||||
17 | be in the best interests of the child, and why the other
| ||||||
18 | permanency goals are not appropriate. The caseworker must | ||||||
19 | appear and testify
at the permanency hearing. If a permanency | ||||||
20 | hearing has not previously been
scheduled by the court, the | ||||||
21 | moving party shall move for the setting of a
permanency hearing | ||||||
22 | and the entry of an order within the time frames set forth
in | ||||||
23 | this subsection.
| ||||||
24 | At the permanency hearing, the court shall determine the | ||||||
25 | future status
of the child. The court shall set one of the | ||||||
26 | following permanency goals:
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (A) The minor will be returned home by a specific date | ||||||
2 | within 5
months.
| ||||||
3 | (B) The minor will be in short-term care with a
| ||||||
4 | continued goal to return home within a period not to exceed | ||||||
5 | one
year, where the progress of the parent or parents is | ||||||
6 | substantial giving
particular consideration to the age and | ||||||
7 | individual needs of the minor.
| ||||||
8 | (B-1) The minor will be in short-term care with a | ||||||
9 | continued goal to return
home pending a status hearing. | ||||||
10 | When the court finds that a parent has not made
reasonable | ||||||
11 | efforts or reasonable progress to date, the court shall | ||||||
12 | identify
what actions the parent and the Department must | ||||||
13 | take in order to justify a
finding of reasonable efforts or | ||||||
14 | reasonable progress and shall set a status
hearing to be | ||||||
15 | held not earlier than 9 months from the date of | ||||||
16 | adjudication nor
later than 11 months from the date of | ||||||
17 | adjudication during which the parent's
progress will again | ||||||
18 | be reviewed.
| ||||||
19 | (C) The minor will be in substitute care pending court
| ||||||
20 | determination on termination of parental rights.
| ||||||
21 | (D) Adoption, provided that parental rights have been | ||||||
22 | terminated or
relinquished.
| ||||||
23 | (E) The guardianship of the minor will be transferred | ||||||
24 | to an individual or
couple on a permanent basis provided | ||||||
25 | that goals (A) through (D) have
been ruled out.
| ||||||
26 | (F) The minor over age 15 will be in substitute care |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | pending
independence.
| ||||||
2 | (G) The minor will be in substitute care because he or | ||||||
3 | she cannot be
provided for in a home environment due to | ||||||
4 | developmental
disabilities or mental illness or because he | ||||||
5 | or she is a danger to self or
others, provided that goals | ||||||
6 | (A) through (D) have been ruled out.
| ||||||
7 | In selecting any permanency goal, the court shall indicate | ||||||
8 | in writing the
reasons the goal was selected and why the | ||||||
9 | preceding goals were ruled out.
Where the court has selected a | ||||||
10 | permanency goal other than (A), (B), or (B-1),
the
Department | ||||||
11 | of Children and Family Services shall not provide further
| ||||||
12 | reunification services, but shall provide services
consistent | ||||||
13 | with the goal
selected.
| ||||||
14 | (H) Notwithstanding any other provision in this | ||||||
15 | Section, the court may select the goal of continuing foster | ||||||
16 | care as a permanency goal if: | ||||||
17 | (1) The Department of Children and Family Services | ||||||
18 | has custody and guardianship of the minor; | ||||||
19 | (2) The court has ruled out all other permanency | ||||||
20 | goals based on the child's best interest;
| ||||||
21 | (3) The court has found compelling reasons, based | ||||||
22 | on written documentation reviewed by the court, to | ||||||
23 | place the minor in continuing foster care. Compelling | ||||||
24 | reasons include:
| ||||||
25 | (a) the child does not wish to be adopted or to | ||||||
26 | be placed in the guardianship of his or her |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | relative or foster care placement;
| ||||||
2 | (b) the child exhibits an extreme level of need | ||||||
3 | such that the removal of the child from his or her | ||||||
4 | placement would be detrimental to the child; or
| ||||||
5 | (c) the child who is the subject of the | ||||||
6 | permanency hearing has existing close and strong | ||||||
7 | bonds with a sibling, and achievement of another | ||||||
8 | permanency goal would substantially interfere with | ||||||
9 | the subject child's sibling relationship, taking | ||||||
10 | into consideration the nature and extent of the | ||||||
11 | relationship, and whether ongoing contact is in | ||||||
12 | the subject child's best interest, including | ||||||
13 | long-term emotional interest, as compared with the | ||||||
14 | legal and emotional benefit of permanence;
| ||||||
15 | (4) The child has lived with the relative or foster | ||||||
16 | parent for at least one year; and
| ||||||
17 | (5) The relative or foster parent currently caring | ||||||
18 | for the child is willing and capable of providing the | ||||||
19 | child with a stable and permanent environment. | ||||||
20 | The court shall set a
permanency
goal that is in the best | ||||||
21 | interest of the child. In determining that goal, the court | ||||||
22 | shall consult with the minor in an age-appropriate manner | ||||||
23 | regarding the proposed permanency or transition plan for the | ||||||
24 | minor. The court's determination
shall include the following | ||||||
25 | factors:
| ||||||
26 | (1) Age of the child.
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (2) Options available for permanence, including both | ||||||
2 | out-of-State and in-State placement options.
| ||||||
3 | (3) Current placement of the child and the intent of | ||||||
4 | the family regarding
adoption.
| ||||||
5 | (4) Emotional, physical, and mental status or | ||||||
6 | condition of the child.
| ||||||
7 | (5) Types of services previously offered and whether or | ||||||
8 | not
the services were successful and, if not successful, | ||||||
9 | the reasons the services
failed.
| ||||||
10 | (6) Availability of services currently needed and | ||||||
11 | whether the services
exist.
| ||||||
12 | (7) Status of siblings of the minor.
| ||||||
13 | The court shall consider (i) the permanency goal contained | ||||||
14 | in the service
plan, (ii) the appropriateness of the
services | ||||||
15 | contained in the plan and whether those services have been
| ||||||
16 | provided, (iii) whether reasonable efforts have been made by | ||||||
17 | all
the parties to the service plan to achieve the goal, and | ||||||
18 | (iv) whether the plan
and goal have been achieved. All evidence
| ||||||
19 | relevant to determining these questions, including oral and | ||||||
20 | written reports,
may be admitted and may be relied on to the | ||||||
21 | extent of their probative value.
| ||||||
22 | The court shall make findings as to whether, in violation | ||||||
23 | of Section 8.2 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, | ||||||
24 | any portion of the service plan compels a child or parent to | ||||||
25 | engage in any activity or refrain from any activity that is not | ||||||
26 | reasonably related to remedying a condition or conditions that |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | gave rise or which could give rise to any finding of child | ||||||
2 | abuse or neglect. The services contained in the service plan | ||||||
3 | shall include services reasonably related to remedy the | ||||||
4 | conditions that gave rise to removal of the child from the home | ||||||
5 | of his or her parents, guardian, or legal custodian or that the | ||||||
6 | court has found must be remedied prior to returning the child | ||||||
7 | home. Any tasks the court requires of the parents, guardian, or | ||||||
8 | legal custodian or child prior to returning the child home, | ||||||
9 | must be reasonably related to remedying a condition or | ||||||
10 | conditions that gave rise to or which could give rise to any | ||||||
11 | finding of child abuse or neglect. | ||||||
12 | If the permanency goal is to return home, the court shall | ||||||
13 | make findings that identify any problems that are causing | ||||||
14 | continued placement of the children away from the home and | ||||||
15 | identify what outcomes would be considered a resolution to | ||||||
16 | these problems. The court shall explain to the parents that | ||||||
17 | these findings are based on the information that the court has | ||||||
18 | at that time and may be revised, should additional evidence be | ||||||
19 | presented to the court. | ||||||
20 | The court shall review the Sibling Contact Support Plan | ||||||
21 | developed or modified under subsection (f) of Section 7.4 of | ||||||
22 | the Children and Family Services Act, if applicable. If the | ||||||
23 | Department has not convened a meeting to
develop or modify a | ||||||
24 | Sibling Contact Support Plan, or if the court finds that the | ||||||
25 | existing Plan
is not in the child's best interest, the court | ||||||
26 | may enter an order requiring the Department to
develop, modify |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | or implement a Sibling Contact Support Plan, or order | ||||||
2 | mediation. | ||||||
3 | If the goal has been achieved, the court shall enter orders | ||||||
4 | that are
necessary to conform the minor's legal custody and | ||||||
5 | status to those findings.
| ||||||
6 | If, after receiving evidence, the court determines that the | ||||||
7 | services
contained in the plan are not reasonably calculated to | ||||||
8 | facilitate achievement
of the permanency goal, the court shall | ||||||
9 | put in writing the factual basis
supporting the determination | ||||||
10 | and enter specific findings based on the evidence.
The court | ||||||
11 | also shall enter an order for the Department to develop and
| ||||||
12 | implement a new service plan or to implement changes to the | ||||||
13 | current service
plan consistent with the court's findings. The | ||||||
14 | new service plan shall be filed
with the court and served on | ||||||
15 | all parties within 45 days of the date of the
order. The court | ||||||
16 | shall continue the matter until the new service plan is
filed. | ||||||
17 | Unless otherwise specifically authorized by law, the court is | ||||||
18 | not
empowered under this subsection (2) or under subsection (3) | ||||||
19 | to order specific
placements, specific services, or specific | ||||||
20 | service providers to be included in
the plan.
| ||||||
21 | A guardian or custodian appointed by the court pursuant to | ||||||
22 | this Act shall
file updated case plans with the court every 6 | ||||||
23 | months.
| ||||||
24 | Rights of wards of the court under this Act are enforceable | ||||||
25 | against
any public agency by complaints for relief by mandamus | ||||||
26 | filed in any
proceedings brought under this Act.
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (3) Following the permanency hearing, the court shall enter | ||||||
2 | a written order
that includes the determinations required under | ||||||
3 | subsection (2) of this
Section and sets forth the following:
| ||||||
4 | (a) The future status of the minor, including the | ||||||
5 | permanency goal, and
any order necessary to conform the | ||||||
6 | minor's legal custody and status to such
determination; or
| ||||||
7 | (b) If the permanency goal of the minor cannot be | ||||||
8 | achieved immediately,
the specific reasons for continuing | ||||||
9 | the minor in the care of the Department of
Children and | ||||||
10 | Family Services or other agency for short term placement, | ||||||
11 | and the
following determinations:
| ||||||
12 | (i) (Blank).
| ||||||
13 | (ii) Whether the services required by the court
and | ||||||
14 | by any service plan prepared within the prior 6 months
| ||||||
15 | have been provided and (A) if so, whether the services | ||||||
16 | were reasonably
calculated to facilitate the | ||||||
17 | achievement of the permanency goal or (B) if not
| ||||||
18 | provided, why the services were not provided.
| ||||||
19 | (iii) Whether the minor's placement current or | ||||||
20 | planned is necessary, and appropriate to the
plan and | ||||||
21 | goal, recognizing the right of minors to the least | ||||||
22 | restrictive (most
family-like) setting available and | ||||||
23 | in close proximity to the parents' home
consistent with | ||||||
24 | the health, safety, best interest and special needs of | ||||||
25 | the
minor and, if the minor is placed out-of-State, | ||||||
26 | whether the out-of-State
placement continues to be |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | appropriate and consistent with the health, safety,
| ||||||
2 | and best interest of the minor.
| ||||||
3 | (iv) (Blank).
| ||||||
4 | (v) (Blank).
| ||||||
5 | (4) The minor or any person interested in the minor may | ||||||
6 | apply to the
court for a change in custody of the minor and the | ||||||
7 | appointment of a new
custodian or guardian of the person or for | ||||||
8 | the restoration of the minor
to the custody of his parents or | ||||||
9 | former guardian or custodian.
| ||||||
10 | When return home is not selected as the permanency goal:
| ||||||
11 | (a) The Department, the minor, or the current
foster | ||||||
12 | parent or relative
caregiver seeking private guardianship | ||||||
13 | may file a motion for private
guardianship of the minor. | ||||||
14 | Appointment of a guardian under this Section
requires | ||||||
15 | approval of the court.
| ||||||
16 | (b) The State's Attorney may file a motion to terminate | ||||||
17 | parental rights of
any parent who has failed to make | ||||||
18 | reasonable efforts to correct the conditions
which led to | ||||||
19 | the removal of the child or reasonable progress toward the | ||||||
20 | return
of the child, as defined in subdivision (D)(m) of | ||||||
21 | Section 1 of the Adoption Act
or for whom any other | ||||||
22 | unfitness ground for terminating parental rights as
| ||||||
23 | defined in subdivision (D) of Section 1 of the Adoption Act | ||||||
24 | exists. | ||||||
25 | When parental rights have been terminated for a minimum | ||||||
26 | of 3 years and the child who is the subject of the |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | permanency hearing is 13 years old or older and is not | ||||||
2 | currently placed in a placement likely to achieve | ||||||
3 | permanency, the Department of
Children and Family Services | ||||||
4 | shall make reasonable efforts to locate parents whose | ||||||
5 | rights have been terminated, except when the Court | ||||||
6 | determines that those efforts would be futile or | ||||||
7 | inconsistent with the subject child's best interests. The | ||||||
8 | Department of
Children and Family Services shall assess the | ||||||
9 | appropriateness of the parent whose rights have been | ||||||
10 | terminated, and shall, as appropriate, foster and support | ||||||
11 | connections between the parent whose rights have been | ||||||
12 | terminated and the youth. The Department of
Children and | ||||||
13 | Family Services shall document its determinations and | ||||||
14 | efforts to foster connections in the child's case plan.
| ||||||
15 | Custody of the minor shall not be restored to any parent, | ||||||
16 | guardian or legal
custodian in any case in which the minor is | ||||||
17 | found to be neglected or abused
under Section 2-3 or dependent | ||||||
18 | under Section 2-4 of this Act, unless the
minor can be cared | ||||||
19 | for at home
without endangering his or her health or safety and | ||||||
20 | it is in the best
interest of the minor,
and if such neglect, | ||||||
21 | abuse, or dependency is found by the court
under paragraph (1) | ||||||
22 | of Section 2-21 of this Act to have come
about due to the acts | ||||||
23 | or omissions or both of such parent, guardian or legal
| ||||||
24 | custodian, until such time as an investigation is made as | ||||||
25 | provided in
paragraph (5) and a hearing is held on the issue of | ||||||
26 | the health,
safety and
best interest of the minor and the |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | fitness of such
parent, guardian or legal custodian to care for | ||||||
2 | the minor and the court
enters an order that such parent, | ||||||
3 | guardian or legal custodian is fit to
care for the minor. In | ||||||
4 | the event that the minor has attained 18 years
of age and the | ||||||
5 | guardian or custodian petitions the court for an order
| ||||||
6 | terminating his guardianship or custody, guardianship or | ||||||
7 | custody shall
terminate automatically 30 days after the receipt | ||||||
8 | of the petition unless
the court orders otherwise. No legal | ||||||
9 | custodian or guardian of the
person may be removed without his | ||||||
10 | consent until given notice and an
opportunity to be heard by | ||||||
11 | the court.
| ||||||
12 | When the court orders a child restored to the custody of | ||||||
13 | the parent or
parents, the court shall order the parent or | ||||||
14 | parents to cooperate with the
Department of Children and Family | ||||||
15 | Services and comply with the terms of an
after-care plan, or | ||||||
16 | risk the loss of custody of the child and possible
termination | ||||||
17 | of their parental rights. The court may also enter an order of
| ||||||
18 | protective supervision in accordance with Section 2-24.
| ||||||
19 | (5) Whenever a parent, guardian, or legal custodian files a | ||||||
20 | motion for
restoration of custody of the minor, and the minor | ||||||
21 | was adjudicated
neglected, abused, or dependent as a result of | ||||||
22 | physical abuse,
the court shall cause to be
made an | ||||||
23 | investigation as to whether the movant has ever been charged
| ||||||
24 | with or convicted of any criminal offense which would indicate | ||||||
25 | the
likelihood of any further physical abuse to the minor. | ||||||
26 | Evidence of such
criminal convictions shall be taken into |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | account in determining whether the
minor can be cared for at | ||||||
2 | home without endangering his or her health or safety
and | ||||||
3 | fitness of the parent, guardian, or legal custodian.
| ||||||
4 | (a) Any agency of this State or any subdivision thereof | ||||||
5 | shall
co-operate with the agent of the court in providing | ||||||
6 | any information
sought in the investigation.
| ||||||
7 | (b) The information derived from the investigation and | ||||||
8 | any
conclusions or recommendations derived from the | ||||||
9 | information shall be
provided to the parent, guardian, or | ||||||
10 | legal custodian seeking restoration
of custody prior to the | ||||||
11 | hearing on fitness and the movant shall have
an opportunity | ||||||
12 | at the hearing to refute the information or contest its
| ||||||
13 | significance.
| ||||||
14 | (c) All information obtained from any investigation | ||||||
15 | shall be confidential
as provided in Section 5-150 of this | ||||||
16 | Act.
| ||||||
17 | (Source: P.A. 97-425, eff. 8-16-11; 97-1076, eff. 8-24-12; | ||||||
18 | 98-756, eff. 7-16-14.)
| ||||||
19 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
20 | becoming law.
|