093_HB3062
LRB093 11082 DRJ 11794 b
1 AN ACT in relation to children.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Child Care Act of 1969 is amended by
5 adding Section 7.3 as follows:
6 (225 ILCS 10/7.3 new)
7 Sec. 7.3. Children placed by private child welfare
8 agency.
9 (a) If a child who is a ward of the Department is placed
10 by a private child welfare agency, the Department must verify
11 that the placement has taken place and that the child resides
12 at the site of that placement. If a child who is a ward of
13 the Department is transferred by a private child welfare
14 agency from one placement to another, the Department must
15 verify that the transfer has taken place and that the child
16 resides at the site of the new placement. The Department's
17 verification of an initial or transfer placement must include
18 a visit to the placement site by a Department employee. The
19 Department must document each such verification in its
20 records.
21 (b) Before placing a child who is a ward of the
22 Department in a foster family home, a private child welfare
23 agency must ascertain (i) whether any other children who are
24 wards of the Department have been placed in that home and
25 (ii) whether every such child who has been placed in that
26 home continues to reside in that home, unless the child has
27 been transferred to another placement or is no longer a ward
28 of the Department. The agency must keep a record of every
29 other child welfare agency that has placed such a child in
30 that foster family home; the record must include the name and
31 telephone number of a contact person at each such agency.
-2- LRB093 11082 DRJ 11794 b
1 (c) At least once every 30 days, a private child welfare
2 agency that places wards of the Department in foster family
3 homes must make a site visit to every such home where it has
4 placed a ward. The purpose of the site visit is to verify
5 that the child continues to reside in that home. The agency
6 must document the verification in its records. If a private
7 child welfare agency fails to comply with the requirements of
8 this subsection, the Department must suspend all payments to
9 the agency until the agency complies.
10 (d) The Department must periodically (but no less often
11 than once every 6 months) review the child placement records
12 of each private child welfare agency that places wards of the
13 Department.
14 (e) If a child placed in a foster family home is
15 missing, the foster parent must promptly report that fact to
16 the Department or to the child welfare agency that placed the
17 child in the home. If the foster parent fails to make such a
18 report, the Department shall revoke the foster parent's
19 license to operate the foster family home.
20 (f) If a private child welfare agency determines that a
21 ward of the Department whom it has placed in a foster family
22 home no longer resides in that home, the agency must promptly
23 report that fact to the Department. If the agency fails to
24 make such a report, the Department shall revoke the agency's
25 license.
26 (g) The Department must strive to account for the status
27 and whereabouts of every one of its wards who it determines
28 is not residing in the foster family home in which he or she
29 was placed.
30 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
31 becoming law.