Public Act 103-0498
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Public Act 103-0498 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning State government.
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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 5. The Department of Human Services Act is amended | ||||
by adding Section 10-16 as follows: | ||||
(20 ILCS 1305/10-16 new) | ||||
Sec. 10-16. Home visiting program. | ||||
(a) The General Assembly finds that research-informed home | ||||
visiting programs work to strengthen families' functioning and | ||||
support parents in caring for their children to ensure optimal | ||||
child development. | ||||
(b) The Department shall establish a home visiting program | ||||
to support communities in providing intensive home visiting | ||||
programs to pregnant persons and families with children from | ||||
birth up to elementary school enrollment. Services shall be | ||||
offered on a voluntary basis to families. In awarding grants | ||||
under the program, the Department shall prioritize populations | ||||
or communities in need of such services, as determined by the | ||||
Department, based on data including, but not limited to, | ||||
statewide home visiting needs assessments. Eligibility under | ||||
the program shall also take into consideration requirements of | ||||
the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home | ||||
Visiting Program and Head Start and Early Head Start to ensure |
appropriate alignment. The overall goals for these services | ||
are to: | ||
(1) improve maternal and newborn health; | ||
(2) prevent child abuse and neglect; | ||
(3) promote children's development and readiness to | ||
participate in school; and | ||
(4) connect families to needed community resources and | ||
supports. | ||
(b) Allowable uses of funding include: | ||
(1) Grants to community-based organizations to | ||
implement home visiting and family support services with | ||
fidelity to research-informed home visiting program | ||
models, as defined by the Department. Services may | ||
include, but are not limited to: | ||
(A) personal visits with a child and the child's | ||
parent or caregiver at a periodicity aligned with the | ||
model being implemented; | ||
(B) opportunities for connections with other | ||
parents and caregivers in their community and other | ||
social and community supports; | ||
(C) enhancements to research-informed home | ||
visiting program models based on community needs | ||
including doula services, and other program | ||
innovations as approved by the Department; and | ||
(D) referrals to other resources needed by | ||
families. |
(2) Infrastructure supports for grantees, including, | ||
but not limited to, professional development for the | ||
workforce, technical assistance and capacity-building, | ||
data system and supports, infant and early childhood | ||
mental health consultation, trauma-informed practices, | ||
research, universal newborn screening, and coordinated | ||
intake. | ||
(c) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall award | ||
grants to community-based agencies in accordance with this | ||
Section and any other rules that may be adopted by the | ||
Department. Successful grantees under this program shall | ||
comply with policies and procedures on program, data, and | ||
expense reporting as developed by the Department. | ||
(d) Funds received under this Section shall supplement, | ||
not supplant, other existing or new federal, State, or local | ||
sources of funding for these services. Any new federal funding | ||
received shall supplement and not supplant funding for this | ||
program. | ||
(e) The Department shall collaborate with relevant | ||
agencies to support the coordination and alignment of home | ||
visiting services provided through other State and federal | ||
funds, to the extent possible. The Department shall | ||
collaborate with the State Board of Education, the
Department | ||
of Healthcare and Family Services, and Head Start and Early | ||
Head Start in the implementation of these services to support | ||
alignment with home visiting services provided through the |
Early Childhood Block Grant and the State's Medical Assistance | ||
Program, respectively, to the extent possible. | ||
(f) An advisory committee shall advise the Department | ||
concerning the implementation of the home visiting program. | ||
The advisory committee shall make recommendations on policy | ||
and implementation. The Department shall determine whether the | ||
advisory committee shall be a newly created body or an | ||
existing body such as a committee of the Illinois Early | ||
Learning Council. The advisory committee shall consist of one | ||
or more representatives of the Department, other members | ||
representing public and private entities that serve and | ||
interact with the families served under the home visiting | ||
program, with the input of families engaged in home visiting | ||
or related services themselves. Family input may be secured by | ||
engaging families as members of this advisory committee or as | ||
a separate committee of family representatives. | ||
(g) The Department may adopt any rules necessary to | ||
implement this Section.
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