Section 301.30  Introduction

Placement or substitute care services means the care of children for whom the Department is legally responsible who require a living arrangement away from their families due to abuse, neglect, dependency, voluntary surrender of parental rights or consent to adopt by a specified person, or voluntary placement agreement and for whom the Department has determined that family preservation services are not appropriate because such services are not in the child's best interest or would not protect the child from imminent risk of harm.  Placement services include foster family or relative home care, care provided in a group home or child care institution or other institution. Placement is intended to be a temporary situation for the children during the time that the parents' ability to care for the child is being evaluated or the parents are receiving services to alleviate the problems in the home so the family can be reunited. However, there may be times when it is in the best interests of the child to seek a permanent placement away from the child's family. In these instances a permanency goal other than family reunification is sought. The complete range of permanency goals is described in 89 Ill. Adm. Code 315 (Permanency Planning).

(Source:  Amended at 23 Ill. Reg. 13062, effective October 20, 1999)