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| Public Act 096-0276 |
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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 | ||||
Kinship Navigator Act. | ||||
Section 5. Definitions. In this Act: | ||||
(1) "Department" means the Department of Human | ||||
Services.
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(2) "NPO" means a not-for-profit organization.
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(3) "Municipality" has the meaning ascribed to it in | ||||
Section 1-1-2 of the Illinois Municipal Code.
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(4) "Kinship care" means, as defined by Child Welfare | ||||
League of America, the full time care, nurturing, and | ||||
protection of children by relatives, members of their | ||||
tribes or clans, grandparents, godparents, stepparents, or | ||||
any adult who has physical custody and a kinship bond with | ||||
a child. This definition is designed to be inclusive | ||||
without age restrictions on the kinship caregiver and | ||||
respectful of cultural values and ties of affection. It | ||||
allows a child to grow to adulthood in a family | ||||
environment.
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(5) "Kinship Navigator" means a statewide program | ||||
designed to ensure kinship caregivers the necessary | ||||
resources for the preservation of the family.
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Section 10. Legislative findings and intent. | ||
(1) Caregivers often provide kinship care without | ||
compensation or support systems.
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(2) Kinship caregivers are crucial to avoiding | ||
institutionalization of children and saving taxpayer | ||
dollars.
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(3) Kinship caregivers are frequently under | ||
substantial physical, psychological, and financial stress. | ||
Unrelieved by support services available to the caregiver, | ||
this stress may lead to premature or unnecessary | ||
institutionalization for the care recipient or | ||
deterioration of the health condition and family | ||
circumstances of the kinship caregiver.
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(4) Sudden responsibility for children often precludes | ||
kinship caregivers the opportunity to plan basic day to day | ||
responsibility.
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(5) The Kinship Navigator shall be seamless, | ||
statewide, and coordinated among the Department of Human | ||
Services, Department on Aging, Illinois Housing Authority, | ||
Department of Children and Family Services, Department of | ||
Corrections, and federal and local governments as well as | ||
other public and private sources.
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(6) Additional services provided under the Kinship | ||
Navigator shall be: organizing diverse, enriched, and | ||
culturally conscious kinship support groups and | ||
counseling; assisting with applying for benefits within | ||
the Illinois Department of Human Services' Family | ||
Community Resource Centers for those who qualify; | ||
publishing monthly newsletters; coordinating respite and | ||
crisis care services; assisting kinship caregivers with | ||
job readiness, job search, and job retention; and providing | ||
technical assistance to start up kinship support groups.
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Section 15. Kinship Navigator conferences: promotion. The | ||
Department shall arrange for the conduct of 2 conferences, one | ||
in Cook County and one in Sangamon County, and provide for | ||
exhibits and activities for kinship caregivers and social | ||
service providers. | ||
Section 20. Kinship Navigator administration. The | ||
Department, subject to appropriation, shall administer the | ||
Kinship Navigator through a contract with an NPO that has | ||
worked statewide with kinship families. The contract shall | ||
require that the program created by this Act will be | ||
coordinated with (i) the grandparent child care program | ||
administered by the Department of Children and Family Services | ||
under Section 34.11 of the Children and Family Services Act, | ||
(ii) the Department of Children and Family Services under | ||
Section 39.1 of the Children and Family Services Act, and (iii) | ||
the Department on Aging under Section 92 of the Family | ||
Caregiver Act. | ||
Section 25. Rules. The Department shall adopt the rules | ||
necessary for the implementation and administration of this | ||
Act. | ||
Section 90. The Children and Family Services Act is amended | ||
by changing Section 34.11 and adding Section 39.1 as follows:
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(20 ILCS 505/34.11)
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Sec. 34.11. Grandparent child care program.
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(a) The General Assembly finds and declares the following:
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(1) An increasing number of children under the age of | ||
18, including many
children who would otherwise be at risk | ||
of abuse or neglect, are in the care of
a grandparent or | ||
other nonparent relative.
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(2) The principal causes of this increase include | ||
parental substance
abuse, chronic illness, child abuse, | ||
mental illness, military deployment, poverty, | ||
homelessness, deportation, and death, as well as concerted
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efforts by families and by the child welfare service system | ||
to keep children
with relatives whenever possible.
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(3) Grandparents and older relatives providing primary | ||
care for at-risk
children may experience unique resultant | ||
problems, such as financial stress due
to limited incomes, | ||
emotional difficulties dealing with the loss of the child's
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parents or the child's unique behaviors, and decreased | ||
physical stamina coupled
with a much higher incidence of | ||
chronic illness.
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(4) Many children being raised by nonparent relatives | ||
experience one or a
combination of emotional, behavioral, | ||
psychological, academic, or medical
problems, especially | ||
those born to a substance-abusing mother or at risk of
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child abuse, neglect, or abandonment.
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(5) Grandparents and other relatives providing primary | ||
care for children
lack appropriate information about the | ||
issues of kinship care, the special
needs (both physical | ||
and psychological) of children born to a substance-abusing
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mother or at risk of child abuse, neglect, or abandonment, | ||
and the support
resources currently available to them.
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(b) The Department may establish an informational and | ||
educational program
for grandparents and other relatives who | ||
provide primary care for children who
are at risk of child | ||
abuse, neglect, or abandonment or who were born to
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substance-abusing mothers. As a part of the program, the | ||
Department may
develop, publish, and distribute an | ||
informational brochure for grandparents and
other relatives | ||
who provide primary care for children who are at risk of child
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abuse, neglect, or abandonment or who were born to | ||
substance-abusing mothers.
The information provided under the | ||
program authorized by this Section may
include, but is not | ||
limited to the following:
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(1) The most prevalent causes of kinship care, | ||
especially the risk of
(i) substance exposure, (ii) or | ||
child abuse, neglect, or abandonment, (iii) chronic | ||
illness, (iv) mental illness, (v) military deployment, or | ||
(vi) death.
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(2) The problems experienced by children being raised | ||
by nonparent
caregivers.
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(3) The problems experienced by grandparents and other | ||
nonparent relatives
providing primary care for children | ||
who have special needs.
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(4) The legal system as it relates to children and | ||
their nonparent primary
caregivers.
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(5) The benefits available to children and their | ||
nonparent primary
caregivers.
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(6) A list of support groups and resources located | ||
throughout the State.
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The brochure may be distributed through hospitals, public | ||
health nurses,
child protective services, medical professional | ||
offices, elementary and
secondary schools, senior citizen | ||
centers, public libraries, community action
agencies selected | ||
by the Department, and the Department of Human Services.
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The Kinship Navigator established under the Kinship | ||
Navigator Act shall coordinate the grandparent child care | ||
program under this Section with the programs and services | ||
established and administered by the Department of Human | ||
Services under the Kinship Navigator Act. | ||
(Source: P.A. 88-229; 88-670, eff. 12-2-94; 89-507, eff. | ||
7-1-97.)
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(20 ILCS 505/39.1 new)
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Sec. 39.1. Kinship Navigator Act. The Kinship Navigator | ||
established under the Kinship Navigator Act shall coordinate | ||
the child welfare services administered by the Department in | ||
relation to kinship care for children and families receiving | ||
services under this Act with the programs and services | ||
established and administered by the Department of Human | ||
Services under the Kinship Navigator Act. | ||
Section 95. The Family Caregiver Act is amended by adding | ||
Section 92 as follows:
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(320 ILCS 65/92 new)
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Sec. 92. Kinship Navigator Act. The Kinship Navigator | ||
established under the Kinship Navigator Act shall coordinate | ||
the services administered by the Department under this Act with | ||
the programs and services established and administered by the | ||
Department of Human Services under the Kinship Navigator Act.
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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