104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB0166
 
Introduced 1/17/2025, by Sen. Sue Rezin
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 520/1-15
    Amends the Foster Parent Law. Provides that foster parents have a right to receive an initial payment of $480 per child to be made within 21 days of a permanent placement. Provides that if the final monthly payment for a child amounts to $480 or more, the amount of $480 shall be deducted from the final monthly payment. Provides that if the final monthly payment amounts to less than $480, the final monthly payment shall not be made.


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A BILL FOR
 
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1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Foster Parent Law is amended by changing 
5Section 1-15 as follows:
 
6    (20 ILCS 520/1-15)
7    Sec. 1-15. Foster parent rights. A foster parent's rights 
8include, but are not limited to, the following:
9        (1) The right to be treated with dignity, respect, and 
10    consideration as a professional member of the child 
11    welfare team.
12        (2) The right to be given standardized pre-service 
13    training and appropriate ongoing training to meet mutually 
14    assessed needs and improve the foster parent's skills.
15        (3) The right to be informed as to how to contact the 
16    appropriate child placement agency in order to receive 
17    information and assistance to access supportive services 
18    for children in the foster parent's care.
19        (4) The right to receive timely financial 
20    reimbursement commensurate with the care needs of the 
21    child as specified in the service plan. This shall include 
22    an initial payment of $480 per child to be made within 21 
23    days of a permanent placement. If the final monthly 
 
 
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1    payment for a child amounts to $480 or more, the amount of 
2    $480 shall be deducted from the final monthly payment. If 
3    the final monthly payment amounts to less than $480, the 
4    final monthly payment shall not be made. 
5        (5) The right to be provided a clear, written 
6    understanding of a placement agency's plan concerning the 
7    placement of a child in the foster parent's home. Inherent 
8    in this right is the foster parent's responsibility to 
9    support activities that will promote the child's right to 
10    relationships with the child's own family and cultural 
11    heritage.
12        (6) The right to be provided a fair, timely, and 
13    impartial investigation of complaints concerning the 
14    foster parent's licensure, to be provided the opportunity 
15    to have a person of the foster parent's choosing present 
16    during the investigation, and to be provided due process 
17    during the investigation; the right to be provided the 
18    opportunity to request and receive mediation or an 
19    administrative review of decisions that affect licensing 
20    parameters, or both mediation and an administrative 
21    review; and the right to have decisions concerning a 
22    licensing corrective action plan specifically explained 
23    and tied to the licensing standards violated.
24        (7) The right, at any time during which a child is 
25    placed with the foster parent, to receive additional or 
26    necessary information that is relevant to the care of the 
 
 
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1    child.
2        (7.5) The right to be given information concerning a 
3    child (i) from the Department as required under subsection 
4    (u) of Section 5 of the Children and Family Services Act 
5    and (ii) from a child welfare agency as required under 
6    subsection (c-5) of Section 7.4 of the Child Care Act of 
7    1969. 
8        (8) The right to be notified of scheduled meetings and 
9    staffings concerning the foster child in order to actively 
10    participate in the case planning and decision-making 
11    process regarding the child, including individual service 
12    planning meetings, administrative case reviews, 
13    interdisciplinary staffings, and individual educational 
14    planning meetings; the right to be informed of decisions 
15    made by the courts or the child welfare agency concerning 
16    the child; the right to provide input concerning the plan 
17    of services for the child and to have that input given full 
18    consideration in the same manner as information presented 
19    by any other professional on the team; and the right to 
20    communicate with other professionals who work with the 
21    foster child within the context of the team, including 
22    therapists, physicians, attending health care 
23    professionals, and teachers.
24        (9) The right to be given, in a timely and consistent 
25    manner, any information a caseworker has regarding the 
26    child and the child's family which is pertinent to the 
 
 
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1    care and needs of the child and to the making of a 
2    permanency plan for the child. Disclosure of information 
3    concerning the child's family shall be limited to that 
4    information that is essential for understanding the needs 
5    of and providing care to the child in order to protect the 
6    rights of the child's family. When a positive relationship 
7    exists between the foster parent and the child's family, 
8    the child's family may consent to disclosure of additional 
9    information.
10        (10) The right to be given reasonable written notice 
11    of (i) any change in a child's case plan, (ii) plans to 
12    terminate the placement of the child with the foster 
13    parent, and (iii) the reasons for the change or 
14    termination in placement. The notice shall be waived only 
15    in cases of a court order or when the child is determined 
16    to be at imminent risk of harm.
17        (11) The right to be notified in a timely and complete 
18    manner of all court hearings, including notice of the date 
19    and time of the court hearing, the name of the judge or 
20    hearing officer hearing the case, the location of the 
21    hearing, and the court docket number of the case; and the 
22    right to intervene in court proceedings or to seek 
23    mandamus under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
24        (12) The right to be considered as a placement option 
25    when a foster child who was formerly placed with the 
26    foster parent is to be re-entered into foster care, if 
 
 
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1    that placement is consistent with the best interest of the 
2    child and other children in the foster parent's home.
3        (13) The right to have timely access to the child 
4    placement agency's existing appeals process and the right 
5    to be free from acts of harassment and retaliation by any 
6    other party when exercising the right to appeal.
7        (14) The right to be informed of the Foster Parent 
8    Hotline established under Section 35.6 of the Children and 
9    Family Services Act and all of the rights accorded to 
10    foster parents concerning reports of misconduct by 
11    Department employees, service providers, or contractors, 
12    confidential handling of those reports, and investigation 
13    by the Inspector General appointed under Section 35.5 of 
14    the Children and Family Services Act.
15        (15) The right to timely training necessary to meet 
16    the hair care haircare needs of the children placed in the 
17    foster parent's care. 
18(Source: P.A. 103-22, eff. 8-8-23; 103-850, eff. 1-1-25; 
19revised 11-21-24.)