Public Act 90-0608 of the 90th General Assembly

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Public Act 90-0608

SB1339 Enrolled                                LRB9011267SMpk

    AN ACT regarding children, amending named Acts.

    Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

    Section  5.  The  Children  and  Family  Services  Act is
amended by changing Sections  5,  7,  and  8  and  by  adding
Section 5c as follows:

    (20 ILCS 505/5) (from Ch. 23, par. 5005)
    Sec.  5.  Direct  child  welfare  services; Department of
Children and Family Services. To provide direct child welfare
services when not available through other public  or  private
child care or program facilities.
    (a)  For purposes of this Section:
         (1)  "Children" means persons found within the State
    who  are  under  the  age  of  18  years.   The term also
    includes persons under age 19 who:
              (A)  were committed to the Department  pursuant
         to  the Juvenile Court Act or the Juvenile Court Act
         of 1987, as amended, prior to the age of 18 and  who
         continue under the jurisdiction of the court; or
              (B)  were   accepted   for  care,  service  and
         training by the Department prior to the  age  of  18
         and  whose  best  interest  in the discretion of the
         Department would be served by continuing that  care,
         service  and  training  because  of severe emotional
         disturbances, physical disability, social adjustment
         or any combination thereof, or because of  the  need
         to  complete  an  educational or vocational training
         program.
         (2)  "Homeless youth" means persons found within the
    State who are under the age of 19, are not in a safe  and
    stable living situation and cannot be reunited with their
    families.
         (3)  "Child  welfare  services"  means public social
    services which are directed toward the accomplishment  of
    the following purposes:
              (A)  protecting   and   promoting  the  health,
         safety and welfare of children, including  homeless,
         dependent or neglected children;
              (B)  remedying, or assisting in the solution of
         problems  which  may  result in, the neglect, abuse,
         exploitation or delinquency of children;
              (C)  preventing the unnecessary  separation  of
         children  from  their families by identifying family
         problems,  assisting  families  in  resolving  their
         problems, and preventing the breakup of  the  family
         where  the  prevention of child removal is desirable
         and possible when the child can be cared for at home
         without endangering the child's health and safety;
              (D)  restoring to their families  children  who
         have  been  removed, by the provision of services to
         the child and the families when  the  child  can  be
         cared  for  at  home without endangering the child's
         health and safety;
              (E)  placing  children  in  suitable   adoptive
         homes,  in cases where restoration to the biological
         family is not safe, possible or appropriate;
              (F)  assuring  safe  and   adequate   care   of
         children  away  from their homes, in cases where the
         child cannot be returned home or  cannot  be  placed
         for   adoption.   At  the  time  of  placement,  the
         Department shall consider  concurrent  planning,  as
         described  in  subsection  (l-1)  of this Section so
         that  permanency   may   occur   at   the   earliest
         opportunity.   Consideration should be given so that
         if reunification fails or is delayed, the  placement
         made  is  the  best  available  placement to provide
         permanency for the child;
              (G)  (blank);
              (H)  (blank); and
              (I)  placing  and   maintaining   children   in
         facilities that provide separate living quarters for
         children  under  the  age  of 18 and for children 18
         years of age and older, unless a child 18  years  of
         age  is in the last year of high school education or
         vocational training, in an  approved  individual  or
         group  treatment  program,  or in a licensed shelter
         facility,  or  secure  child  care   facility.   The
         Department  is  not  required  to  place or maintain
         children:
                   (i)  who are in a foster home, or
                   (ii)  who are persons with a developmental
              disability, as defined in the Mental Health and
              Developmental Disabilities Code, or
                   (iii)  who are  female  children  who  are
              pregnant,  pregnant and parenting or parenting,
              or
                   (iv)  who are siblings,
         in facilities that provide separate living  quarters
         for  children  18  years  of  age  and older and for
         children under 18 years of age.
    (b)  Nothing  in  this  Section  shall  be  construed  to
authorize the expenditure of public funds for the purpose  of
performing abortions.
    (c)  The   Department   shall   establish   and  maintain
tax-supported child welfare services and extend and  seek  to
improve  voluntary  services throughout the State, to the end
that services and care shall be available on an  equal  basis
throughout the State to children requiring such services.
    (d)  The Director may authorize advance disbursements for
any new program initiative to any agency contracting with the
Department.   As a prerequisite for an advance  disbursement,
the  contractor  must post a surety bond in the amount of the
advance disbursement and have a purchase of service  contract
approved  by  the Department.  The Department may pay up to 2
months operational expenses in advance.  The  amount  of  the
advance  disbursement  shall be prorated over the life of the
contract  or  the  remaining  months  of  the  fiscal   year,
whichever  is  less, and the installment amount shall then be
deducted   from   future   bills.     Advance    disbursement
authorizations  for  new initiatives shall not be made to any
agency after that agency has operated  during  2  consecutive
fiscal  years.  The  requirements  of this Section concerning
advance disbursements shall not apply  with  respect  to  the
following:   payments  to local public agencies for child day
care services as authorized by Section 5a of  this  Act;  and
youth  service  programs  receiving grant funds under Section
17a-4.
    (e)  (Blank).
    (f)  (Blank).
    (g)  The Department shall establish rules and regulations
concerning its operation of programs  designed  to  meet  the
goals  of  child  safety and protection, family preservation,
family reunification, and adoption, including but not limited
to:
         (1)  adoption;
         (2)  foster care;
         (3)  family counseling;
         (4)  protective services;
         (5)  (blank);
         (6)  homemaker service;
         (7)  return of runaway children;
         (8)  (blank);
         (9)  placement under Section  5-7  of  the  Juvenile
    Court  Act  or  Section  2-27,  3-28, 4-25 or 5-29 of the
    Juvenile Court Act of 1987 in accordance with the federal
    Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980; and
         (10)  interstate services.
    Rules and regulations established by the Department shall
include provisions for  training  Department  staff  and  the
staff  of  Department  grantees, through contracts with other
agencies or resources, in alcohol and  drug  abuse  screening
techniques  to  identify  children  and  adults who should be
referred to an alcohol and drug abuse treatment  program  for
professional evaluation.
    (h)  If the Department finds that there is no appropriate
program or facility within or available to the Department for
a  ward and that no licensed private facility has an adequate
and appropriate program or none agrees to  accept  the  ward,
the  Department  shall  create an appropriate individualized,
program-oriented  plan  for  such  ward.   The  plan  may  be
developed  within  the  Department  or  through  purchase  of
services by the Department to the extent that  it  is  within
its statutory authority to do.
    (i)  Service  programs  shall be available throughout the
State and shall include but not be limited to  the  following
services:
         (1)  case management;
         (2)  homemakers;
         (3)  counseling;
         (4)  parent education;
         (5)  day care; and
         (6)  emergency assistance and advocacy.
    In addition, the following services may be made available
to assess and meet the needs of children and families:
         (1)  comprehensive family-based services;
         (2)  assessments;
         (3)  respite care; and
         (4)  in-home health services.
    The  Department  shall  provide transportation for any of
the services it makes available to children  or  families  or
for which it refers children or families.
    (j)  The  Department  may provide categories of financial
assistance  and  education  assistance  grants,   and   shall
establish rules and regulations concerning the assistance and
grants,   to   persons   who  adopt  physically  or  mentally
handicapped, older and other hard-to-place children  who  (i)
immediately  prior  to their adoption were legal wards of the
Department or (ii) were  determined  eligible  for  financial
assistance  with  respect  to a prior adoption and who become
available for adoption because the prior  adoption  has  been
dissolved  and  the  parental  rights of the adoptive parents
have been terminated or because the child's adoptive  parents
have  died.  The  Department  may  also provide categories of
financial assistance and  education  assistance  grants,  and
shall  establish rules and regulations for the assistance and
grants, to persons appointed guardian  of  the  person  under
Section  5-7 of the Juvenile Court Act or Section 2-27, 3-28,
4-25 or 5-29 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987  for  children
who  were  wards  of the Department for 12 months immediately
prior to the appointment of the successor  guardian  and  for
whom  the  Department  has  set  a  goal  of permanent family
placement with a foster family.
    The amount of assistance may  vary,  depending  upon  the
needs  of the child and the adoptive parents, as set forth in
the annual assistance agreement.  Special purpose grants  are
allowed  where  the  child  requires special service but such
costs may not exceed the amounts which similar services would
cost the Department if it were to provide or secure  them  as
guardian of the child.
    Any  financial  assistance provided under this subsection
is inalienable by assignment,  sale,  execution,  attachment,
garnishment,  or  any other remedy for recovery or collection
of a judgment or debt.
    (j-5)  The  Department  shall  not  deny  or  delay   the
placement  of  a  child for adoption if an approved family is
available either outside of the  Department  region  handling
the case, or outside of the State of Illinois.
    (k)  The  Department  shall  accept for care and training
any child who has been adjudicated neglected  or  abused,  or
dependent  committed to it pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act
or the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
    (l)  Before July 1, 2000, the Department may provide, and
beginning July 1, 2000, the  Department  shall  offer  family
preservation  services,  as  defined  in  Section  8.2 of the
Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, to  help  families,
including adoptive and extended families. Family preservation
services  shall  be  offered  (i) to prevent the placement of
children in substitute care when the children  can  be  cared
for  at  home or in the custody of the person responsible for
the children's welfare, (ii) to reunite children  with  their
families, or (iii) to maintain an adoptive placement.  Family
preservation  services  shall  only  be offered when doing so
will not endanger the  children's  health  or  safety.   With
respect  to  children  who are in substitute care pursuant to
the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, family preservation  services
shall   not  be  offered  if  a  goal  other  than  those  of
subdivisions (A), (B), or (B-1) of subsection (2) of  Section
2-28  of  that  Act has been set provide, family preservation
services, as determined to be appropriate and in the  child's
best  interests and when the child will be safe and not be in
imminent risk of harm, to any family  whose  child  has  been
placed  in  substitute  care,  any persons who have adopted a
child and require  post-adoption  services,  or  any  persons
whose  child  or children are at risk of being placed outside
their  home  as  documented  by  an  "indicated"  report   of
suspected  child  abuse or neglect determined pursuant to the
Abused and Neglected Child Reporting  Act.  Nothing  in  this
paragraph  shall  be  construed  to create a private right of
action or claim on  the  part  of  any  individual  or  child
welfare agency.
    The  Department  shall notify the child and his family of
the Department's responsibility to offer and  provide  family
preservation services as identified in the service plan.  The
child  and  his family shall be eligible for services as soon
as  the  report  is  determined  to  be   "indicated".    The
Department  may  offer  services  to any child or family with
respect to whom a report of suspected child abuse or  neglect
has  been  filed, prior to concluding its investigation under
Section 7.12 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.
However,  the  child's  or  family's  willingness  to  accept
services shall not be considered in the  investigation.   The
Department  may  also provide services to any child or family
who is the subject of any report of suspected child abuse  or
neglect  or  may  refer  such  child  or  family  to services
available from other agencies in the community, even  if  the
report  is  determined  to be unfounded, if the conditions in
the child's or family's home are reasonably likely to subject
the child or family to  future  reports  of  suspected  child
abuse  or  neglect.   Acceptance  of  such  services shall be
voluntary.
    The Department may, at its discretion  except  for  those
children  also adjudicated neglected or dependent, accept for
care  and  training  any  child  who  has  been   adjudicated
addicted,  as  a  truant minor in need of supervision or as a
minor  requiring  authoritative   intervention,   under   the
Juvenile  Court Act or the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, but no
such child shall be committed to the Department by any  court
without the approval of the Department.  A minor charged with
a  criminal  offense  under  the  Criminal  Code  of  1961 or
adjudicated delinquent shall not be placed in the custody  of
or  committed  to the Department by any court, except a minor
less than 13 years of age committed to the  Department  under
Section 5-23 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
    (l-1)  The legislature recognizes that the best interests
of  the  child  require  that the child be placed in the most
permanent  living  arrangement  as  soon  as  is  practically
possible.  To achieve this goal, the legislature directs  the
Department   of  Children  and  Family  Services  to  conduct
concurrent planning so  that  permanency  may  occur  at  the
earliest  opportunity.   Permanent  living  arrangements  may
include  prevention  of placement of a child outside the home
of the family when the child can be cared for at home without
endangering the child's health or safety; reunification  with
the family, when safe and appropriate, if temporary placement
is  necessary;  or  movement  of  the  child  toward the most
permanent living arrangement and permanent legal status.
    When determining  reasonable  efforts  to  be  made  with
respect  to  a child, as described in this subsection, and in
making such reasonable efforts, the child's health and safety
shall be the paramount concern.
    When a child is placed in  foster  care,  the  Department
shall  ensure  and document that reasonable efforts were made
to prevent or eliminate the need to remove the child from the
child's home.  The Department must make reasonable efforts to
reunify the family when  temporary  placement  of  the  child
occurs  unless  otherwise  required, pursuant to the Juvenile
Court Act of 1987 or must request a finding  from  the  court
that  reasonable  efforts  are  not  appropriate or have been
unsuccessful. At any time  after  the  dispositional  hearing
where  the  Department  believes  that  further reunification
services would be ineffective, it may request a finding  from
the  court that reasonable efforts are no longer appropriate.
The  Department  is   not   required   to   provide   further
reunification services after such a finding.
    A  decision  to place a child in substitute care shall be
made with considerations of the child's health,  safety,  and
best  interests.   At  the  time  of placement, consideration
should also be given so that if  reunification  fails  or  is
delayed,  the  placement made is the best available placement
to provide permanency for the child.
    The Department shall adopt  rules  addressing  concurrent
planning  for  reunification  and permanency.  The Department
shall  consider  the  following  factors   when   determining
appropriateness of concurrent planning:
         (1)  the likelihood of prompt reunification;
         (2)  the past history of the family;
         (3)  the  barriers  to reunification being addressed
    by the family;
         (4)  the level of cooperation of the family;
         (5)  the foster parents' willingness  to  work  with
    the family to reunite;
         (6)  the  willingness  and  ability  of  the  foster
    family   to   provide   an  adoptive  home  or  long-term
    placement;
         (7)  the age of the child;
         (8)  placement of siblings.
    (m)  The Department may assume temporary custody  of  any
child if:
         (1)  it  has  received  a  written  consent  to such
    temporary custody signed by the parents of the  child  or
    by  the parent having custody of the child if the parents
    are not living together or by the guardian  or  custodian
    of the child if the child is not in the custody of either
    parent, or
         (2)  the  child  is found in the State and neither a
    parent, guardian  nor  custodian  of  the  child  can  be
    located.
If  the  child  is  found  in  his or her residence without a
parent, guardian, custodian  or  responsible  caretaker,  the
Department  may,  instead  of removing the child and assuming
temporary custody, place an authorized representative of  the
Department  in  that  residence  until such time as a parent,
guardian  or  custodian  enters  the  home  and  expresses  a
willingness and apparent ability to ensure the child's health
and safety and resume permanent charge of the child, or until
a relative enters the home and is willing and able to  ensure
the  child's health and safety and assume charge of the child
until a parent, guardian or custodian  enters  the  home  and
expresses  such willingness and ability to ensure the child's
safety and resume permanent charge.  After  a  caretaker  has
remained in the home for a period not to exceed 12 hours, the
Department  must  follow those procedures outlined in Section
2-9, 3-11, 4-8 or 5-9 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
    The Department shall have the authority, responsibilities
and duties that a legal custodian of  the  child  would  have
pursuant  to  subsection  (9)  of Section 1-3 of the Juvenile
Court Act of 1987.  Whenever a child is taken into  temporary
custody  pursuant  to  an  investigation under the Abused and
Neglected Child Reporting Act, or pursuant to a referral  and
acceptance under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 of a minor in
limited   custody,  the  Department,  during  the  period  of
temporary custody and before the child is  brought  before  a
judicial officer as required by Section 2-9, 3-11, 4-8 or 5-9
of  the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, shall have the authority,
responsibilities and duties that a  legal  custodian  of  the
child  would  have under subsection (9) of Section 1-3 of the
Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
    The Department shall ensure that  any  child  taken  into
custody  is  scheduled  for  an  appointment  for  a  medical
examination.
    A  parent,  guardian  or  custodian  of  a  child  in the
temporary custody of the Department who would have custody of
the child if he were not in  the  temporary  custody  of  the
Department  may  deliver  to  the Department a signed request
that the Department surrender the temporary  custody  of  the
child.  The  Department  may  retain temporary custody of the
child for 10 days after the receipt of  the  request,  during
which  period the Department may cause to be filed a petition
pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.  If a petition is
so filed, the Department shall retain  temporary  custody  of
the child until the court orders otherwise.  If a petition is
not  filed  within  the  10  day  period,  the child shall be
surrendered to the custody of the requesting parent, guardian
or custodian not later than the  expiration  of  the  10  day
period,  at  which  time  the  authority  and  duties  of the
Department with respect to the temporary custody of the child
shall terminate.
    (m-1)  The Department may place children under  18  years
of  age  in  a  secure  child  care  facility licensed by the
Department that cares for children who are in need of  secure
living  arrangements for their health, safety, and well-being
after a determination is made by the  facility  director  and
the  Director  or the Director's designate prior to admission
to the facility subject to Section  2-27.1  of  the  Juvenile
Court Act of 1987.  This subsection (m-1) does not apply to a
child  who is subject to placement in a correctional facility
operated pursuant to Section 3-15-2 of the  Unified  Code  of
Corrections.
    (n)  The  Department may place children under 18 years of
age in licensed child care facilities when in the opinion  of
the   Department,   appropriate   services  aimed  at  family
preservation have been unsuccessful  and  cannot  ensure  the
child's  health  and  safety  or  are  unavailable  and  such
placement  would  be  for  their  best  interest. Payment for
board, clothing, care, training and supervision of any  child
placed  in  a licensed child care facility may be made by the
Department, by the parents or guardians  of  the  estates  of
those  children, or by both the Department and the parents or
guardians, except that no  payments  shall  be  made  by  the
Department  for  any  child  placed  in a licensed child care
facility for board, clothing, care, training and  supervision
of  such  a  child that exceed the average per capita cost of
maintaining and of caring for a  child  in  institutions  for
dependent  or  neglected children operated by the Department.
However, such restriction on payments does not apply in cases
where children require specialized  care  and  treatment  for
problems    of   severe   emotional   disturbance,   physical
disability, social adjustment, or any combination thereof and
suitable facilities for the placement of  such  children  are
not  available  at  payment  rates within the limitations set
forth  in  this  Section.  All  reimbursements  for  services
delivered shall  be  absolutely  inalienable  by  assignment,
sale, attachment, garnishment or otherwise.
    (o)  The  Department  shall  establish  an administrative
review and appeal  process  for  children  and  families  who
request   or   receive   child   welfare  services  from  the
Department.  Children who are wards of the Department and are
placed by private child welfare agencies, and foster families
with whom those children are placed, shall  be  afforded  the
same procedural and appeal rights as children and families in
the  case of placement by the Department, including the right
to an  initial review of a private agency  decision  by  that
agency.   The  Department shall insure that any private child
welfare agency, which accepts wards  of  the  Department  for
placement,  affords  those  rights  to  children  and  foster
families.   The  Department  shall  accept for administrative
review and an appeal hearing a complaint made by (i) a  child
or  foster  family concerning a decision following an initial
review  by  a  private  child  welfare  agency  or   (ii)   a
prospective  adoptive  parent  who  alleges  a  violation  of
subsection  (j-5)  of  this Section.  An appeal of a decision
concerning a change in the placement  of  a  child  shall  be
conducted in an expedited manner.
    (p)  There  is  hereby created the Department of Children
and Family Services Emergency Assistance Fund from which  the
Department   may  provide  special  financial  assistance  to
families which are in economic crisis when such assistance is
not available through other public or private sources and the
assistance is deemed necessary to prevent dissolution of  the
family  unit or to reunite families which have been separated
due  to  child  abuse  and  neglect.   The  Department  shall
establish administrative rules specifying  the  criteria  for
determining  eligibility  for  and  the  amount and nature of
assistance to be provided.  The  Department  may  also  enter
into  written  agreements  with  private  and  public  social
service  agencies  to provide emergency financial services to
families  referred  by  the  Department.  Special   financial
assistance  payments  shall  be available to a family no more
than once during each fiscal year and the total payments to a
family may not exceed $500 during a fiscal year.
    (q)  The  Department  may  receive  and  use,  in   their
entirety,  for  the benefit of children any gift, donation or
bequest of money or  other  property  which  is  received  on
behalf  of  such children, or any financial benefits to which
such children are or may  become  entitled  while  under  the
jurisdiction or care of the Department.
    The  Department  shall  set  up  and  administer no-cost,
interest-bearing savings accounts  in  appropriate  financial
institutions  ("individual  accounts")  for children for whom
the Department is  legally  responsible  and  who  have  been
determined  eligible  for Veterans' Benefits, Social Security
benefits, assistance allotments from the armed forces,  court
ordered  payments,  parental voluntary payments, Supplemental
Security Income, Railroad  Retirement  payments,  Black  Lung
benefits,  or  other miscellaneous payments.  Interest earned
by each individual account shall be credited to the  account,
unless disbursed in accordance with this subsection.
    In  disbursing funds from children's individual accounts,
the Department shall:
         (1)  Establish standards in  accordance  with  State
    and  federal  laws  for  disbursing money from children's
    individual   accounts.    In   all   circumstances,   the
    Department's "Guardianship Administrator" or his  or  her
    designee   must  approve  disbursements  from  children's
    individual accounts.  The Department shall be responsible
    for keeping complete records  of  all  disbursements  for
    each individual account for any purpose.
         (2)  Calculate  on  a monthly basis the amounts paid
    from State funds for the child's board and care,  medical
    care not covered under Medicaid, and social services; and
    utilize  funds  from  the  child's individual account, as
    covered  by  regulation,  to   reimburse   those   costs.
    Monthly,  disbursements  from  all  children's individual
    accounts, up to 1/12 of $13,000,000, shall  be  deposited
    by  the  Department into the General Revenue Fund and the
    balance over 1/12 of $13,000,000 into the DCFS Children's
    Services Fund.
         (3)  Maintain   any    balance    remaining    after
    reimbursing  for  the child's costs of care, as specified
    in item (2). The balance shall accumulate  in  accordance
    with  relevant  State  and  federal  laws  and  shall  be
    disbursed  to the child or his or her guardian, or to the
    issuing agency.
    (r)  The   Department   shall   promulgate    regulations
encouraging  all  adoption agencies to voluntarily forward to
the Department or  its  agent  names  and  addresses  of  all
persons  who  have  applied  for  and  have been approved for
adoption of a hard-to-place  or  handicapped  child  and  the
names of such children who have not been placed for adoption.
A list of such names and addresses shall be maintained by the
Department  or  its agent, and coded lists which maintain the
confidentiality of the person seeking to adopt the child  and
of  the  child  shall  be  made available, without charge, to
every adoption agency in the State to assist the agencies  in
placing  such  children  for  adoption.  The  Department  may
delegate  to an agent its duty to maintain and make available
such lists.  The Department  shall  ensure  that  such  agent
maintains  the confidentiality of the person seeking to adopt
the child and of the child.
    (s)  The Department of Children and Family  Services  may
establish and implement a program to reimburse Department and
private  child  welfare agency foster parents licensed by the
Department  of  Children  and  Family  Services  for  damages
sustained by the foster parents as a result of the  malicious
or  negligent  acts  of foster children, as well as providing
third party coverage for such foster parents with  regard  to
actions  of  foster  children  to  other  individuals.   Such
coverage  will  be  secondary  to the foster parent liability
insurance policy, if applicable.  The program shall be funded
through  appropriations  from  the  General   Revenue   Fund,
specifically designated for such purposes.
    (t)  The   Department  shall  perform  home  studies  and
investigations and shall exercise supervision over visitation
as ordered by a court pursuant to the Illinois  Marriage  and
Dissolution of Marriage Act or the Adoption Act only if:
         (1)  an   order   entered   by   an  Illinois  court
    specifically  directs  the  Department  to  perform  such
    services; and
         (2)  the court  has  ordered  one  or  both  of  the
    parties to the proceeding to reimburse the Department for
    its  reasonable  costs  for  providing  such  services in
    accordance with Department rules, or has determined  that
    neither party is financially able to pay.
    The  Department shall provide written notification to the
court of the specific arrangements for supervised  visitation
and  projected  monthly  costs  within  60  days of the court
order. The Department shall send  to  the  court  information
related to the costs incurred except in cases where the court
has determined the parties are financially unable to pay. The
court may order additional periodic reports as appropriate.
    (u)  Whenever the Department places a child in a licensed
foster  home,  group  home,  child  care institution, or in a
relative home, the Department shall provide to the caretaker:
         (1)  available detailed information  concerning  the
    child's   educational   and  health  history,  copies  of
    immunization records  (including  insurance  and  medical
    card  information),  a  history  of  the child's previous
    placements, if any, and  reasons  for  placement  changes
    excluding  any information that identifies or reveals the
    location of any previous caretaker;
         (2)  a copy of the child's  portion  of  the  client
    service  plan,  including any visitation arrangement, and
    all amendments or revisions  to  it  as  related  to  the
    child; and
         (3)  information  containing  details of the child's
    individualized  educational  plan  when  the   child   is
    receiving special education services.
    The  caretaker  shall  be informed of any known social or
behavioral  information  (including,  but  not  limited   to,
criminal  background,  fire  setting,  perpetuation of sexual
abuse, destructive behavior, and substance  abuse)  necessary
to care for and safeguard the child.
    (u-5)  Effective   July   1,   1995,   only  foster  care
placements licensed as foster family homes  pursuant  to  the
Child  Care  Act  of 1969 shall be eligible to receive foster
care payments from the Department. Relative  caregivers  who,
as  of  July  1,  1995,  were  approved  pursuant to approved
relative  placement  rules  previously  promulgated  by   the
Department  at  89  Ill.  Adm.  Code 335 and had submitted an
application  for  licensure  as  a  foster  family  home  may
continue to receive  foster  care  payments  only  until  the
Department  determines  that they may be licensed as a foster
family home or that their application for licensure is denied
or until September 30, 1995, whichever occurs first.
    (v)  The Department shall access criminal history  record
information  as  defined  in  the Illinois Uniform Conviction
Information   Act   and   information   maintained   in   the
adjudicatory and dispositional record system  as  defined  in
subdivision  (A)19 of Section 55a of the Civil Administrative
Code of Illinois if the Department determines the information
is necessary to perform  its  duties  under  the  Abused  and
Neglected  Child  Reporting  Act, the Child Care Act of 1969,
and the Children and Family  Services  Act.   The  Department
shall  provide for interactive computerized communication and
processing   equipment   that    permits    direct    on-line
communication  with  the Department of State Police's central
criminal  history  data  repository.   The  Department  shall
comply  with  all  certification  requirements  and   provide
certified  operators  who have been trained by personnel from
the Department of State Police.  In addition, one  Office  of
the Inspector General investigator shall have training in the
use  of  the  criminal  history information access system and
have access to the terminal.  The Department of Children  and
Family  Services  and  its employees shall abide by rules and
regulations established by the  Department  of  State  Police
relating to the access and dissemination of this information.
    (w)  Within  120  days  of August 20, 1995 (the effective
date of Public Act 89-392), the Department shall prepare  and
submit  to  the  Governor and the General Assembly, a written
plan for the development of in-state  licensed  secure  child
care  facilities  that  care  for children who are in need of
secure living arrangements  for  their  health,  safety,  and
well-being.   For  purposes  of  this subsection, secure care
facility shall mean a facility that is designed and  operated
to  ensure  that all entrances and exits from the facility, a
building or a distinct part of the building,  are  under  the
exclusive  control  of  the staff of the facility, whether or
not  the  child  has  the  freedom  of  movement  within  the
perimeter of the facility, building, or distinct part of  the
building.   The  plan shall include descriptions of the types
of facilities that  are  needed  in  Illinois;  the  cost  of
developing these secure care facilities; the estimated number
of  placements; the potential cost savings resulting from the
movement of children currently out-of-state who are projected
to  be  returned  to  Illinois;  the   necessary   geographic
distribution  of these facilities in Illinois; and a proposed
timetable for development of such facilities.
(Source: P.A.  89-21,  eff.  6-6-95;  89-392,  eff.  8-20-95;
89-507, eff. 7-1-97; 89-626, eff. 8-9-96; 90-11, eff. 1-1-98;
90-27, eff. 1-1-98; 90-28, eff. 1-1-98; 90-362, eff.  1-1-98;
revised 10-20-97.)

    (20 ILCS 505/5c new)
    Sec.  5c.  Direct child welfare service employee license.
By January 1, 2000,  the  Department,  in  consultation  with
private child welfare agencies, shall develop and implement a
direct child welfare service employee license.  By January 1,
2001  all  child protective investigators and supervisors and
child welfare specialists and  supervisors  employed  by  the
Department   or   its   contractors   shall  be  required  to
demonstrate sufficient knowledge and  skills  to  obtain  and
maintain   the   license.   The  Department  shall  have  the
authority to revoke or suspend  the  license  of  anyone  who
after  a  hearing  is found to be guilty of misfeasance.  The
Department  shall  promulgate  such  rules  as  necessary  to
implement this Section.
    On or before January 1, 2000, and every year  thereafter,
the  Department  shall submit an annual report to the General
Assembly on the implementation of this Section.

    (20 ILCS 505/7) (from Ch. 23, par. 5007)
    Sec. 7.  Placement of children; considerations.
    (a)  In placing any child under this Act, the  Department
shall  place  such child, as far as possible, in the care and
custody of some individual holding the same religious  belief
as the parents of the child, or with some child care facility
which  is  operated by persons of like religious faith as the
parents of such child.
    (b)  In placing a child under this  Act,  the  Department
may  place  a  child  with  a  relative if the Department has
reason  to  believe  that  the  relative  will  be  able   to
adequately  provide  for  the child's safety and welfare. The
Department may not place a child with a  relative,  with  the
exception  of  certain  circumstances  which may be waived as
defined by the Department in rules, if the results of a check
of the Law Enforcement Agency Data System (LEADS)  identifies
a  prior  criminal  conviction  of  the relative or any adult
member of the relative's household for any of  the  following
offenses under the Criminal Code of 1961:
         (1)  murder;
         (1.1)  solicitation of murder;
         (1.2)  solicitation of murder for hire;
         (1.3)  intentional homicide of an unborn child;
         (1.4)  voluntary manslaughter of an unborn child;
         (1.5)  involuntary manslaughter;
         (1.6)  reckless homicide;
         (1.7)  concealment of a homicidal death;
         (1.8)  involuntary manslaughter of an unborn child;
         (1.9)  reckless homicide of an unborn child;
         (1.10)  drug-induced homicide;
         (2)  a sex offense under Article 11, except offenses
    described in Sections 11-7, 11-8, 11-12, and 11-13;
         (3)  kidnapping;
         (3.1)  aggravated unlawful restraint;
         (3.2)  forcible detention;
         (3.3)  aiding and abetting child abduction;
         (4)  aggravated kidnapping;
         (5)  child abduction;
         (6)  aggravated battery of a child;
         (7)  criminal sexual assault;
         (8)  aggravated criminal sexual assault;
         (8.1)  predatory criminal sexual assault of a child;
         (9)  criminal sexual abuse;
         (10)  aggravated sexual abuse;
         (11)  heinous battery;
         (12)  aggravated battery with a firearm;
         (13)  tampering with food, drugs, or cosmetics;
         (14)  drug-induced infliction of great bodily harm;
         (15)  aggravated stalking;
         (16)  home invasion;
         (17)  vehicular invasion;
         (18)  criminal transmission of HIV;
         (19)  criminal  neglect  of  an  elderly or disabled
    person;
         (20)  child abandonment;
         (21)  endangering the life or health of a child;
         (22)  ritual mutilation;
         (23)  ritualized abuse of a child;
         (24)  an offense in any other state the elements  of
    which  are similar and bear a substantial relationship to
    any of the foregoing offenses.
For the purpose of this subsection, "relative" shall  include
any  person,  21 years of age or over, other than the parent,
who (i) is currently related to  the  child  in  any  of  the
following  ways  by  blood or adoption: grandparent, sibling,
great-grandparent, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, first  cousin,
great-uncle,  or  great-aunt; or (ii) is the spouse of such a
relative; or (iii) is the child's  step-father,  step-mother,
or   adult   step-brother  or  step-sister;  "relative"  also
includes a person related in any of the foregoing ways  to  a
sibling  of a child, even though the person is not related to
the child, when the child and its sibling are placed together
with that person.  A relative with whom  a  child  is  placed
pursuant  to  this  subsection  may,  but is not required to,
apply for licensure as a foster family home pursuant  to  the
Child Care Act of 1969; provided, however, that as of July 1,
1995,  foster  care  payments  shall be made only to licensed
foster family homes pursuant to the terms  of  Section  5  of
this Act.
    (c)  In  placing  a  child under this Act, the Department
shall ensure  that  the  child's  health,  safety,  and  best
interests  are  met by giving due, not sole, consideration to
the child's race or ethnic heritage in making a family foster
care placement. The Department shall consider the  individual
needs cultural, ethnic, or racial background of the child and
the capacity of the prospective foster or adoptive parents to
meet  the  needs  of  a  child of this background as one of a
number of factors used to determine the best interests of the
child.  The Department shall make  special  efforts  for  the
diligent   recruitment   of  potential  foster  and  adoptive
families that reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of  the
children  for  whom  foster  and  adoptive  homes are needed.
"Special efforts" shall include contacting and  working  with
community  organizations  and religious organizations and may
include contracting with those organizations, utilizing local
media and other  local  resources,  and  conducting  outreach
activities.
    (c-1)  At  the  time  of  placement, the Department shall
consider concurrent  planning,  as  described  in  subsection
(l-1)  of  Section  5,  so  that  permanency may occur at the
earliest opportunity.  Consideration should be given so  that
if  reunification  fails or is delayed, the placement made is
the best available placement to provide  permanency  for  the
child.
    (d)  The  Department  may accept gifts, grants, offers of
services, and other contributions to use  in  making  special
recruitment efforts.
    (e)  The  Department  in  placing children in adoptive or
foster care homes may not, in any policy or practice relating
to the placement of children for  adoption  or  foster  care,
discriminate  against  any  child  or prospective adoptive or
foster parent on the basis of race.
(Source:  P.A.  89-21,  eff.  7-1-95;  89-422;  89-428,  eff.
12-13-95; 89-462, eff. 5-29-96; 89-626, eff.  8-9-96;  90-27,
eff. 1-1-98; 90-28, eff. 1-1-98.)

    (20 ILCS 505/8) (from Ch. 23, par. 5008)
    Sec.  8.  Scholarships  and  fee  waivers.  Each year the
Department may select from among the children under care,  or
children  formerly under care who have been adopted or are in
the subsidized guardianship  program,  a  maximum  of  48  24
students, (at least 4 of whom shall be children of veterans),
who have completed 4 years in an accredited high school;  the
children  selected who shall be eligible for scholarships and
fee waivers which will entitle them to 4 consecutive years of
community  college,   university,   or   college   education.
Selection  shall  be  made on the basis of scholastic record,
aptitude, and  general  interest  in  higher  education.   In
accordance  with  this  Act,  tuition  scholarships  and  fee
waivers shall be available to such students at any university
or   college  maintained  by  the  State  of  Illinois.   The
Department shall provide  maintenance  and  school  expenses,
except  tuition  and  fees,  during  the  academic  years  to
supplement  the students' earnings or other resources so long
as they consistently maintain scholastic  records  which  are
acceptable  to their schools and to the Department.  Students
may attend other colleges and universities,  if  scholarships
are   awarded   them,  and  receive  the  same  benefits  for
maintenance and other expenses as  those  students  attending
any  Illinois State community college, university, or college
under this Section.
(Source: P.A. 84-168.)

    Section 10.  The Child Death Review Team Act  is  amended
by changing Section 20 as follows:

    (20 ILCS 515/20)
    Sec. 20.  Reviews of child deaths.
    (a)  Every  child  death shall be reviewed by the team in
the   subregion   which   has   primary    case    management
responsibility.   The  deceased  child  must  be  one  of the
following:
         (1)  A ward of the Department.
         (2)  The subject of an open service case  maintained
    by the Department.
         (3)  The subject of a pending child abuse or neglect
    investigation.
         (4)  A  child  who  was  the  subject of an abuse or
    neglect investigation at any time during  the  12  months
    preceding the child's death.
         (5)  Any  other child whose death is reported to the
    State central register as a result of alleged child abuse
    or neglect which report is subsequently indicated.
    A child death review team may, at its discretion,  review
other sudden, unexpected, or unexplained child deaths.
    (b)  A  child  death  review team's purpose in conducting
reviews of child deaths is to do the following:
         (1)  Assist in determining the cause and  manner  of
    the child's death, when requested.
         (2)  Evaluate  means  by  which the death might have
    been prevented.
         (3)  Report its findings to appropriate agencies and
    make recommendations that may help to reduce  the  number
    of child deaths caused by abuse or neglect.
         (4)  Promote  continuing education for professionals
    involved in investigating, treating, and preventing child
    abuse and neglect as a means of preventing  child  deaths
    due to abuse or neglect.
         (5)  Make  specific  recommendations to the Director
    and the Inspector General of  the  Department  concerning
    the  prevention  of  child deaths due to abuse or neglect
    and the  establishment  of  protocols  for  investigating
    child deaths.
    (c)  A child death review team shall review a child death
as soon as practical and not later than 90 days following the
completion  by  the  Department  of  the investigation of the
death under the Abused and  Neglected  Child  Reporting  Act.
When  there  has been no investigation by the Department, the
child death review team shall review a child's  death  within
90 days after obtaining the information necessary to complete
the  review  from the coroner, pathologist, medical examiner,
or law enforcement agency, depending on  the  nature  of  the
case.   A child death review team shall meet at least once in
each calendar quarter.
    (d)  The Director shall, within 90 days, review and reply
to  recommendations  made  by  a  team  under  item  (5)   of
subsection (b).  The Director shall implement recommendations
as  feasible  and appropriate and shall respond in writing to
explain  the  implementation  or  nonimplementation  of   the
recommendations.
(Source: P.A. 90-239, eff. 7-28-97.)

    Section  15.  The  Hospital  Licensing  Act is amended by
changing Section 9 as follows:

    (210 ILCS 85/9) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 150)
    Sec. 9. The Department shall make or  cause  to  be  made
such  inspections  and  investigations as it deems necessary.
Information received by the Department through filed reports,
inspection, or as otherwise authorized under this  Act  shall
not  be  disclosed  publicly  in  such  manner as to identify
individuals  or  hospitals,  except  (i)  in   a   proceeding
involving  the  denial, suspension, or revocation of a permit
to establish a hospital or a proceeding involving the denial,
suspension, or revocation of  a  license  to  open,  conduct,
operate,  and  maintain a hospital, (ii) to the Department of
Children and Family Services in the course of a  child  abuse
or  neglect  investigation conducted by that Department or by
the  Department  of  Public  Health,  or   (iii)   in   other
circumstances  as  may  be approved by the Hospital Licensing
Board.
(Source: Laws 1965, p. 2350.)

    Section 17.  The Child Care Act of  1969  is  amended  by
changing  Section  4  and  adding  Sections  2.22  and 3.1 as
follows:

    (225 ILCS 10/2.22 new)
    Sec. 2.22.  "Secure child care facility" means any  child
care  facility  licensed  by the Department to provide secure
living arrangements for children under 18 years  of  age  who
are subject to placement in facilities under the Children and
Family  Services  Act and who are not subject to placement in
facilities  for  whom  standards  are  established   by   the
Department of Corrections under Section 3-15-2 of the Unified
Code of Corrections and which comply with the requirements of
this  Act  and  applicable  rules of the Department and which
shall be consistent with requirements established  for  child
residents  of  mental  health  facilities  under the Juvenile
Court Act of 1987 and the  Mental  Health  and  Developmental
Disabilities  Code. "Secure child care facility" also means a
facility that is designed and operated  to  ensure  that  all
entrances  and  exists  from  the  facility, a building, or a
distinct part of the building are under the exclusive control
of the staff of the facility, whether or not  the  child  has
the freedom of movement within the perimeter of the facility,
building, or distinct part of the building.

    (225 ILCS 10/3.1 new)
    Sec.  3.1.  Licenses for secure child care facility.  The
Department shall establish  standards  for  licensing  secure
child  care  facilities which comply with the requirements of
this Act, Section 2-27.1 of the Juvenile Court Act  of  1987,
applicable    requirements   of   the   Mental   Health   and
Developmental Disabilities Code, and applicable rules of  the
Department.  On  or  before  January  1, 1999, the Department
shall develop rules that set standards and the degree of need
for licensed secure facilities.  Within  90  days  after  the
effective  date  of this amendatory Act of 1998, the Director
shall appoint an advisory committee to assist the  Department
in the development of these rules.

    (225 ILCS 10/4) (from Ch. 23, par. 2214)
    Sec. 4. License requirement; application; notice.
    (a)  Any  person,  group of persons or corporation who or
which receives children or arranges for care or placement  of
one or more children unrelated to the operator must apply for
a  license  to operate one of the types of facilities defined
in Sections 2.05 through 2.19 and in  Section  2.22  of  this
Act.  Any  relative  who  receives  a  child  or children for
placement by the Department on a full-time  basis  may  apply
for  a  license to operate a foster family home as defined in
Section 2.17 of this Act.
    (b)  Application for a license to operate  a  child  care
facility  must be made to the Department in the manner and on
forms prescribed by it.  An application to operate  a  foster
family  home shall include, at a minimum: a completed written
form; written authorization by the applicant  and  all  adult
members  of  the  applicant's household to conduct a criminal
background investigation; medical evidence in the form  of  a
medical  report,  on forms prescribed by the Department, that
the applicant and all members of the household are free  from
communicable  diseases or physical and mental conditions that
affect their  ability  to  provide  care  for  the  child  or
children;  the  names and addresses of at least 3 persons not
related to the applicant who can attest  to  the  applicant's
moral  character; and fingerprints submitted by the applicant
and all adult members of the applicant's household.
    (c)  The Department shall notify the public when a  child
care institution, maternity center, or group home licensed by
the Department undergoes a change in (i) the range of care or
services  offered  at  the  facility, (ii) the age or type of
children served, or (iii) the area within the  facility  used
by  children.  The  Department shall notify the public of the
change in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or
municipality in which  the  applicant's  facility  is  or  is
proposed to be located.
    (d)  If,   upon   examination   of   the   facility   and
investigation  of  persons  responsible for care of children,
the Department is satisfied that the facility and responsible
persons reasonably meet standards prescribed for the type  of
facility  for  which  application  is  made, it shall issue a
license in proper form, designating on that license the  type
of  child  care  facility  and,  except  for  a child welfare
agency, the number of children to be served at any one time.
(Source: P.A. 89-21, eff. 7-1-95; 90-90, eff. 7-11-97.)

    Section 20.  The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act
is amended by changing Sections 7.16 and 8.2 as follows:

    (325 ILCS 5/7.16) (from Ch. 23, par. 2057.16)
    Sec. 7.16.  For any investigation or appeal initiated  on
or  after,  or  pending  on  July 1, 1998, the following time
frames shall apply. Within 60 days after the notification  of
the   completion   of   the  Child  Protective  Service  Unit
investigation, determined by the  date  of  the  notification
sent by the Department, a subject of a report may request the
Department  to  amend  the record or remove the record of the
report from the register.  Such request shall be  in  writing
and  directed  to such person as the Department designates in
the  notification.  If  the   Department   disregards   shall
disregard  any  request  not  made  in  such  manner.  If the
Department refuses to do so or does  not  act  within  10  30
days,  the  subject  shall have the right to a hearing within
the Department to determine whether the record of the  report
should  be  amended  or  removed  on  the  grounds that it is
inaccurate  or  it  is   being   maintained   in   a   manner
inconsistent  with  this  Act,  except that there shall be no
such right to  a  hearing  on  the  ground  of  the  report's
inaccuracy  if  there has been a court finding of child abuse
or neglect, the report's accuracy being conclusively presumed
on such  finding.   Such  hearing  shall  be  held  within  a
reasonable   time  after  the  subject's  request  and  at  a
reasonable place and hour.  The appropriate Child  Protective
Service  Unit  shall be given notice of the hearing.  In such
hearings, the burden of proving the accuracy and  consistency
of  the record shall be on the Department and the appropriate
Child Protective Service Unit. The hearing shall be conducted
by the Director or his  designee,  who is  hereby  authorized
and empowered to order the amendment or removal of the record
to  make  it  accurate  and  consistent  with  this  Act. The
decision shall be made, in  writing,  at  the  close  of  the
hearing,  or  within  45 30 days thereof, and shall state the
reasons upon which it is based.  Decisions of the  Department
under  this  Section  are administrative decisions subject to
judicial review under the Administrative Review Law.
    Should the Department grant the request of the subject of
the report pursuant to this Section either on  administrative
review  or after administrative hearing to amend an indicated
report to an unfounded report, the report shall  be  released
and  expunged  in  accordance with the standards set forth in
Section 7.14 of this Act.
(Source: P.A. 90-15, eff. 6-13-97.)

    (325 ILCS 5/8.2) (from Ch. 23, par. 2058.2)
    Sec.  8.2.  If  the   Child   Protective   Service   Unit
determines,  following  an  investigation  made  pursuant  to
Section 7.4 of this Act, that there is credible evidence that
the child is abused or neglected, the Department shall assess
the  family's  need for services, and, as necessary, develop,
with the family, an appropriate service plan for the family's
voluntary acceptance or refusal.  In any case where there  is
evidence  that  the perpetrator of the abuse or neglect is an
addict or alcoholic as defined in the  Alcoholism  and  Other
Drug  Abuse  and  Dependency Act, the Department, when making
referrals for drug or alcohol abuse services, shall make such
referrals to facilities licensed by the Department  of  Human
Services  or the Department of Public Health.  The Department
shall comply with Section 8.1 by explaining its lack of legal
authority to  compel  the  acceptance  of  services  and  may
explain  its  concomitant  authority  to petition the Circuit
court under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 or refer the  case
to  the  local  law enforcement authority or State's attorney
for criminal prosecution.
    For purposes of this Act, the term  "family  preservation
services"  refers to all services to help families, including
adoptive and extended families.  Family preservation services
shall be offered, where safe and appropriate, to prevent  the
placement  of  children  in substitute care when the children
can be cared for at home or in  the  custody  of  the  person
responsible  for  the  children's welfare without endangering
the children's health or safety, to reunite them  with  their
families  if  so  placed when reunification is an appropriate
goal,  or  to  maintain  an  adoptive  placement.   The  term
"homemaker"  includes   emergency   caretakers,   homemakers,
caretakers,   housekeepers  and  chore  services.   The  term
"counseling" includes individual therapy, infant  stimulation
therapy,  family  therapy,  group  therapy, self-help groups,
drug and alcohol abuse counseling, vocational counseling  and
post-adoptive   services.    The  term  "day  care"  includes
protective  day  care  and  day  care  to  meet  educational,
prevocational  or  vocational  needs.  The  term   "emergency
assistance  and  advocacy"  includes  coordinated services to
secure emergency cash, food, housing and  medical  assistance
or  advocacy  for  other  subsistence  and  family protective
needs.
    Before July  1,  2000,  appropriate  family  preservation
services  shall, subject to appropriation, be included in the
service plan if the  Department  has  determined  that  those
services  will  ensure  the child's health and safety, are in
the child's best interests, and will not place the  child  in
imminent  risk  of harm.  Beginning July 1, 2000, appropriate
family preservation services  shall  be  uniformly  available
throughout  the  State.  The Department shall promptly notify
children and families of the Department's  responsibility  to
offer  and provide family preservation services as identified
in the service plan.  Such plans  may  include  but  are  not
limited to: case management services; homemakers; counseling;
parent education; day care; emergency assistance and advocacy
assessments;    respite    care;    in-home    health   care;
transportation to obtain  any  of  the  above  services;  and
medical  assistance.   Nothing  in  this  paragraph  shall be
construed to create a private right of action or claim on the
part of any individual or child welfare agency.
    The Department shall provide a preliminary report to  the
General  Assembly no later than January 1, 1991, in regard to
the  provision  of  services  authorized  pursuant  to   this
Section. The report shall include:
         (a)  the  number of families and children served, by
    type of services;
         (b)  the  outcome  from  the   provision   of   such
    services, including the number of families which remained
    intact  at  least  6  months following the termination of
    services;
         (c)  the number of families which have been subjects
    of founded reports of abuse following the termination  of
    services;
         (d)  an  analysis of general family circumstances in
    which family preservation services have  been  determined
    to be an effective intervention;
         (e)  information regarding the number of families in
    need  of  services  but unserved due to budget or program
    criteria guidelines;
         (f)  an estimate of the time necessary for  and  the
    annual cost of statewide implementation of such services;
         (g)  an  estimate  of  the  length  of  time  before
    expansion  of  these  services  will  be  made to include
    families with children over the age of 6; and
         (h)  recommendations    regarding    any    proposed
    legislative changes to this program.
    Each Department field office shall maintain  on  a  local
basis  directories  of  services  available  to  children and
families in the local area where  the  Department  office  is
located.
    The  Department  shall refer children and families served
pursuant to this Section to private agencies and governmental
agencies, where available.
    Where  there  are  2  equal   proposals   from   both   a
not-for-profit  and  a for-profit agency to provide services,
the Department shall give preference to the proposal from the
not-for-profit agency.
    No service plan shall  compel  any  child  or  parent  to
engage  in any activity or refrain from any activity which is
not reasonably related to remedying a condition or conditions
that gave rise or which could give rise  to  any  finding  of
child abuse or neglect.
(Source: P.A. 89-21, eff. 6-6-95; 89-507, eff. 7-1-97; 90-14,
eff. 7-1-97; 90-28, eff. 1-1-98.)

    Section 25.  The Vital Records Act is amended by changing
Section 8 as follows:

    (410 ILCS 535/8) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 73-8)
    Sec. 8. Each local registrar shall:
    (1)  Appoint  one  or more deputies to act for him in his
absence or to assist him. Such deputies shall be  subject  to
all rules and regulations governing local registrars.
    (2)  Appoint one or more subregistrars when necessary for
the  convenience  of  the  people.  To become effective, such
appointments must be approved by the State Registrar of Vital
Records. A subregistrar shall exercise such authority  as  is
given  him  by  the  local  registrar  and  is subject to the
supervision and control  of  the  State  Registrar  of  Vital
Records,  and  shall be liable to the same penalties as local
registrars, as provided in Section 27 of this Act.
    (3)  Administer and enforce the provisions  of  this  Act
and   the   instructions,   rules,   and  regulations  issued
hereunder.
    (4)  Require that certificates be completed and filed  in
accordance  with the provisions of this Act and the rules and
regulations issued hereunder.
    (5)  Prepare and transmit monthly  an  accurate  copy  of
each  record  of  live  birth,  death, and fetal death to the
county clerk of his county. He shall also, in the case  of  a
death  of  a  person  who  was  a resident of another county,
prepare an additional copy of the death record  and  transmit
it to the county clerk of the county in which such person was
a  resident.  In  no  case shall the county clerk's copy of a
live birth record include  the  section  of  the  certificate
which contains information for health and statistical program
use only.
    (6)  (Blank).
    (7)  Prepare,  file,  and retain for a period of at least
10 years in his own office an accurate copy of each record of
live birth, death, and fetal death accepted for registration.
Only in those instances in which the local registrar is  also
a  full  time city, village, incorporated town, public health
district, county, or multi-county health  officer  recognized
by the Department may the health and statistical data section
of the live birth record be made a part of this copy.
    (8)  Transmit monthly the certificates, reports, or other
returns  filed  with  him  to  the  State  Registrar of Vital
Records, or more frequently when directed to  do  so  by  the
State Registrar of Vital Records.
    (8.5)  Transmit  monthly to the State central register of
the Illinois Department of Children  and  Family  Services  a
copy  of  all death certificates of persons under 18 years of
age who have died within the month.
    (9)  Maintain  such  records,  make  such  reports,   and
perform  such  other  duties  as may be required by the State
Registrar of Vital Records.
(Source: P.A. 88-687, eff. 1-24-95; 89-641, eff. 8-9-96.)

    Section 30.  The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is amended by
changing Sections 1-2, 1-3,  1-5,  2-13,  2-14,  2-15,  2-16,
2-17.1,  2-18,  2-21,  2-22,  2-23, 2-27, 2-28, 2-28.1, 2-29,
2-31, and 2-32 and adding Sections 2-13.1, 2-27.1,  and  2-33
as follows:

    (705 ILCS 405/1-2) (from Ch. 37, par. 801-2)
    Sec. 1-2.  Purpose and policy.
    (1)  The  purpose of this Act is to secure for each minor
subject hereto such care and guidance, preferably in  his  or
her  own home, as will serve the safety and moral, emotional,
mental, and physical  welfare  of  the  minor  and  the  best
interests  of  the  community; to preserve and strengthen the
minor's family ties whenever possible, removing  him  or  her
from  the  custody of his or her parents only when his or her
safety or welfare or the protection of the public  cannot  be
adequately  safeguarded  without  removal;  if  the  child is
removed from the custody of his or her parent, the Department
of Children and Family Services  immediately  shall  consider
concurrent  planning,  as  described  in  Section  5  of  the
Children and Family Services Act so that permanency may occur
at the earliest opportunity; consideration should be given so
that if reunification fails or is delayed, the placement made
is the best available placement to provide permanency for the
child;  and,  when  the  minor is removed from his or her own
family, to secure for him or her custody, care and discipline
as nearly as possible equivalent  to  that  which  should  be
given by his or her parents, and in cases where it should and
can  properly  be done to place the minor in a family home so
that he or she may become a member of  the  family  by  legal
adoption  or otherwise.  Provided that a ground for unfitness
under the Adoption Act can be met, it may be  appropriate  to
expedite termination of parental rights:
         (a)  when  reasonable  efforts are inappropriate, or
    have been provided and were unsuccessful, and  there  are
    aggravating  circumstances including, but not limited to,
    those cases in which (i) the a child or another child  of
    that  child's  parent  a  sibling  of  the  child was (A)
    abandoned, (B) tortured, or  (C)  chronically  abused  or
    (ii)  the  parent  is  criminally  convicted of (A) first
    degree murder or second degree murder of any  child,  (B)
    attempt  or  conspiracy  to commit first degree murder or
    second degree murder of any child,  (C)  solicitation  to
    commit murder, solicitation to commit murder for hire, or
    solicitation to commit second degree murder of any child,
    or aggravated assault in violation of subdivision (a)(13)
    of   Section  12-2  of  the  Criminal  Code  of  1961  or
    accountability for the first or second degree  murder  of
    any  child,  or (D) aggravated criminal sexual assault in
    violation of Section 12-14(b)(1) of the Criminal Code  of
    1961; or
         (b)  when  the  parental  rights  of  a  parent with
    respect to another child of the parent a sibling  of  the
    child have been involuntarily terminated; or
         (c)  in  those  extreme  cases in which the parent's
    incapacity to  care  for  the  child,  combined  with  an
    extremely poor prognosis for treatment or rehabilitation,
    justifies expedited termination of parental rights.
    (2)  In  all  proceedings  under  this  Act the court may
direct the course thereof so as  promptly  to  ascertain  the
jurisdictional  facts and fully to gather information bearing
upon the current condition  and  future  welfare  of  persons
subject  to  this  Act.  This  Act shall be administered in a
spirit of humane concern, not only  for  the  rights  of  the
parties,   but   also   for  the  fears  and  the  limits  of
understanding of all who appear before the court.
    (3)  In all procedures  under  this  Act,  the  following
shall apply:
         (a)  The  procedural  rights  assured  to  the minor
    shall  be  the  rights  of  adults  unless   specifically
    precluded  by  laws  which enhance the protection of such
    minors.
         (b)  Every child has a right to  services  necessary
    to  his  or  her safety and proper development, including
    health, education and social services.
         (c)  The parents' right  to  the  custody  of  their
    child shall not prevail when the court determines that it
    is  contrary to the health, safety, and best interests of
    the child.
    (4)  This Act shall be liberally construed to  carry  out
the foregoing purpose and policy.
(Source:  P.A.  89-704,  eff. 8-16-97 (changed from 1-1-98 by
P.A. 90-443); 90-27, eff. 1-1-98; 90-28, eff. 1-1-98; 90-443,
eff. 8-16-97.)

    (705 ILCS 405/1-3) (from Ch. 37, par. 801-3)
    Sec. 1-3. Definitions.  Terms used in  this  Act,  unless
the  context  otherwise requires, have the following meanings
ascribed to them:
    (1)  Adjudicatory hearing. "Adjudicatory hearing" means a
hearing to determine whether the allegations  of  a  petition
under  Section 2-13, 3-15 or 4-12 that a minor under 18 years
of  age  is  abused,  neglected  or  dependent,  or  requires
authoritative intervention, or  addicted,  respectively,  are
supported  by  a preponderance of the evidence or whether the
allegations of a petition under Section 5-13 that a minor  is
delinquent are proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
    (2)  Adult.  "Adult"  means  a  person 21 years of age or
older.
    (3)  Agency. "Agency" means a  public  or  private  child
care  facility  legally  authorized or licensed by this State
for placement or institutional care or for both placement and
institutional care.
    (4)  Association. "Association" means  any  organization,
public or private, engaged in welfare functions which include
services  to  or  on  behalf of children but does not include
"agency" as herein defined.
    (4.05)  Best  Interests.   Whenever  a  "best   interest"
determination  is  required,  the  following factors shall be
considered  in  the  context   of   the   child's   age   and
developmental needs:
    (a)  the  physical  safety  and  welfare  of  the  child,
including food, shelter, health, and clothing;
    (b)  the development of the child's identity;
    (c)  the child's background and ties, including familial,
racial, cultural, and religious;
    (d)  the child's sense of attachments, including:
         (i)  where    the   child   actually   feels   love,
    attachment, and a sense of being valued  (as  opposed  to
    where  adults  believe  the  child should feel such love,
    attachment, and a sense of being valued);
         (ii)  the child's sense of security;
         (iii)  the child's sense of familiarity;
         (iv)  continuity of affection for the child;
         (v)  the least disruptive placement alternative  for
    the child;
    (e)  the child's wishes and long-term goals;
    (f)  the   child's   community  ties,  including  church,
school, and friends;
    (g)  the child's need for permanence which  includes  the
child's  need  for  stability and continuity of relationships
with parent figures and with  siblings  and  other  relatives
permanence for the child;
    (h)  the uniqueness of every family and child;
    (i)  the   risks  attendant  to  entering  and  being  in
substitute care; and
    (j)  the preferences of the persons available to care for
the child.
    (4.1)  Chronic truant.  "Chronic truant" shall  have  the
definition  ascribed  to  it  in  Section 26-2a of the School
Code.
    (5)  Court. "Court" means the circuit court in a  session
or division assigned to hear proceedings under this Act.
    (6)  Dispositional hearing. "Dispositional hearing" means
a  hearing to determine whether a minor should be adjudged to
be a ward of the  court,  and  to  determine  what  order  of
disposition  should be made in respect to a minor adjudged to
be a ward of the court.
    (7)  Emancipated minor.  "Emancipated  minor"  means  any
minor  16  years  of  age  or over who has been completely or
partially  emancipated  under  the  "Emancipation  of  Mature
Minors Act", enacted by the Eighty-First General Assembly, or
under this Act.
    (8)  Guardianship of the  person.  "Guardianship  of  the
person" of a minor means the duty and authority to act in the
best  interests  of  the  minor, subject to residual parental
rights and responsibilities, to make important  decisions  in
matters having a permanent effect on the life and development
of  the  minor  and  to  be concerned with his or her general
welfare. It includes but is not necessarily limited to:
         (a)  the  authority  to  consent  to  marriage,   to
    enlistment  in  the armed forces of the United States, or
    to a major medical, psychiatric, and surgical  treatment;
    to  represent  the  minor  in  legal actions; and to make
    other  decisions  of   substantial   legal   significance
    concerning the minor;
         (b)  the    authority   and   duty   of   reasonable
    visitation, except to the extent  that  these  have  been
    limited  in  the  best  interests  of  the minor by court
    order;
         (c)  the  rights  and  responsibilities   of   legal
    custody  except  where  legal  custody has been vested in
    another person or agency; and
         (d)  the power to consent to  the  adoption  of  the
    minor, but only if expressly conferred on the guardian in
    accordance with Section 2-29, 3-30, 4-27 or 5-31.
    (9)  Legal    custody.    "Legal   custody"   means   the
relationship created  by  an  order  of  court  in  the  best
interests  of  the  minor  which imposes on the custodian the
responsibility of physical possession of a minor and the duty
to protect, train and discipline him and to provide him  with
food, shelter, education and ordinary medical care, except as
these   are   limited   by   residual   parental  rights  and
responsibilities and the rights and responsibilities  of  the
guardian of the person, if any.
    (10)  Minor.  "Minor"  means a person under the age of 21
years subject to this Act.
    (11)  Parents. "Parent" means the father or mother  of  a
child  and  includes any adoptive parent.  It also includes a
man (i) the father whose paternity is presumed  or  has  been
established  under the law of this or another jurisdiction or
(ii) who has registered with the Putative Father Registry  in
accordance  with  Section  12.1 of the Adoption Act and whose
paternity has not been ruled out under the  law  of  this  or
another  jurisdiction.   It  does  not include a parent whose
rights in respect to the minor have been  terminated  in  any
manner provided by law.
    (11.1)  "Permanency  goal"  means a goal set by the court
as  defined  in  subdivision  (2)(c)  of  Section   2-28   or
subsection  (c)  of  Section  2-28.01  or  in counties with a
population of 3,000,000 or more, a goal ordered by a judge.
    (11.2)  "Permanency hearing" means a hearing to  set  the
permanency   goal   and  to  review  and  determine  (i)  the
appropriateness   of   the   permanency   goal,   (ii)    the
appropriateness  of  the  services  contained in the plan and
whether those services have been provided, (ii) (iii) whether
reasonable efforts have been made by all the parties  to  the
service  plan to achieve the goal, and (iii) (iv) whether the
plan and goal have been achieved.
    (12)  Petition. "Petition" means  the  petition  provided
for  in  Section  2-13,  3-15,  4-12  or  5-13, including any
supplemental petitions thereunder in Section  3-15,  4-12  or
5-13.
    (13)  Residual   parental  rights  and  responsibilities.
"Residual parental rights and responsibilities"  means  those
rights  and  responsibilities remaining with the parent after
the transfer of legal custody or guardianship of the  person,
including,  but  not  necessarily  limited  to,  the right to
reasonable visitation (which may be limited by the  court  in
the  best  interests  of  the minor as provided in subsection
(8)(b) of this Section), the right to  consent  to  adoption,
the right to determine the minor's religious affiliation, and
the responsibility for his support.
    (14)  Shelter.  "Shelter"  means  the temporary care of a
minor in physically unrestricting  facilities  pending  court
disposition or execution of court order for placement.
    (15)  Station adjustment.  "Station adjustment" means the
informal handling of an alleged offender by a juvenile police
officer.
    (16)  Ward  of  the  court.  "Ward  of the court" means a
minor who is so adjudged under Section 2-22,  3-23,  4-20  or
5-22,  after a finding of the requisite jurisdictional facts,
and thus is subject to the dispositional powers of the  court
under this Act.
    (17)  Juvenile  police officer. "Juvenile police officer"
means a sworn  police  officer  who  has  completed  a  Basic
Recruit Training Course, has been assigned to the position of
juvenile  police  officer by his or her chief law enforcement
officer and has completed  the  necessary  juvenile  officers
training  as  prescribed  by  the  Illinois  Law  Enforcement
Training  Standards  Board,  or in the case of a State police
officer, juvenile officer training approved by  the  Director
of the Department of State Police.
    (18)  "Secure  child  care facility" means any child care
facility licensed by the Department of  Children  and  Family
Services  to  provide secure living arrangements for children
under 18 years  of  age  who  are  subject  to  placement  in
facilities under the Children and Family Services Act and who
are not subject to placement in facilities for whom standards
are  established  by  the  Department  of  Corrections  under
Section  3-15-2  of  the Unified Code of Corrections. "Secure
child care facility" also means a facility that  is  designed
and operated to ensure that all entrances and exists from the
facility,  a building, or a distinct part of the building are
under the exclusive control of the  staff  of  the  facility,
whether  or  not the child has the freedom of movement within
the perimeter of the facility, building, or distinct part  of
the building.
(Source: P.A. 90-28, eff. 1-1-98; 90-87, eff. 9-1-97; revised
11-12-97.)

    (705 ILCS 405/1-5) (from Ch. 37, par. 801-5)
    Sec. 1-5.  Rights of parties to proceedings.
    (1)  Except as provided in this Section and paragraph (2)
of  Sections  2-22,  3-23, 4-20 or 5-22, the minor who is the
subject of the proceeding and his  parents,  guardian,  legal
custodian  or responsible relative who are parties respondent
have the right  to  be  present,  to  be  heard,  to  present
evidence   material  to  the  proceedings,  to  cross-examine
witnesses, to examine pertinent court files and  records  and
also, although proceedings under this Act are not intended to
be  adversary  in  character,  the right to be represented by
counsel.  At the request of any party financially  unable  to
employ  counsel,  with  the  exception  of  a  foster  parent
permitted  to  intervene  under this Section, the court shall
appoint the Public Defender or such other counsel as the case
may require. Counsel appointed for the minor and any indigent
party  shall  appear  at  all  stages  of  the  trial   court
proceeding,  and  such appointment shall continue through the
permanency  hearings  and  termination  of  parental   rights
proceedings subject to withdrawal or substitution pursuant to
Supreme Court Rules or the Code of Civil Procedure. Following
the  dispositional  hearing,  the court may require appointed
counsel, other than counsel for the minor or counsel for  the
guardian  ad  litem,  to  withdraw his or her appearance upon
failure of the party for whom  counsel  was  appointed  under
this Section to attend any subsequent proceedings.
    No hearing on any petition or motion filed under this Act
may  be  commenced unless the minor who is the subject of the
proceeding is represented by counsel.  Each adult  respondent
shall  be furnished a written "Notice of Rights" at or before
the first hearing at which he or she appears.
    (1.5)  The Department shall maintain a system of response
to inquiry made by parents or putative parents as to  whether
their  child  is  under  the  custody  or guardianship of the
Department; and  if  so,  the  Department  shall  direct  the
parents  or  putative  parents  to  the  appropriate court of
jurisdiction, including where inquiry  may  be  made  of  the
clerk  of  the  court  regarding the case number and the next
scheduled court date  of the minor's case.  Effective  notice
and  the means of accessing information shall be given to the
public on a continuing basis by the Department.
    (2) (a)  Though not appointed guardian or legal custodian
or otherwise made a party to the proceeding, any  current  or
previously  appointed foster parent or relative caregiver, or
representative of an agency or association interested in  the
minor  has  the  right to be heard by the court, but does not
thereby become a party to the proceeding.
    In addition to the foregoing right to  be  heard  by  the
court,  any  current foster parent or relative caregiver of a
minor  and  the  agency  designated  by  the  court  or   the
Department  of  Children  and Family Services as custodian of
the minor who is alleged to be or  has  been  adjudicated  an
abused  or  neglected  minor under Section 2-3 or a dependent
minor under Section 2-4 of this Act  has  the  right  to  and
shall  be  given adequate notice at all stages of any hearing
or proceeding under this Act wherein the custody or status of
the minor may  be  changed.   Such  notice  shall  contain  a
statement  regarding  the  nature  and  denomination  of  the
hearing  or  proceeding  to be held, the change in custody or
status of the minor sought to be obtained at such hearing  or
proceeding,  and  the date, time and place of such hearing or
proceeding.  The Department of Children and  Family  Services
or  the  licensed  child  welfare  agency that has placed the
minor with the foster parent shall notify the  clerk  of  the
court  of  the name and address of the current foster parent.
The clerk shall mail the notice by certified mail marked  for
delivery  to  addressee only.  The regular return receipt for
certified mail is sufficient proof of service.
    Any foster parent or relative caregiver who is denied his
or her right to be heard  under  this  Section  may  bring  a
mandamus  action  under  Article  XIV  of  the  Code of Civil
Procedure against the court or any public agency  to  enforce
that  right.   The mandamus action may be brought immediately
upon the denial of those rights but in no event later than 30
days after the foster parent has been denied the right to  be
heard.
    (b)  If  after  an adjudication that a minor is abused or
neglected as provided under Section 2-21 of this  Act  and  a
motion  has  been  made  to  restore the minor to any parent,
guardian, or legal custodian  found  by  the  court  to  have
caused  the  neglect  or  to  have inflicted the abuse on the
minor, a foster parent may file a motion to intervene in  the
proceeding  for the sole purpose of requesting that the minor
be placed with the foster parent, provided  that  the  foster
parent  (i) is the current foster parent of the minor or (ii)
has previously been a foster parent for  the  minor  for  one
year  or more, has a foster care license or is eligible for a
license, and is not the subject of any findings of  abuse  or
neglect  of  any  child.   The  juvenile court may only enter
orders placing a minor with a specific  foster  parent  under
this  subsection  (2)(b) and nothing in this Section shall be
construed to confer any  jurisdiction  or  authority  on  the
juvenile  court  to  issue  any  other  orders  requiring the
appointed guardian or custodian of a minor to place the minor
in a designated foster home or facility.  This Section is not
intended to encompass any matters that are within  the  scope
or  determinable  under the administrative and appeal process
established by rules of the Department of Children and Family
Services under  Section  5(o)  of  the  Children  and  Family
Services  Act.   Nothing  in  this  Section shall relieve the
court of its responsibility, under Section  2-14(a)  of  this
Act  to  act  in a just and speedy manner to reunify families
where it is the best interests of the minor and the child can
be cared for at home without endangering the  child's  health
or  safety and, if reunification is not in the best interests
of the minor, to find another permanent home for  the  minor.
Nothing  in this Section, or in any order issued by the court
with respect to the  placement  of  a  minor  with  a  foster
parent,  shall  impair  the  ability  of  the  Department  of
Children and Family Services, or anyone else authorized under
Section 5 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, to
remove  a  minor  from  the  home  of  a foster parent if the
Department of Children and  Family  Services  or  the  person
removing   the   minor   has   reason  to  believe  that  the
circumstances or  conditions  of  the  minor  are  such  that
continuing in the residence or care of the foster parent will
jeopardize  the  child's  health  and  safety  or  present an
imminent risk of harm to that minor's life.
    (c)  If a foster parent has had  the  minor  who  is  the
subject of the proceeding under Article II in his or her home
for  more  than  one year on or after July 3, 1994 and if the
minor's  placement  is  being  terminated  from  that  foster
parent's home, that foster parent  shall  have  standing  and
intervenor  status  except  in  those circumstances where the
Department of Children and Family  Services  or  anyone  else
authorized  under Section 5 of the Abused and Neglected Child
Reporting Act has removed the minor from  the  foster  parent
because  of  a  reasonable  belief  that the circumstances or
conditions of the minor  are  such  that  continuing  in  the
residence  or  care  of the foster parent will jeopardize the
child's health or safety or presents an imminent risk of harm
to the minor's life.
    (d)  The court may grant standing to any foster parent if
the court finds that it is in the best interest of the  child
for the foster parent to have standing and intervenor status.
    (3)  Parties   respondent   are  entitled  to  notice  in
compliance with Sections 2-15 and 2-16, 3-17 and  3-18,  4-14
and  4-15  or  5-15  and  5-16,  as appropriate. At the first
appearance before  the  court  by  the  minor,  his  parents,
guardian,  custodian or responsible relative, the court shall
explain the nature of the proceedings and inform the  parties
of their rights under the first 2 paragraphs of this Section.
    If  the  child  is  alleged  to  be  abused, neglected or
dependent, the court shall admonish the parents that  if  the
court declares the child to be a ward of the court and awards
custody  or  guardianship  to  the Department of Children and
Family  Services,  the  parents  must  cooperate   with   the
Department  of  Children and Family Services, comply with the
terms of the service plans, and correct the  conditions  that
require the child to be in care, or risk termination of their
parental rights.
    Upon  an  adjudication  of  wardship  of  the court under
Sections 2-22, 3-23, 4-20 or 5-22, the court shall inform the
parties of their right to appeal therefrom as  well  as  from
any other final judgment of the court.
    When   the  court  finds  that  a  child  is  an  abused,
neglected, or dependent minor under Section 2-21,  the  court
shall  admonish  the  parents that the parents must cooperate
with the Department of Children and Family  Services,  comply
with  the  terms  of  the  service  plans,  and  correct  the
conditions  that  require  the  child  to be in care, or risk
termination of their parental rights.
    When the court declares a child to be a ward of the court
and awards guardianship to the  Department  of  Children  and
Family  Services under Section 2-22, the court shall admonish
the parents, guardian,  custodian,  or  responsible  relative
that  the  parents  must  cooperate  with  the  Department of
Children and Family Services, comply with the  terms  of  the
service  plans,  and  correct the conditions that require the
child to be in care, or risk termination  of  their  parental
rights.
    (4)  No  sanction may be applied against the minor who is
the subject of the proceedings by reason of  his  refusal  or
failure to testify in the course of any hearing held prior to
final adjudication under Section 2-22, 3-23, 4-20 or 5-22.
    (5)  In  the  discretion  of  the court, the minor may be
excluded from any part or parts of  a  dispositional  hearing
and,  with  the  consent  of the parent or parents, guardian,
counsel or a guardian ad litem, from any part or parts of  an
adjudicatory hearing.
    (6)  The general public except for the news media and the
victim shall be excluded from any hearing and, except for the
persons  specified  in  this  Section only persons, including
representatives of agencies  and  associations,  who  in  the
opinion of the court have a direct interest in the case or in
the  work  of  the  court  shall  be admitted to the hearing.
However, the court may, for the minor's safety and protection
and for good cause  shown,  prohibit  any  person  or  agency
present   in   court  from  further  disclosing  the  minor's
identity.
    (7)  A party shall not be entitled to exercise the  right
to  a substitution of a judge without cause under subdivision
(a)(2) of Section 2-1001 of the Code of Civil Procedure in  a
proceeding  under this Act if the judge is currently assigned
to a proceeding involving  the  alleged  abuse,  neglect,  or
dependency  of  the  minor's sibling or half sibling and that
judge  has  made  a  substantive  ruling  in  the  proceeding
involving the minor's sibling or half sibling.
(Source: P.A. 89-235, eff. 8-4-95; 90-27, eff. 1-1-98; 90-28,
eff. 1-1-98.)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-13) (from Ch. 37, par. 802-13)
    Sec. 2-13.  Petition.
    (1)  Any adult person, any agency or association  by  its
representative  may  file,  or  the  court on its own motion,
consistent with the health, safety and best interests of  the
minor may direct the filing through the State's Attorney of a
petition  in respect of a minor under this Act.  The petition
and all subsequent court documents shall be entitled "In  the
interest of ...., a minor".
    (2)  The  petition  shall  be verified but the statements
may be made upon information and  belief.   It  shall  allege
that  the  minor  is  abused,  neglected,  or dependent, with
citations to the appropriate provisions of this Act, and  set
forth  (a)  facts sufficient to bring the minor under Section
2-3 or 2-4 and to inform respondents of the cause of  action,
including,  but not limited to, a plain and concise statement
of the factual allegations that form the basis for the filing
of the petition; (b) the  name,  age  and  residence  of  the
minor;  (c)  the names and residences of his parents; (d) the
name and residence of his legal guardian  or  the  person  or
persons  having  custody  or  control of the minor, or of the
nearest known relative if no parent or guardian can be found;
and (e) if the  minor  upon  whose  behalf  the  petition  is
brought  is  sheltered  in  custody,  the  date on which such
temporary custody was ordered by the court or  the  date  set
for  a  temporary custody hearing. If any of the facts herein
required are not known by the petitioner, the petition  shall
so state.
    (3)  The  petition  must  allege  that  it is in the best
interests of the minor and of the public that he be  adjudged
a  ward  of  the  court  and  may  pray  generally for relief
available under this Act. The petition need not  specify  any
proposed disposition following adjudication of wardship.
    (4)  If termination of parental rights and appointment of
a guardian of the person with power to consent to adoption of
the minor under Section 2-29 is sought, the petition shall so
state.  If the petition includes this request, the prayer for
relief  shall  clearly  and  obviously state that the parents
could permanently lose their  rights  as  a  parent  at  this
hearing.
    In  addition to the foregoing, the petitioner, by motion,
may  request  the  termination   of   parental   rights   and
appointment of a guardian of the person with power to consent
to adoption of the minor under Section 2-29 at any time after
the entry of a dispositional order under Section 2-22.
    (4.5) (a)  With  respect  to  any minors committed to its
care pursuant to this Act, the  Department  of  Children  and
Family  Services shall request the State's Attorney to file a
petition or motion for termination  of  parental  rights  and
appointment  of  guardian of the person with power to consent
to adoption of the minor under Section 2-29 if:
         (i)  a minor has been in foster care,  as  described
    in  subsection  (b),  for 15 months of the most recent 22
    months; or
         (ii)  a minor under the age  of  2  years  has  been
    previously  determined to be abandoned at an adjudicatory
    hearing; or
         (iii)  the parent is  criminally  convicted  of  (A)
    first degree murder or second degree murder of any child,
    (B)  attempt  or conspiracy to commit first degree murder
    or second degree murder of any child, (C) solicitation to
    commit murder of any child, solicitation to commit murder
    for hire of any child, or solicitation to  commit  second
    degree  murder  of  any  child,  (D)  aggravated battery,
    aggravated  battery  of  a  child,  or  felony   domestic
    battery,  any  of which has resulted in serious injury to
    the minor or a  sibling  of  the  minor,  (E)  aggravated
    criminal  sexual  assault  in  violation  of  subdivision
    (b)(1)  of Section 12-14 of the Criminal Code of 1961, or
    (F) an offense in any other state the elements  of  which
    are similar and bear a substantial relationship to any of
    the foregoing offenses
unless:
         (i)  the child is being cared for by a relative,
         (ii)  the Department has documented in the case plan
    a  compelling  reason  for  determining  that filing such
    petition would not be in the best interests of the child,
         (iii)  the court has found within the  preceding  12
    months  that the Department has failed to make reasonable
    efforts to reunify the child and family, or
         (iv)  paragraph  (c)  of   this   subsection   (4.5)
    provides otherwise.
    (b)  For   purposes  of  this  subsection,  the  date  of
entering foster care is defined as the earlier of:
         (1)  The  date  of  a   judicial   finding   at   an
    adjudicatory   hearing  that  the  child  is  an  abused,
    neglected, or dependent minor; or
         (2)  60 days after the date on which  the  child  is
    removed  from  his  or  her  parent,  guardian,  or legal
    custodian.
    (c)  With respect  to  paragraph  (a)(i),  the  following
transition rules shall apply:
         (1)  If the child entered foster care after November
    19,  1997  and  this  amendatory Act of 1998 takes effect
    before the child has been in foster care for 15 months of
    the preceding 22 months, then the Department shall comply
    with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subsection
    (4.5) for that child as soon as the  child  has  been  in
    foster care for 15 of the preceding 22 months.
         (2)  If the child entered foster care after November
    19,  1997  and  this  amendatory Act of 1998 takes effect
    after the child has been in foster care  for  15  of  the
    preceding  22  months,  then  the Department shall comply
    with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subsection
    (4.5) for that child within 3 months after the end of the
    next regular session of the General Assembly.
         (3)  If the  child  entered  foster  care  prior  to
    November  19, 1997, then the Department shall comply with
    the requirements of  paragraph  (a)  of  this  subsection
    (4.5) for that child in accordance with Department policy
    or rule.
    (d)  If   the   State's   Attorney  determines  that  the
Department's request for  filing  of  a  petition  or  motion
conforms  to  the requirements set forth in subdivisions (a),
(b), and (c) of  this  subsection  (4.5),  then  the  State's
Attorney shall file the petition or motion as requested.
    (5)  The  court  shall  liberally allow the petitioner to
amend the petition to set forth a cause of action or to  add,
amend,  or supplement factual allegations that form the basis
for  a  cause  of  action  up  until  14  days   before   the
adjudicatory  hearing.  The petitioner may amend the petition
after that date and prior to the adjudicatory hearing if  the
court grants leave to amend upon a showing of good cause. The
court may allow amendment of the petition to conform with the
evidence  at any time prior to ruling.  In all cases in which
the court has granted leave to amend based on new evidence or
new allegations, the court shall  permit  the  respondent  an
adequate  opportunity  to  prepare  a  defense to the amended
petition.
    (6)  At any time before  dismissal  of  the  petition  or
before final closing and discharge under Section 2-31, one or
more motions in the best interests of the minor may be filed.
The  motion  shall specify sufficient facts in support of the
relief requested.
(Source: P.A. 89-704, eff. 8-16-97 (changed  from  1-1-98  by
P.A. 90-443); 90-28, eff. 1-1-98.)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-13.1 new)
    Sec. 2-13.1.  Early termination of reasonable efforts.
    (1) (a)  In  conjunction  with, or at any time subsequent
to, the filing  of  a  petition  on  behalf  of  a  minor  in
accordance  with  Section  2-13  of  this  Act,  the  State's
Attorney,  the  guardian  ad  litem,  or  the  Department  of
Children  and  Family Services may file a motion requesting a
finding that reasonable efforts to reunify  that  minor  with
his  or  her parent or parents are no longer required and are
to cease.
    (b)  The court shall grant this motion with respect to  a
parent  of  the minor if the court finds after a hearing that
the parent has:
         (i)  had his or her parental rights to another child
    of the parent involuntarily terminated; or
         (ii)  been convicted of:
              (A)  first degree or second  degree  murder  of
         another child of the parent;
              (B)  attempt  or  conspiracy  to  commit  first
         degree  or  second degree murder of another child of
         the parent;
              (C)  solicitation to commit murder  of  another
         child  of  the parent, solicitation to commit murder
         for  hire  of  another  child  of  the  parent,   or
         solicitation  to  commit  second  degree  murder  of
         another child of the parent;
              (D)  aggravated  battery, aggravated battery of
         a child, or felony domestic battery,  any  of  which
         has  resulted  in serious bodily injury to the minor
         or another child of the parent; or
              (E)  an offense in any other state the elements
         of  which   are   similar   and   bear   substantial
         relationship to any of the foregoing offenses
unless  the  court  sets forth in writing a compelling reason
why terminating reasonable efforts to reunify the minor  with
the parent would not be in the best interests of that minor.
    (c)  The  court shall also grant this motion with respect
to a parent of the minor if:
         (i)  after a  hearing  it  determines  that  further
    reunification  services  would  no longer be appropriate,
    and
         (ii)  a  dispositional  hearing  has  already  taken
    place.
    (2) (a)  The court shall hold a permanency hearing within
30 days of granting a motion pursuant to this subsection.  If
an adjudicatory or a dispositional hearing, or both, has  not
taken  place  when the court grants a motion pursuant to this
Section, then either or both hearings shall be held as needed
so that both take place on or before the  date  a  permanency
hearing is held pursuant to this subsection.
    (b)  Following  a  permanency  hearing  held  pursuant to
paragraph (a) of this subsection, the appointed custodian  or
guardian  of the minor shall make reasonable efforts to place
the child in accordance with the permanency plan and goal set
by the court, and to complete the necessary steps  to  locate
and finalize a permanent placement.

    (705 ILCS 405/2-14) (from Ch. 37, par. 802-14)
    Sec. 2-14.  Date for Adjudicatory Hearing.
    (a)  Purpose and policy.  The legislature recognizes that
serious  delay  in  the  adjudication  of  abuse, neglect, or
dependency cases can cause grave harm to the  minor  and  the
family  and  that  it  frustrates the health, safety and best
interests of the minor and the effort to establish  permanent
homes  for  children in need.  The purpose of this Section is
to  insure  that,  consistent  with  the   federal   Adoption
Assistance  and Child Welfare Act of 1980, Public Law 96-272,
as amended, and the intent of this Act, the State of Illinois
will act in a just and speedy manner to  determine  the  best
interests of the minor, including providing for the safety of
the  minor, identifying families in need, reunifying families
where the minor can be cared for at home without  endangering
the  minor's health or safety and it is in the best interests
of the minor, and, if reunification is  not  consistent  with
the  health,  safety and best interests of the minor, finding
another permanent home for the minor.
    (b)  When a petition is filed alleging that the minor  is
abused, neglected or dependent, an adjudicatory hearing shall
be commenced within 90 days of the date of service of process
upon   the   minor,  parents,  any  guardian  and  any  legal
custodian, unless an earlier date  is  required  pursuant  to
Section  2-13.1.   Once  commenced,  subsequent  delay in the
proceedings may be allowed by the  court  when  necessary  to
ensure a fair hearing.
    (c)  Upon  written  motion of a party filed no later than
10 days prior to hearing, or upon the court's own motion  and
only for good cause shown, the Court may continue the hearing
for  a  period  not  to  exceed  30  days,  and  only  if the
continuance is consistent with the health,  safety  and  best
interests of the minor.  When the court grants a continuance,
it  shall  enter  specific  factual  findings  to support its
order, including  factual  findings  supporting  the  court's
determination  that  the continuance is in the best interests
of the minor. Only one such continuance shall be  granted.  A
period  of  continuance  for  good cause as described in this
Section shall temporarily suspend as to all parties, for  the
time  of the delay, the period within which a hearing must be
held. On the day of the expiration of the delay,  the  period
shall continue at the point at which it was suspended.
    The term "good cause" as applied in this Section shall be
strictly  construed  and  be in accordance with Supreme Court
Rule 231 (a) through (f). Neither stipulation by counsel  nor
the convenience of any party constitutes good cause.   If the
adjudicatory  hearing  is  not  heard  within the time limits
required by subsection (b)  or  (c)  of  this  Section,  upon
motion  by  any party the petition shall be dismissed without
prejudice.
    (d)  The time limits of this Section may be  waived  only
by consent of all parties and approval by the court.
    (e)  For   all  cases  filed  before  July  1,  1991,  an
adjudicatory hearing must, be held within 180 days of July 1,
1991.
(Source: P.A. 88-7; 90-28, eff. 1-1-98; 90-456, eff.  1-1-98;
revised 11-17-97.)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-15) (from Ch. 37, par. 802-15)
    Sec. 2-15.  Summons.
    (1)  When  a  petition  is  filed, the clerk of the court
shall issue a summons with a copy of the  petition  attached.
The  summons  shall be directed to the minor's legal guardian
or custodian and to each person named as a respondent in  the
petition, except that summons need not be directed to a minor
respondent under 8 years of age for whom the court appoints a
guardian  ad litem if the guardian ad litem appears on behalf
of the minor in any proceeding under this Act.
    (2)  The summons must contain a statement that the  minor
or  any  of  the  respondents is entitled to have an attorney
present at the hearing on the petition, and that the clerk of
the court should be notified promptly if  the  minor  or  any
other respondent desires to be represented by an attorney but
is financially unable to employ counsel.
    (3)  The  summons  shall  be issued under the seal of the
court, attested in and signed with the name of the  clerk  of
the  court,  dated on the day it is issued, and shall require
each respondent to appear and answer the petition on the date
set for the adjudicatory hearing.  The summons shall  contain
a  notice  that  the  parties will not be entitled to further
written notices or publication notices of proceedings in this
case, including the filing of an amended petition or a motion
to terminate parental rights, except as required  by  Supreme
Court Rule 11.
    (4)  The  summons  may  be  served by any county sheriff,
coroner or probation officer, even though the officer is  the
petitioner.  The  return  of  the summons with endorsement of
service by the officer is sufficient proof thereof.
    (5)  Service of a summons and petition shall be made  by:
(a)  leaving a copy thereof with the person summoned at least
3 days before the time stated  therein  for  appearance;  (b)
leaving  a  copy at his usual place of abode with some person
of the family, of  the  age  of  10  years  or  upwards,  and
informing  that  person of the contents thereof, provided the
officer or other person making service shall also send a copy
of the summons  in  a  sealed  envelope  with  postage  fully
prepaid,  addressed to the person summoned at his usual place
of abode, at least 3 days before the time stated therein  for
appearance;  or  (c) leaving a copy thereof with the guardian
or custodian of a minor, at least  3  days  before  the  time
stated  therein for appearance.  If the guardian or custodian
is an agency of the State of Illinois, proper service may  be
made  by  leaving a copy of the summons and petition with any
administrative employee of such  agency  designated  by  such
agency  to  accept  service  of  summons  and  petitions. The
certificate of the officer or affidavit of the person that he
has sent the copy pursuant  to  this  Section  is  sufficient
proof of service.
    (6)  When  a  parent  or  other  person, who has signed a
written promise to appear and bring the minor to court or who
has waived or acknowledged service, fails to appear with  the
minor  on  the  date set by the court, a bench warrant may be
issued for the parent or other person, the minor, or both.
    (7)  The appearance of  the  minor's  legal  guardian  or
custodian,  or  a person named as a respondent in a petition,
in any proceeding under this Act shall constitute a waiver of
service of summons and submission to the jurisdiction of  the
court,  except  that  the  filing  of  a  special  appearance
authorized under Section 2-301 of the Code of Civil Procedure
does  not  constitute an appearance under this subsection.  A
copy of the summons and petition shall  be  provided  to  the
person at the time of his appearance.
    (8)  Notice  to  a parent who has appeared or been served
with summons personally or by certified mail, and for whom an
order of  default  has  been  entered  on  the  petition  for
wardship  and  has  not  been  set aside shall be provided in
accordance with Supreme Court Rule 11.  Notice  to  a  parent
who  was  served  by  publication  and  for  whom an order of
default has been entered on the petition for wardship and has
not been set aside shall be provided in accordance with  this
Section and Section 2-16.
(Source: P.A. 90-27, eff. 1-1-98; 90-28, eff. 1-1-98.)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-16) (from Ch. 37, par. 802-16)
    Sec. 2-16.  Notice by certified mail or publication.
    (1)  If  service  on  individuals  as provided in Section
2-15 is not made on any respondent within a  reasonable  time
or  if  it  appears  that  any respondent resides outside the
State, service may be made by certified mail.  In  such  case
the  clerk  shall mail the summons and a copy of the petition
to that respondent by certified mail marked for  delivery  to
addressee  only.   The  court  shall  not  proceed  with  the
adjudicatory  hearing  until  5 days after such mailing.  The
regular return receipt for certified mail is sufficient proof
of service.
    (2)  Where a respondent's usual place  of  abode  is  not
known,  a  diligent  inquiry  shall  be made to ascertain the
respondent's current and last known address.  The  Department
of  Children  and  Family Services shall adopt rules defining
the requirements for conducting a diligent search  to  locate
parents of minors in the custody of the Department. If, after
diligent  inquiry  made  at  any time within the preceding 12
months,  the  usual  place  of  abode  cannot  be  reasonably
ascertained, or  if  respondent  is  concealing  his  or  her
whereabouts   to   avoid  service  of  process,  petitioner's
attorney shall file an affidavit at the office of  the  clerk
of  court  in  which  the  action  is  pending  showing  that
respondent  on  due  inquiry cannot be found or is concealing
his or her whereabouts so that process cannot be served.  The
affidavit  shall  state  the  last  known  address   of   the
respondent.  The affidavit shall also state what efforts were
made to effectuate service. Within 3 days of receipt  of  the
affidavit,  the  clerk  shall  issue  publication  service as
provided below.  The clerk shall also send a copy thereof  by
mail  addressed to each respondent listed in the affidavit at
his or her last known address. The clerk of the court as soon
as possible shall cause publication to  be  made  once  in  a
newspaper  of  general  circulation  in  the county where the
action is pending.  Notice by publication is not required  in
any case when the person alleged to have legal custody of the
minor has been served with summons personally or by certified
mail,  but  the  court  may  not  enter any order or judgment
against any person who cannot be served  with  process  other
than  by publication unless notice by publication is given or
unless that person appears.  When a minor has been  sheltered
under  Section  2-10  of  this  Act  and summons has not been
served personally or by certified mail within  20  days  from
the  date  of the order of court directing such shelter care,
the clerk of the court shall cause  publication.   Notice  by
publication shall be substantially as follows:
    "A,  B,  C,  D,  (here  giving  the  names  of  the named
respondents, if any) and to All Whom It May Concern (if there
is any respondent under that designation):
    Take notice that on  the  ....   day  of  ....,  19..   a
petition  was  filed under the Juvenile Court Act by ....  in
the circuit court of .... county entitled 'In the interest of
...., a minor', and that in .... courtroom at  ....   on  the
....  day of ....  at the hour of ...., or as soon thereafter
as  this  cause may be heard, an adjudicatory hearing will be
held upon the petition to have the child  declared  to  be  a
ward of the court under that Act.  THE COURT HAS AUTHORITY IN
THIS PROCEEDING TO TAKE FROM YOU THE CUSTODY AND GUARDIANSHIP
OF  THE  MINOR,  TO  TERMINATE  YOUR  PARENTAL RIGHTS, AND TO
APPOINT A GUARDIAN WITH POWER TO CONSENT TO  ADOPTION.    YOU
MAY  LOSE ALL PARENTAL RIGHTS TO YOUR CHILD.  IF THE PETITION
REQUESTS THE TERMINATION OF  YOUR  PARENTAL  RIGHTS  AND  THE
APPOINTMENT  OF A GUARDIAN WITH POWER TO CONSENT TO ADOPTION,
YOU MAY LOSE ALL PARENTAL RIGHTS TO THE CHILD.    Unless  you
appear you will not be entitled to further written notices or
publication   notices   of  the  proceedings  in  this  case,
including the filing of an amended petition or  a  motion  to
terminate parental rights.
    Now,  unless  you  appear  at  the hearing and show cause
against the petition, the allegations  of  the  petition  may
stand  admitted  as against you and each of you, and an order
or judgment entered.
                                       ......................
                                               Clerk
Dated (the date of publication)"
    (3)  The clerk shall also at the time of the  publication
of  the  notice  send  a  copy thereof by mail to each of the
respondents on account of whom publication is made at his  or
her last known address.  The certificate of the clerk that he
or  she  has mailed the notice is evidence thereof.  No other
publication notice is required.  Every respondent notified by
publication under this Section must appear and answer in open
court at the hearing.  The court may  not  proceed  with  the
adjudicatory   hearing   until   10  days  after  service  by
publication on any parent, guardian or legal custodian in the
case of a minor described in Section 2-3 or 2-4.
    (4)  If it becomes necessary to change the date  set  for
the hearing in order to comply with Section 2-14 or with this
Section,  notice  of the resetting of the date must be given,
by  certified  mail  or  other  reasonable  means,  to   each
respondent  who has been served with summons personally or by
certified mail.
    (5)  Notice to a parent who has appeared or  been  served
with summons personally or by certified mail, and for whom an
order  of  default  has  been  entered  on  the  petition for
wardship and has not been set  aside  shall  be  provided  in
accordance  with  Supreme  Court Rule 11.  Notice to a parent
who was served by  publication  and  for  whom  an  order  of
default has been entered on the petition for wardship and has
not  been set aside shall be provided in accordance with this
Section and Section 2-15.
(Source: P.A. 90-27, eff. 1-1-98; 90-28, eff. 1-1-98.)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-17.1)
    Sec. 2-17.1.  Court appointed special advocate.
    (1)  The court may appoint a special  advocate  upon  the
filing of a petition under this Article or at any time during
the  pendency  of  a proceeding under this Article. Except in
counties  with  a  population  over  3,000,000,   the   court
appointed  special  advocate  may  also  serve as guardian ad
litem by appointment of the court under Section 2-17 of  this
Act.
    (2)  The  court appointed special advocate shall act as a
monitor and shall be  notified  of  all  administrative  case
reviews  pertaining  to  the minor and work with the parties'
attorneys, the guardian ad litem, and others assigned to  the
minor's  case  to protect the minor's health, safety and best
interests and insure the proper  delivery  of  child  welfare
services.   The   court  may  consider,  at  its  discretion,
testimony of the court appointed special advocate  pertaining
to the well-being of the child.
    (3)  Court  appointed  special  advocates  shall serve as
volunteers without compensation and  shall  receive  training
consistent with nationally developed standards.
    (4)  No   person  convicted  of  a  criminal  offense  as
specified in Section 4.2 of the Child Care Act of 1969 and no
person identified as a perpetrator of an act of  child  abuse
or  neglect  as  reflected  in the Department of Children and
Family Services State Central Register shall serve as a court
appointed special advocate.
    (5)  All costs associated with the appointment and duties
of the court appointed special advocate shall be paid by  the
court  appointed special advocate or an organization of court
appointed special advocates. In  no  event  shall  the  court
appointed  special  advocate  be  liable  for  any  costs  of
services provided to the child.
    (6)  The  court  may  remove  the court appointed special
advocate or the guardian ad litem from a  case  upon  finding
that  the court appointed special advocate or the guardian ad
litem has acted in a manner  contrary  to  the  child's  best
interest or if the court otherwise deems continued service is
unwanted or unnecessary.
    (7) (a)  In  any  county  in  which  a  program  of court
appointed special advocates is in operation,  the  provisions
of  this  Section shall apply unless the county board of that
county, by resolution, determines that the county  shall  not
be governed by this Section.
    (8)  Any  court appointed special advocate acting in good
faith within the scope of his or her appointment  shall  have
immunity  from any civil or criminal liability that otherwise
might result by reason of his or her actions, except in cases
of willful and wanton misconduct.  For  the  purpose  of  any
civil  or  criminal  proceedings, the good faith of any court
appointed special advocate shall be presumed.
(Source: P.A. 90-28, eff. 1-1-98.)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-18) (from Ch. 37, par. 802-18)
    Sec. 2-18. Evidence.
    (1)  At the adjudicatory hearing, the court  shall  first
consider  only  the  question  whether  the  minor is abused,
neglected or dependent.  The standard of proof and the  rules
of  evidence in the nature of civil proceedings in this State
are applicable to proceedings under  this  Article.   If  the
petition  also  seeks  the  appointment  of a guardian of the
person with power to consent to adoption of the  minor  under
Section  2-29, the court may also consider legally admissible
evidence at the adjudicatory hearing that one or more grounds
of unfitness exists under subdivision D of Section 1  of  the
Adoption Act.
    (2)  In  any  hearing under this Act, the following shall
constitute prima facie evidence of abuse or neglect,  as  the
case may be:
         (a)  proof  that  a minor has a medical diagnosis of
    battered child syndrome is prima facie evidence of abuse;
         (b)  proof that a minor has a medical  diagnosis  of
    failure  to  thrive  syndrome  is prima facie evidence of
    neglect;
         (c)  proof that a minor has a medical  diagnosis  of
    fetal   alcohol  syndrome  is  prima  facie  evidence  of
    neglect;
         (d)  proof that a minor has a medical  diagnosis  at
    birth   of   withdrawal   symptoms   from   narcotics  or
    barbiturates is prima facie evidence of neglect;
         (e)  proof of injuries sustained by a  minor  or  of
    the  condition  of  a  minor  of  such  a nature as would
    ordinarily not be sustained or exist except by reason  of
    the  acts  or  omissions  of  the  parent,  custodian  or
    guardian  of  such minor shall be prima facie evidence of
    abuse or neglect, as the case may be;
         (f)  proof that a parent, custodian or guardian of a
    minor repeatedly used a drug, to the extent that  it  has
    or  would  ordinarily have the effect of producing in the
    user a  substantial  state  of  stupor,  unconsciousness,
    intoxication,     hallucination,     disorientation    or
    incompetence, or a substantial impairment of judgment, or
    a substantial manifestation of  irrationality,  shall  be
    prima facie evidence of neglect;
         (g)  proof  that a parent, custodian, or guardian of
    a  minor  repeatedly  used  a  controlled  substance,  as
    defined in subsection (f) of Section 102 of the  Illinois
    Controlled  Substances  Act, in the presence of the minor
    or a sibling of the minor  is  prima  facie  evidence  of
    neglect.    "Repeated  use",  for  the  purpose  of  this
    subsection, means more  than  one  use  of  a  controlled
    substance  as defined in subsection (f) of Section 102 of
    the Illinois Controlled Substances Act;
         (h)  proof that a newborn infant's blood, urine,  or
    meconium contains any amount of a controlled substance as
    defined  in subsection (f) of Section 102 of the Illinois
    Controlled  Substances  Act,  or  a   metabolite   of   a
    controlled  substance,  with  the exception of controlled
    substances  or  metabolites  of  those  substances,   the
    presence  of  which  is  the  result of medical treatment
    administered to the mother or the newborn, is prime facie
    evidence of neglect.
    (3)  In any hearing under this Act, proof of  the  abuse,
neglect  or  dependency  of  one  minor  shall  be admissible
evidence on the issue of the abuse, neglect or dependency  of
any other minor for whom the respondent is responsible.
    (4) (a)  Any  writing, record, photograph or x-ray of any
hospital or public or private agency, whether in the form  of
an  entry  in  a  book  or otherwise, made as a memorandum or
record of any  condition,  act,  transaction,  occurrence  or
event  relating to a minor in an abuse, neglect or dependency
proceeding, shall be admissible in evidence as proof of  that
condition,  act,  transaction,  occurrence  or  event, if the
court finds that the document was made in the regular  course
of  the business of the hospital or agency and that it was in
the regular course of such business to make it, at  the  time
of  the  act,  transaction,  occurrence or event, or within a
reasonable time thereafter.  A certification by the  head  or
responsible  employee  of  the  hospital  or  agency that the
writing, record, photograph or x-ray is the full and complete
record of the  condition,  act,  transaction,  occurrence  or
event  and that it satisfies the conditions of this paragraph
shall be prima facie evidence of the facts contained in  such
certification.   A  certification  by  someone other than the
head of the hospital or agency  shall  be  accompanied  by  a
photocopy  of  a  delegation  of authority signed by both the
head of the hospital or agency and by  such  other  employee.
All  other  circumstances  of  the  making of the memorandum,
record, photograph  or  x-ray,  including  lack  of  personal
knowledge of the maker, may be proved to affect the weight to
be   accorded   such  evidence,  but  shall  not  affect  its
admissibility.
    (b)  Any indicated report filed pursuant  to  the  Abused
and  Neglected  Child  Reporting  Act  shall be admissible in
evidence.
    (c)  Previous statements made by the  minor  relating  to
any  allegations  of  abuse or neglect shall be admissible in
evidence.  However, no such statement, if uncorroborated  and
not  subject  to  cross-examination,  shall  be sufficient in
itself to support a finding of abuse or neglect.
    (d)  There shall be a rebuttable presumption that a minor
is competent to testify in abuse or neglect proceedings.  The
court shall determine how much weight to give to the  minor's
testimony,  and  may  allow  the minor to testify in chambers
with only the court, the court reporter and attorneys for the
parties present.
    (e)  The privileged character  of  communication  between
any   professional  person  and  patient  or  client,  except
privilege between attorney and client,  shall  not  apply  to
proceedings subject to this Article.
    (f)  Proof  of  the  impairment  of  emotional  health or
impairment of mental or emotional condition as  a  result  of
the failure of the respondent to exercise a minimum degree of
care  toward  a minor may include competent opinion or expert
testimony,  and  may  include  proof  that  such   impairment
lessened  during  a  period  when  the minor was in the care,
custody or supervision of a person or agency other  than  the
respondent.
    (5)  In  any  hearing under this Act alleging neglect for
failure  to  provide  education  as  required  by  law  under
subsection (1) of Section 2-3, proof that a  minor  under  13
years  of  age who is subject to compulsory school attendance
under the School Code is a chronic truant  as  defined  under
the  School  Code shall be prima facie evidence of neglect by
the parent or guardian in any  hearing  under  this  Act  and
proof  that  a  minor  who is 13 years of age or older who is
subject to compulsory school attendance under the School Code
is a chronic truant shall raise a rebuttable  presumption  of
neglect by the parent or guardian.  This subsection (5) shall
not apply in counties with 2,000,000 or more inhabitants.
    (6)  In  any  hearing  under this Act, the court may take
judicial notice of prior sworn testimony or evidence admitted
in prior proceedings involving the  same  minor  if  (a)  the
parties  were  either  represented  by  counsel at such prior
proceedings or the right to counsel was knowingly waived  and
(b)  the  taking  of  judicial  notice  would  not  result in
admitting hearsay  evidence  at  a  hearing  where  it  would
otherwise be prohibited.
(Source:  P.A.  88-343;  89-704,  eff.  8-16-97 (changed from
1-1-98 by P.A. 90-443).)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-21) (from Ch. 37, par. 802-21)
    Sec. 2-21. Findings and adjudication.
    (1)  The court shall state for the record the  manner  in
which  the parties received service of process and shall note
whether the return  or  returns  of  service,  postal  return
receipt   or  receipts  for  notice  by  certified  mail,  or
certificate or certificates of publication have been filed in
the court record.  The  court  shall  enter  any  appropriate
orders  of  default  against any parent who has been properly
served in any manner and fails to appear.
    No further service of process as defined in Sections 2-15
and 2-16 is required  in  any  subsequent  proceeding  for  a
parent  who  was  properly  served  in  any manner, except as
required by Supreme Court Rule 11.
    The caseworker shall testify about  the  diligent  search
conducted for the parent.
    After  hearing  the  evidence  the  court shall determine
whether or not the minor is abused, neglected, or  dependent.
If  it  finds  that the minor is not such a person, the court
shall order the petition dismissed and the minor  discharged.
The  court's  determination  of  whether the minor is abused,
neglected, or dependent shall be stated in writing  with  the
factual basis supporting that determination.
    If  the  court finds that the minor is abused, neglected,
or dependent, the court  shall  then  determine  and  put  in
writing  the factual basis supporting that the determination,
and specify, to the extent possible, the acts or omissions or
both of each parent, guardian, or legal custodian  that  form
the  basis  of  the  court's  findings  of whether the abuse,
neglect, or dependency is the result of physical abuse to the
minor inflicted by a parent, guardian,  or  legal  custodian.
That finding shall appear in the order of the court.
    If  the  court  finds  that  the  child  has been abused,
neglected or dependent, the court shall admonish the  parents
that  they must cooperate with the Department of Children and
Family Services, comply with the terms of the  service  plan,
and  correct  the  conditions that require the child to be in
care, or risk termination of parental rights.
    If the court  determines  that  a  person  has  inflicted
physical or sexual abuse upon a minor, the court shall report
that  determination  to the Department of State Police, which
shall include that information in its report to the President
of the school board for a school  district  that  requests  a
criminal  background investigation of that person as required
under Section 10-21.9 or 34-18.5 of the School Code.
    (2)  If, pursuant to subsection (1) of this Section,  the
court  determines  and  puts  in  writing  the  factual basis
supporting the determination that the minor is either  abused
or  neglected  or  dependent, the court shall then set a time
not later than 30 days after the entry of the finding  for  a
dispositional  hearing  (unless  an  earlier date is required
pursuant to Section 2-13.1) to  be  conducted  under  Section
2-22 at which hearing the court shall determine whether it is
consistent  with the health, safety and best interests of the
minor and the public that he be made a ward of the court.  To
assist the court in making this and other  determinations  at
the  dispositional  hearing,  the  court  may  order  that an
investigation be conducted  and  a  dispositional  report  be
prepared  concerning  the minor's physical and mental history
and condition,  family  situation  and  background,  economic
status,  education,  occupation,  history  of  delinquency or
criminality, personal habits, and any other information  that
may  be  helpful to the court.  The dispositional hearing may
be continued once for a period not to exceed 30 days  if  the
court  finds  that  such continuance is necessary to complete
the dispositional report.
    (3)  The time limits of this Section may be  waived  only
by  consent  of  all  parties  and  approval by the court, as
determined to be consistent with the health, safety and  best
interests of the minor.
    (4)  For all cases adjudicated prior to July 1, 1991, for
which  no  dispositional  hearing has been held prior to that
date, a dispositional hearing under  Section  2-22  shall  be
held within 90 days of July 1, 1991.
    (5)  The  court  may  terminate  the parental rights of a
parent at the initial dispositional hearing  if  all  of  the
following conditions are met:
         (i)  the  original  or  amended  petition contains a
    request  for   termination   of   parental   rights   and
    appointment  of  a  guardian  with  power  to  consent to
    adoption; and
         (ii)  the court has  found  by  a  preponderance  of
    evidence,  introduced or stipulated to at an adjudicatory
    hearing, that the child comes under the  jurisdiction  of
    the  court  as  an  abused, neglected, or dependent minor
    under Section 2-18; and
         (iii)  the court finds, on the basis  of  clear  and
    convincing  evidence admitted at the adjudicatory hearing
    that the parent is an unfit person under subdivision D of
    Section 1 of the Adoption Act; and
         (iv)  the court determines in  accordance  with  the
    rules of evidence for dispositional proceedings, that:
              (A)  it  is  in  the best interest of the minor
         and public that the child be  made  a  ward  of  the
         court;
              (A-5)  reasonable   efforts   under  subsection
         (l-1) of  Section  5  of  the  Children  and  Family
         Services  Act are inappropriate or such efforts were
         made and were unsuccessful; and
              (B)  termination   of   parental   rights   and
         appointment of a guardian with power to  consent  to
         adoption  is  in  the  best  interest  of  the child
         pursuant to Section 2-29.
(Source: P.A. 89-704, eff. 8-16-97 (changed  from  1-1-98  by
P.A. 90-443); 90-27, eff. 1-1-98; 90-28, eff. 1-1-98; 90-443,
eff. 8-16-97; 90-566, eff. 1-2-98.)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-22) (from Ch. 37, par. 802-22)
    Sec. 2-22. Dispositional hearing; evidence; continuance.
    (1)  At   the  dispositional  hearing,  the  court  shall
determine whether it is in the best interests  of  the  minor
and  the  public that he be made a ward of the court, and, if
he is to be made  a  ward  of  the  court,  the  court  shall
determine  the  proper  disposition  best serving the health,
safety and interests of the minor and the public.  The  court
also  shall  consider  the permanency goal set for the minor,
the nature of the service plan for the minor and the services
delivered and to be delivered under the  plan.  All  evidence
helpful  in  determining  these questions, including oral and
written reports, may be admitted and may be  relied  upon  to
the  extent of its probative value, even though not competent
for the purposes of the adjudicatory hearing.
    (2)  Notice in compliance with Supreme Court Rule 11 must
be given to all parties-respondent prior to proceeding  to  a
dispositional hearing.  Before making an order of disposition
the  court  shall  advise  the State's Attorney, the parents,
guardian, custodian or responsible relative or their  counsel
of  the  factual  contents and the conclusions of the reports
prepared for the use of the court and considered by  it,  and
afford  fair  opportunity,  if requested, to controvert them.
The court may order, however, that the  documents  containing
such  reports  need  not  be submitted to inspection, or that
sources of confidential information  need  not  be  disclosed
except  to  the  attorneys for the parties. Factual contents,
conclusions, documents and sources  disclosed  by  the  court
under  this  paragraph shall not be further disclosed without
the express approval of the court pursuant to  an  in  camera
hearing.
    (3)  A  record  of  a prior continuance under supervision
under  Section  2-20,  whether  successfully  completed  with
regard to the child's health, safety and  best  interest,  or
not, is admissible at the dispositional hearing.
    (4)  On its own motion or that of the State's Attorney, a
parent, guardian, custodian, responsible relative or counsel,
the  court may adjourn the hearing for a reasonable period to
receive reports or other  evidence,  if  the  adjournment  is
consistent  with the health, safety and best interests of the
minor, but in no event shall continuances be granted so  that
the dispositional hearing occurs more than 6 months after the
initial  removal  of  a  minor  from  his  or  her  home.  In
scheduling investigations and hearings, the court shall  give
priority  to  proceedings  in  which a minor has been removed
from his or her home before an order of disposition has  been
made.
    (5)  Unless  already  set by the court, at the conclusion
of the dispositional hearing, the court shall  set  the  date
for  the  first  permanency  hearing,  to  be conducted under
subsection (2) of Section 2-28 or subsection (c)  of  Section
2-28.01,  which  shall be held: (a) within 12 months from the
date temporary custody was taken, (b) if the parental  rights
of  both  parents have been terminated in accordance with the
procedure described in subsection (5) of Section 2-21, within
30 days of the termination of parental rights and appointment
of a guardian with power to consent to adoption,  or  (c)  in
accordance  with  subsection  (2)  of Section 2-13.1 no later
than 12 months  after  the  minor  is  taken  into  temporary
custody  or  in counties with a population over 3,000,000, no
later than 12 months after the minor is taken into  temporary
custody.
    (6)  When  the court declares a child to be a ward of the
court and awards guardianship to the Department  of  Children
and  Family  Services,  (a)  the  court  shall  admonish  the
parents, guardian, custodian or responsible relative that the
parents  must  cooperate  with the Department of Children and
Family Services, comply with the terms of the service  plans,
and  correct  the conditions which require the child to be in
care, or risk termination  of  their  parental  rights;  and.
(b)  the  court shall inquire of the parties of any intent to
proceed with termination of parental rights of a parent:
         (A)  whose identity still remains unknown;
         (B)  whose whereabouts remain unknown; or
         (C)  who was found in default  at  the  adjudicatory
    hearing  and  has not obtained an order setting aside the
    default in accordance with Section 2-1301 of the Code  of
    Civil Procedure.
(Source: P.A. 89-17, eff. 5-31-95; 90-28, eff. 1-1-98; 90-87,
eff. 9-1-97; revised 11-12-97.)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-23) (from Ch. 37, par. 802-23)
    Sec. 2-23.  Kinds of dispositional orders.
    (1)  The  following kinds of orders of disposition may be
made in respect of wards of the court:
         (a)  A minor under 18  years  of  age  found  to  be
    neglected  or abused under Section 2-3 or dependent under
    Section 2-4 may be (1) continued in the custody of his or
    her parents, guardian or legal custodian; (2)  placed  in
    accordance with Section 2-27; (3) restored to the custody
    of  the  parent,  parents,  guardian, or legal custodian,
    provided the  court  shall  order  the  parent,  parents,
    guardian,  or  legal  custodian  to  cooperate  with  the
    Department  of  Children  and  Family Services and comply
    with the terms of an after-care plan or risk the loss  of
    custody  of  the  child  and  the possible termination of
    their parental rights; or (4) (3)  ordered  partially  or
    completely  emancipated in accordance with the provisions
    of the Emancipation of Mature Minors Act.
         However, in any case in which a minor  is  found  by
    the  court to be neglected or abused under Section 2-3 of
    this Act, custody of the minor shall not be  restored  to
    any  parent,  guardian  or  legal custodian whose acts or
    omissions or  both  have  been  identified,  pursuant  to
    subsection  (1) of Section 2-21, as forming the basis for
    the court's finding of abuse  or  neglect  found  by  the
    court to have caused the neglect or to have inflicted the
    abuse on the minor, unless it is in the best interests of
    the  minor,  until  such time as a hearing is held on the
    issue of the best interests of the minor and the  fitness
    of  such  parent, guardian or legal custodian to care for
    the minor  without  endangering  the  minor's  health  or
    safety,  and  the court enters an order that such parent,
    guardian or legal custodian is fit to care for the minor.
         (b)  A minor under 18  years  of  age  found  to  be
    dependent   under  Section  2-4  may  be  (1)  placed  in
    accordance with Section 2-27 or (2) ordered partially  or
    completely  emancipated in accordance with the provisions
    of the Emancipation of Mature Minors Act.
         However, in any case in which a minor  is  found  by
    the  court  to be dependent under Section 2-4 of this Act
    and the court has made a further finding under  paragraph
    (2) of Section 2-21 that such dependency is the result of
    physical  abuse,  custody  of  the  minor  shall  not  be
    restored to any parent, guardian or legal custodian whose
    acts  or omissions or both have been identified, pursuant
    to subsection (1) of Section 2-21, as forming  the  basis
    for the court's finding of dependency, found by the court
    to  have inflicted physical abuse on the minor until such
    time as a hearing is held on the issue of the fitness  of
    such  parent, guardian or legal custodian to care for the
    minor without endangering the minor's health  or  safety,
    and  the court enters an order that such parent, guardian
    or legal custodian is fit to care for the minor.
         (c)  When  the  court  awards  guardianship  to  the
    Department of Children and  Family  Services,  the  court
    shall order the parents to  cooperate with the Department
    of Children and Family Services, comply with the terms of
    the  service  plans,  and  correct  the  conditions  that
    require  the  child to be in care, or risk termination of
    their parental rights.
         (d)  When the court orders a child restored  to  the
    custody  of  the parent or parents, the court shall order
    the parent or parents to cooperate with the Department of
    Children and Family Services and comply with the terms of
    an after-care plan, or risk the loss of  custody  of  the
    child  and  the  possible  termination  of their parental
    rights.
    (2)  Any order of disposition may provide for  protective
supervision  under  Section  2-24 and may include an order of
protection under Section 2-25.
    Unless the order of disposition expressly so provides, it
does  not  operate  to  close  proceedings  on  the   pending
petition,  but  is  subject to modification, not inconsistent
with Section 2-28 or 2-28.01, whichever is applicable,  until
final  closing and discharge of the proceedings under Section
2-31.
    (3)  The  court  also  shall  enter  any   other   orders
necessary  to  fulfill  the  service plan, including, but not
limited to, (i) orders requiring parties  to  cooperate  with
services,  (ii) restraining orders controlling the conduct of
any party likely to frustrate the achievement  of  the  goal,
and  (iii)  visiting  orders.   Unless otherwise specifically
authorized by law, the court  is  not  empowered  under  this
subsection   (3)   to  order  specific  placements,  specific
services, or specific service providers to be included in the
plan.  If the court concludes that the Department of Children
and Family Services has abused its discretion in setting  the
current  service  plan  or permanency goal for the minor, the
court shall enter specific findings in writing based  on  the
evidence  and  shall  enter  an  order  for the Department to
develop and implement a new permanency goal and service  plan
consistent  with  the court's findings.  The new service plan
shall be filed with the court and served on all parties.  The
court shall continue the matter until the new service plan is
filed.
    (4)  In addition to any other order of  disposition,  the
court  may order any minor adjudicated neglected with respect
to his or her own injurious behavior to make restitution,  in
monetary or non-monetary form, under the terms and conditions
of  Section  5-5-6 of the Unified Code of Corrections, except
that the "presentence hearing" referred to therein  shall  be
the  dispositional hearing for purposes of this Section.  The
parent, guardian or legal custodian of the minor may pay some
or all of such restitution on the minor's behalf.
    (5)  Any  order  for  disposition  where  the  minor   is
committed  or  placed  in  accordance with Section 2-27 shall
provide for the parents or guardian of  the  estate  of  such
minor to pay to the legal custodian or guardian of the person
of  the minor such sums as are determined by the custodian or
guardian of the person of the  minor  as  necessary  for  the
minor's  needs.  Such  payments  may  not  exceed the maximum
amounts provided for by  Section  9.1  of  the  Children  and
Family Services Act.
    (6)  Whenever the order of disposition requires the minor
to attend school or participate in a program of training, the
truant  officer or designated school official shall regularly
report to the court if the minor is  a  chronic  or  habitual
truant under Section 26-2a of the School Code.
    (7)  The  court  may  terminate  the parental rights of a
parent at the initial dispositional hearing  if  all  of  the
conditions in subsection (5) of Section 2-21 are met.
(Source:  P.A.  89-17,  eff.  5-31-95;  89-235,  eff. 8-4-95;
90-27, eff. 1-1-98; 90-28, eff. 1-1-98; revised 11-12-97.)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-27) (from Ch. 37, par. 802-27)
    Sec. 2-27. Placement; legal custody or guardianship.
    (1)  If the court determines  and  puts  in  writing  the
factual  basis  supporting  the  determination of whether the
parents, guardian, or legal custodian of a minor  adjudged  a
ward  of  the  court are unfit or are unable, for some reason
other  than  financial  circumstances  alone,  to  care  for,
protect, train or discipline the minor or are unwilling to do
so, and that the health, safety, and  best  interest  of  the
minor will be jeopardized if the minor remains in the custody
of  his  or her parents, guardian or custodian, the court may
at this hearing and at any later point:
         (a)  place the minor in the custody  of  a  suitable
    relative or other person as legal custodian or guardian;
         (a-5)  with   the  approval  of  the  Department  of
    Children and Family Services,  place  the  minor  in  the
    subsidized  guardianship  of a suitable relative or other
    person as legal guardian; "subsidized guardianship" means
    a private guardianship arrangement for children for  whom
    the  permanency  goals  of  return home and adoption have
    been ruled  out  and  who  meet  the  qualifications  for
    subsidized  guardianship  as defined by the Department of
    Children and Family Services in administrative rules;
         (b)  place the minor under  the  guardianship  of  a
    probation officer;
         (c)  commit  the  minor  to  an  agency  for care or
    placement, except an institution under the  authority  of
    the  Department  of  Corrections  or of the Department of
    Children and Family Services;
         (d)  commit the minor to the Department of  Children
    and  Family  Services  for  care  and service; however, a
    minor charged with a criminal offense under the  Criminal
    Code  of  1961  or  adjudicated  delinquent  shall not be
    placed in the custody of or committed to  the  Department
    of  Children  and  Family Services by any court, except a
    minor less than 13 years of  age  and  committed  to  the
    Department  of Children and Family Services under Section
    5-23 of this Act.  The  Department  shall  be  given  due
    notice of the pendency of the action and the Guardianship
    Administrator  of  the  Department of Children and Family
    Services shall be appointed guardian of the person of the
    minor. Whenever the Department seeks to discharge a minor
    from its care and service, the Guardianship Administrator
    shall  petition  the  court  for  an  order   terminating
    guardianship.    The   Guardianship   Administrator   may
    designate one or more other officers of  the  Department,
    appointed  as Department officers by administrative order
    of the  Department  Director,  authorized  to  affix  the
    signature  of the Guardianship Administrator to documents
    affecting the guardian-ward relationship of children  for
    whom  he or she has been appointed guardian at such times
    as he or she is unable to perform the duties  of  his  or
    her office. The signature authorization shall include but
    not  be  limited  to  matters  of  consent  of  marriage,
    enlistment   in  the  armed  forces,  legal  proceedings,
    adoption,  major  medical  and  surgical  treatment   and
    application     for     driver's    license.    Signature
    authorizations made pursuant to the  provisions  of  this
    paragraph  shall be filed with the Secretary of State and
    the Secretary of State shall provide upon payment of  the
    customary  fee,  certified copies of the authorization to
    any court or individual who requests a copy.
    (1.5)  In making a determination under this Section,  the
court  shall  also consider whether, based on health, safety,
and the best interests of the minor,
         (a)  appropriate   services    aimed    at    family
    preservation   and   family   reunification   have   been
    unsuccessful  in  rectifying the conditions that have led
    to a finding of  unfitness  or  inability  to  care  for,
    protect, train, or discipline the minor, or
         (b)  no  family preservation or family reunification
    services would be appropriate,
and  if  the  petition  or  amended  petition  contained   an
allegation  that  the parent is an unfit person as defined in
subdivision (D) of Section 1 of the  Adoption  Act,  and  the
order  of  adjudication  recites  that parental unfitness was
established by  clear  and  convincing  evidence,  the  court
shall,  when  appropriate  and  in  the  best interest of the
minor,  enter  an  order  terminating  parental  rights   and
appointing  a  guardian  with power to consent to adoption in
accordance with Section 2-29.
    When making a placement, the  court,  wherever  possible,
shall  require the Department of Children and Family Services
to select a person holding the same religious belief as  that
of  the  minor  or  a private agency controlled by persons of
like religious faith of  the  minor  and  shall  require  the
Department to otherwise comply with Section 7 of the Children
and  Family  Services  Act in placing the child. In addition,
whenever alternative plans for placement are  available,  the
court shall ascertain and consider, to the extent appropriate
in  the  particular  case,  the  views and preferences of the
minor.
    (2)  When a minor is placed with a suitable  relative  or
other  person  pursuant  to  item  (a) of subsection (1), the
court shall  appoint  him  or  her  the  legal  custodian  or
guardian  of  the  person  of  the  minor.  When  a  minor is
committed to any agency, the court shall appoint  the  proper
officer  or  representative  thereof  as  legal  custodian or
guardian of the person of the  minor.  Legal  custodians  and
guardians  of  the  person  of  the minor have the respective
rights and duties set forth in subsection (9) of Section  1-3
except  as  otherwise  provided  by  order  of  court; but no
guardian of the person may consent to adoption of  the  minor
unless  that  authority  is  conferred  upon  him  or  her in
accordance with Section 2-29. An agency whose  representative
is appointed guardian of the person or legal custodian of the
minor may place the minor in any child care facility, but the
facility must be licensed under the Child Care Act of 1969 or
have  been  approved by the Department of Children and Family
Services  as  meeting  the  standards  established  for  such
licensing. No agency may  place  a  minor  adjudicated  under
Sections  2-3  or  2-4  in  a  child care facility unless the
placement is in compliance with the rules and regulations for
placement under this Section promulgated by the Department of
Children and Family Services under Section 5 of the  Children
and  Family  Services  Act.  Like  authority and restrictions
shall be conferred by the court upon  any  probation  officer
who has been appointed guardian of the person of a minor.
    (3)  No  placement  by  any  probation  officer or agency
whose representative is appointed guardian of the  person  or
legal  custodian  of  a minor may be made in any out of State
child care facility unless it complies  with  the  Interstate
Compact  on  the  Placement  of  Children.   Placement with a
parent, however, is not subject to that Interstate Compact.
    (4)  The clerk of the court  shall  issue  to  the  legal
custodian  or  guardian of the person a certified copy of the
order of court, as proof of his authority. No  other  process
is necessary as authority for the keeping of the minor.
    (5)  Custody  or  guardianship granted under this Section
continues until the court otherwise directs,  but  not  after
the  minor reaches the age of 19 years except as set forth in
Section 2-31.
    (6)  (Blank). At the  dispositional  hearing,  the  court
shall  consider  whether it is appropriate for a motion to be
filed to terminate parental rights  and  appoint  a  guardian
with power to consent to adoption with regard to a parent:
         (A)  whose identity still remains unknown;
         (B)  whose whereabouts remain unknown;
         (C)  who  was  found  in default at the adjudicatory
    hearing and has not obtained an order setting  aside  the
    default  in accordance with Section 2-1301 of the Code of
    Civil Procedure.
    Notice to a parent for whom an order of default has  been
entered  on  the  petition  for wardship and has not been set
aside shall be provided in accordance with Sections 2-15  and
2-16.  If a parent's identity or whereabouts are unknown, and
a  diligent inquiry for such parent has been made at any time
within  the  preceding  12  months,  no  further  inquiry  is
required to support notice by publication.
    If the court determines such a motion to be  appropriate,
it may order the motion to be filed.  The court, upon motion,
may   enter   an   order  terminating  parental  rights  upon
appropriate finding and appoint  a  guardian  with  power  to
consent to adoption in accordance with this subsection before
or at the first permanency hearing.
(Source:  P.A.  89-21,  eff.  7-1-95;  89-422;  89-626,  eff.
8-9-96;  90-27, eff. 1-1-98; 90-28, eff. 1-1-98; 90-512, eff.
8-22-97; revised 11-17-97.)
    (705 ILCS 405/2-27.1 new)
    Sec. 2-27.1.  Placement; secure child care facility.
    (1)  A minor under 18 years of age  and  who  is  subject
under  Article II of this Act to a secure child care facility
may be admitted to a secure child care facility for inpatient
treatment upon application to the facility director if, prior
to admission, the facility director and the Director  of  the
Department  of Children and Family Services or the Director's
designate find that:  the  minor  has  a  mental  illness  or
emotional   disturbance,  including  but  not  limited  to  a
behavior disorder, of  such  severity  that  placement  in  a
secure  child  care  facility  is  necessary  because  in the
absence of such a placement, the minor is likely to  endanger
self  or  others  or not meet his or her basic needs and this
placement is the least  restrictive  alternative.   Prior  to
admission,   a   psychiatrist,  clinical  social  worker,  or
clinical psychologist who has personally examined  the  minor
shall state in writing that the minor meets the standards for
admission. The statement must set forth in detail the reasons
for  that  conclusion and shall indicate what alternatives to
secure treatment have been explored. When the minor is placed
in a child care facility which includes a secure  child  care
facility  in  addition to a less restrictive setting, and the
application for admission  states  that  the  minor  will  be
permanently  placed  in  the  less restrictive setting of the
child care facility as part of his  or  her  permanency  plan
after   the   need   for  secure  treatment  has  ended,  the
psychiatrist,   clinical   social   worker,    or    clinical
psychologist  shall state the reasons for the minor's need to
be placed in secure treatment, the conditions under which the
minor may be placed in the less restrictive  setting  of  the
facility,  and  the conditions under which the minor may need
to be returned to secure treatment.
    (2)  The application for  admission  under  this  Section
shall  contain,  in large bold-face type, a statement written
in simple non-technical terms of the minor's right to  object
and the right to a hearing.  A minor 12 years of age or older
must  be  given  a  copy of the application and the statement
should be explained  to  him  or  her  in  an  understandable
manner.  A copy of the application shall also be given to the
person  who executed it, the designate of the Director of the
Department of  Children  and  Family  Services,  the  minor's
parent,  the  minor's attorney, and, if the minor is 12 years
of  age  or  older,  2  other  persons  whom  the  minor  may
designate,  excluding  persons   whose   whereabouts   cannot
reasonably be ascertained.
    (3)  Thirty  days  after admission, the facility director
shall review the minor's  record  and  assess  the  need  for
continuing  placement  in a secure child care facility.  When
the minor has been placed in  a  child  care  facility  which
includes  a  secure child care facility in addition to a less
restrictive setting, and the application for admission states
that the  minor  will  be  permanently  placed  in  the  less
restrictive setting of the child care facility as part of his
or  her  permanency  plan after the need for secure treatment
has ended, the facility  director  shall  review  the  stated
reasons   for  the  minor's  need  to  be  placed  in  secure
treatment, the conditions under which the minor may be placed
in the less restrictive setting  of  the  facility,  and  the
conditions  under  which the minor may need to be returned to
secure treatment.  The director of the facility shall consult
with the designate of  the  Director  of  the  Department  of
Children  and  Family  Services and request authorization for
continuing placement of the minor.  Request and authorization
should be  noted  in  the  minor's  record.   Every  60  days
thereafter  a review shall be conducted and new authorization
shall be secured from the designate for as long as  placement
continues.    Failure   or  refusal  to  authorize  continued
placement  shall  constitute  a  request  for   the   minor's
discharge.
    (4)  At  any  time during a minor's placement in a secure
child care  facility,  an  objection  may  be  made  to  that
placement  by  the  minor,  the minor's parents (except where
parental rights have been terminated), the  minor's  guardian
ad  litem,  or  the  minor's  attorney.  When an objection is
made,  the  minor  shall  be  discharged  at   the   earliest
appropriate  time not to exceed 15 days, including Saturdays,
Sundays, and holidays unless the objection  is  withdrawn  in
writing  or  unless, within that time, the Director or his or
her designate files with the Court a petition for  review  of
the  admission.   The  petition  must  be  accompanied  by  a
certificate signed by a psychiatrist, clinical social worker,
or  clinical  psychologist.   The  certificate shall be based
upon a personal examination and shall specify that the  minor
has  a  mental  illness  or  an emotional disturbance of such
severity that placement in a secure  facility  is  necessary,
that  the  minor  can benefit from the placement, that a less
restrictive alternative is  not  appropriate,  and  that  the
placement is in the minor's best interest.
    (5)  Upon  receipt  of  a petition, the court shall set a
hearing to  be  held  within  5  days,  excluding  Saturdays,
Sundays, and holidays.  The court shall direct that notice of
the  time  and  place of the hearing shall be served upon the
minor, his or her attorney and the minor's guardian ad litem,
the  Director  of  the  Department  of  Children  and  Family
Services or his or her designate, the State's  Attorney,  and
the attorney for the parents.
    (6)  The  court shall order the minor discharged from the
secure child care facility if it determines  that  the  minor
does  not  have  a mental illness or emotional disturbance of
such  severity  that  placement  in  a  secure  facility   is
necessary,  or  if  it  determines  that  a  less restrictive
alternative is appropriate.
    (7)  If however, the court finds that the minor does have
a mental illness or an emotional disturbance  for  which  the
minor  is  likely  to  benefit from treatment but that a less
restrictive alternative is appropriate, the court shall order
that the Department of Children and Family Services prepare a
case plan for the minor which permits  alternative  treatment
which  is  capable of providing adequate and humane treatment
in the least restrictive setting that is appropriate  to  the
minor's  condition and serves the minor's best interests, and
shall authorize the continued placement of the minor  in  the
secure  child  care  facility.   At  each  permanency hearing
conducted thereafter, the court shall determine  whether  the
minor does not have a mental illness or emotional disturbance
of  such  severity  that  placement  in  a secure facility is
necessary  or,  if  a   less   restrictive   alternative   is
appropriate.   If  either  of these 2 conditions are not met,
the court shall order the minor discharged  from  the  secure
child care facility.
    (8)  Unwillingness  or  inability  of  the  Department of
Children and Family Services to  find  a  placement  for  the
minor  shall not be grounds for the court's refusing to order
discharge of the minor.

    (705 ILCS 405/2-28) (from Ch. 37, par. 802-28)
    Sec. 2-28. Court review in  counties  with  a  population
under 3,000,000.
    (0.5)  This Section applies in counties with a population
under 3,000,000.
    (1)  The   court  may  require  any  legal  custodian  or
guardian of the person appointed under  this  Act  to  report
periodically  to  the  court  or  may cite him into court and
require him or his agency, to make a full and accurate report
of his or its doings in behalf of the minor.   The  custodian
or  guardian,  within 10 days after such citation, shall make
the report, either in writing verified by affidavit or orally
under oath in open court, or otherwise as the court  directs.
Upon  the  hearing  of  the  report  the court may remove the
custodian or guardian and appoint another  in  his  stead  or
restore  the  minor  to  the custody of his parents or former
guardian or custodian.  However, custody of the  minor  shall
not be restored to any parent, guardian or legal custodian in
any  case  in  which  the  minor  is found to be neglected or
abused under Section 2-3 or dependent under  Section  2-4  of
this  Act,  unless the minor can be cared for at home without
endangering the minor's health or safety and  it  is  in  the
best  interests  of the minor, and if such neglect, or abuse,
or dependency is found by the court under paragraph  (1)  (2)
of  Section  2-21  of  this Act to have come about due to the
acts or omissions or both of be the result of physical  abuse
inflicted  on  the  minor  by  such parent, guardian or legal
custodian, until such time as an  investigation  is  made  as
provided  in paragraph (5) and a hearing is held on the issue
of the fitness of such parent, guardian or legal custodian to
care for the minor and the court enters an  order  that  such
parent,  guardian  or  legal custodian is fit to care for the
minor.
    (2)  In counties under 3,000,000  population,  The  first
permanency  hearing hearings shall be conducted by the judge.
In counties with a population of 3,000,000 or more, the first
permanency hearing shall be conducted by a judge.  Subsequent
permanency hearings may be heard by a  judge  or  by  hearing
officers appointed or approved by the court in the manner set
forth  in  Section  2-28.1  of  this Act. The initial hearing
shall be held (a) within 12 months from  the  date  temporary
custody was taken, (b) if the parental rights of both parents
have   been  terminated  in  accordance  with  the  procedure
described in subsection (5) of Section 2-21, within  30  days
of   the   order  for  termination  of  parental  rights  and
appointment of a guardian with power to consent to  adoption,
or  (c)  in accordance with subsection (2) of Section 2-13.1.
Subsequent permanency hearings shall be held every  6  months
or  more frequently if necessary in the court's determination
following the initial permanency hearing, in accordance  with
the  standards  set  forth  in  this Section, until the court
determines that the plan and goal have been achieved.    Once
the plan and goal have been achieved, if the minor remains in
substitute  care, the case shall be reviewed at least every 6
months thereafter, subject to the provisions of this Section,
unless the minor is placed in the guardianship of a  suitable
relative  or  other  person  and  the  court  determines that
further monitoring by the court does not further the  health,
safety  or  best  interest  of  the  child and that this is a
stable permanent placement.   The  permanency  hearings  must
occur within the time frames set forth in this subsection and
may  not  be  delayed  in  anticipation  of a report from any
source on or due to the agency's failure to timely  file  its
written  report  (this  written report means the one required
under the next paragraph and does not mean the  service  plan
also referred to in that paragraph).
    The  public  agency  that is the custodian or guardian of
the minor, or another  agency  responsible  for  the  minor's
care,  shall  ensure  that  all  parties  to  the  permanency
hearings  are provided a copy of the most recent service plan
prepared within the prior  6  months  at  least  14  days  in
advance  of  the  hearing.  If not contained in the plan, the
agency shall also include a  report  setting  forth  (i)  any
special   physical,   psychological,   educational,  medical,
emotional, or other needs of the minor or his or  her  family
that  are relevant to a permanency or placement determination
and (ii) for any minor age 16 or over, a written  description
of  the  programs  and services that will enable the minor to
prepare for independent living.  The agency's written  report
must  detail what progress or lack of progress the parent has
made in correcting the conditions requiring the child  to  be
in  care;  whether  the  child  can  be returned home without
jeopardizing the child's health, safety, and welfare, and  if
not,  what  permanency  goal is recommended to be in the best
interests of the child, and why the  other  permanency  goals
are  not appropriate.  The caseworker must appear and testify
at the permanency hearing.  If a permanency hearing  has  not
previously  been  scheduled  by  the  court, the moving party
shall move for the setting of a permanency  hearing  and  the
entry  of  an  order within the time frames set forth in this
subsection.
    At the permanency hearing, the court shall determine  the
future  status  of the child.  The court shall set one of the
following permanency goals:
         (A)  The minor will be returned home by  a  specific
    date within 5 months.
         (B)  The  minor  will  be  in short-term care with a
    continued goal to return home  within  a  period  not  to
    exceed  one  year,  where  the  progress of the parent or
    parents is substantial giving particular consideration to
    the age and individual needs of the minor.
         (B-1)  The minor will be in short-term care  with  a
    continued  goal  to return home pending a status hearing.
    When  the  court  finds  that  a  parent  has  not   made
    reasonable  efforts  or  reasonable progress to date, the
    court shall identify what  actions  the  parent  and  the
    Department  must  take  in  order to justify a finding of
    reasonable efforts or reasonable progress and shall set a
    status hearing to be held not earlier than 9 months  from
    the  date  of  adjudication nor later than 11 months from
    the  date  of  adjudication  during  which  the  parent's
    progress will again be reviewed.
         (C)  The minor will be in  substitute  care  pending
    court determination on termination of parental rights.
         (D)  Adoption,  provided  that  parental rights have
    been terminated or relinquished.
         (E)  The  guardianship  of   the   minor   will   be
    transferred  to  an  individual  or couple on a permanent
    basis provided that goals (A) through (D) have been ruled
    out.
         (F)  The minor over age 12  will  be  in  substitute
    care pending independence.
         (G)  The minor will be in substitute care because he
    or  she  cannot be provided for in a home environment due
    to  developmental  disabilities  or  mental  illness   or
    because he or she is a danger to self or others, provided
    that goals (A) through (D) have been ruled out.
    In   selecting  any  permanency  goal,  the  court  shall
indicate in writing the reasons the goal was selected and why
the preceding goals were  ruled  out.  Where  the  court  has
selected a permanency goal other than (A), (B), or (B-1), the
Department  of Children and Family Services shall not provide
further reunification services, but  shall  provide  services
consistent with the goal selected.
    The court shall set a consider the following factors when
setting  the  permanency goal that is in the best interest of
the child.   The  court's  determination  shall  include  the
following factors:
         (1)  Age of the child.
         (2)  Options available for permanence.
         (3)  Current  placement  of the child and the intent
    of the family regarding adoption.
         (4)  Emotional,  physical,  and  mental  status   or
    condition of the child.
         (5)  Types   of   services  previously  offered  and
    whether or not the services were successful and,  if  not
    successful, the reasons the services failed.
         (6)  Availability  of  services currently needed and
    whether the services exist.
         (7)  Status of siblings of the minor.
    The  court  shall  consider  (i)  the   permanency   goal
contained  in  the  service plan, (ii) the appropriateness of
the services contained in the plan and whether those services
have been provided, (iii)  whether  reasonable  efforts  have
been  made  by all the parties to the service plan to achieve
the goal, and (iv)  whether  the  plan  and  goal  have  been
achieved.    All   evidence  relevant  to  determining  these
questions,  including  oral  and  written  reports,  may   be
admitted  and  may  be  relied  on  to  the  extent  of their
probative value.
    If the goal has been  achieved,  the  court  shall  enter
orders  that  are  necessary  to  conform  the  minor's legal
custody and status to those findings.
    If, after receiving evidence, the court  determines  that
the  services  contained  in  the  plan  are  not  reasonably
calculated  to facilitate achievement of the permanency goal,
the court shall put in writing the factual  basis  supporting
the  determination  and  enter specific findings based on the
evidence.  The court  also  shall  enter  an  order  for  the
Department  to develop and implement a new service plan or to
implement changes to the current service plan consistent with
the court's findings.  The new service plan  shall  be  filed
with  the  court  and served on all parties within 45 days of
the date of the order.  The court shall continue  the  matter
until  the  new  service  plan  is  filed.   Unless otherwise
specifically authorized by law, the court  is  not  empowered
under  this  subsection  (2) or under subsection (3) to order
specific placements, specific services, or  specific  service
providers to be included in the plan.
    A  guardian  or custodian appointed by the court pursuant
to this Act shall file updated  case  plans  with  the  court
every 6 months.
    Rights   of  wards  of  the  court  under  this  Act  are
enforceable against  any  public  agency  by  complaints  for
relief  by  mandamus  filed  in any proceedings brought under
this Act.
    (3)  Following the permanency hearing,  the  court  shall
enter  a  written  order  that  includes  the  determinations
required  under subsection (2) of this Section 2-28, and sets
forth the following:
         (a)  The future status of the minor,  including  the
    permanency  goal,  and any order necessary to conform the
    minor's legal custody and status to  such  determination;
    or
         (b)  If  the  permanency goal of the minor cannot be
    achieved immediately, the specific reasons for continuing
    the minor in the care of the Department of  Children  and
    Family Services or other agency for short term placement,
    and the following determinations:
              (i)  (Blank).
              (ii)  Whether  the  services  required  by  the
         court  and  by  any service plan prepared within the
         prior 6 months have been provided  and  (A)  if  so,
         whether  the  services were reasonably calculated to
         facilitate the achievement of the permanency goal or
         (B) if not  provided,  why  the  services  were  not
         provided.
              (iii)  Whether   the   minor's   placement   is
         necessary,  and  appropriate  to  the plan and goal,
         recognizing  the  right  of  minors  to  the   least
         restrictive (most family-like) setting available and
         in  close  proximity to the parents' home consistent
         with the health, safety, best interest  and  special
         needs  of  the  minor  and,  if  the minor is placed
         out-of-State,  whether  the  out-of-State  placement
         continues to be appropriate and consistent with  the
         health, safety, and best interest of the minor.
              (iv)  (Blank).
              (v)  (Blank).
    Any  order  entered pursuant to this subsection (3) shall
be immediately appealable as a matter of right under  Supreme
Court Rule 304(b)(1).
    (4)  The  minor or any person interested in the minor may
apply to the court for a change in custody of the  minor  and
the  appointment of a new custodian or guardian of the person
or for the restoration of the minor to  the  custody  of  his
parents or former guardian or custodian.
    When return home is not selected as the permanency goal:
         (a)  The  Department, the minor, State's Attorney or
    the current foster parent or relative  caregiver  seeking
    private  guardianship  may  file  a  motion  for  private
    guardianship  of  the  minor.   Appointment of a guardian
    under this Section requires approval of the court and the
    Department of Children and Family Services.
         (b)  The State's  Attorney  may  file  a  motion  to
    terminate parental rights of any parent who has failed to
    make  reasonable  efforts to correct the conditions which
    led to the removal of the child  or  reasonable  progress
    toward the return of the child, as defined in subdivision
    (D)(m)  of  Section 1 of the Adoption Act or for whom any
    other unfitness ground for terminating parental rights as
    defined in subdivision (D) of Section 1 of  the  Adoption
    Act exists.
    Custody of the minor shall not be restored to any parent,
guardian or legal custodian in any case in which the minor is
found  to  be  neglected  or  abused  under  Section  2-3  or
dependent under Section 2-4 of this Act, unless the minor can
be cared for at home without endangering his or her health or
safety  and  it  is in the best interest of the minor, and if
such neglect, or abuse, or dependency is found by  the  court
under  paragraph  (1) (2) of Section 2-21 of this Act to have
come about due to the acts or omissions or  both  of  be  the
result  of  physical  abuse  inflicted  on  the minor by such
parent, guardian or legal custodian, until such  time  as  an
investigation  is made as provided in paragraph (5) (4) and a
hearing is held on the issue of the health, safety  and  best
interest  of  the  minor  and  the  fitness  of  such parent,
guardian or legal custodian to care for  the  minor  and  the
court  enters  an  order  that such parent, guardian or legal
custodian is fit to care for the minor.  In  the  event  that
the  minor  has  attained 18 years of age and the guardian or
custodian petitions the court for an  order  terminating  his
guardianship   or  custody,  guardianship  or  custody  shall
terminate automatically 30 days  after  the  receipt  of  the
petition   unless  the  court  orders  otherwise.   No  legal
custodian or guardian of the person may  be  removed  without
his consent until given notice and an opportunity to be heard
by the court.
    When  the court orders a child restored to the custody of
the parent or parents, the court shall order  the  parent  or
parents  to  cooperate  with  the  Department of Children and
Family Services and comply with the terms  of  an  after-care
plan,  or  risk the loss of custody of the child and possible
termination of their parental rights.   The  court  may  also
enter  an  order of protective supervision in accordance with
Section 2-24.
    (5)  Whenever a  parent,  guardian,  or  legal  custodian
files  a  motion for restoration of custody of the minor, and
the minor was adjudicated neglected, or abused, or  dependent
as  a  result  of physical abuse, the court shall cause to be
made an investigation as to whether the movant has ever  been
charged with or convicted of any criminal offense which would
indicate  the likelihood of any further physical abuse to the
minor.  Evidence of such criminal convictions shall be  taken
into  account  in  determining whether the minor can be cared
for at home without endangering his or her health  or  safety
and fitness of the parent, guardian, or legal custodian.
         (a)  Any  agency  of  this  State or any subdivision
    thereof shall co-operate with the agent of the  court  in
    providing any information sought in the investigation.
         (b)  The  information derived from the investigation
    and any conclusions or recommendations derived  from  the
    information shall be provided to the parent, guardian, or
    legal  custodian  seeking restoration of custody prior to
    the hearing on fitness  and  the  movant  shall  have  an
    opportunity  at  the hearing to refute the information or
    contest its significance.
         (c)  All information obtained from any investigation
    shall be confidential as provided in Section 1-10 of this
    Act.
(Source:  P.A.  89-17,  eff.  5-31-95;  89-21,  eff.  7-1-95;
89-626, eff. 8-9-96; 90-27, eff. 1-1-98; 90-28, eff.  1-1-98;
90-87, eff. 9-1-97; revised 11-12-97.)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-28.1)
    Sec.   2-28.1.  Permanency   hearings;   before   hearing
officers.
    (a)  The  chief  judge  of  the circuit court may appoint
hearing officers to conduct the permanency hearings set forth
in subsection (2)  of  Section  2-28  or  subsection  (c)  of
Section   2-28.01   of  this  Act,  in  accordance  with  the
provisions of this Section.  The hearing  officers  shall  be
attorneys with at least 3 years experience in child abuse and
neglect  or  permanency  planning  and  in  counties  with  a
population   of   3,000,000  or  more,  any  hearing  officer
appointed after  September  1,  1997,  must  be  an  attorney
admitted  to  practice for at least 7 years.  Once trained by
the court, hearing officers shall be  authorized  to  do  the
following:
         (1)  Conduct a fair and impartial hearing.
         (2)  Summon and compel the attendance of witnesses.
         (3)  Administer  the  oath  or  affirmation and take
    testimony under oath or affirmation.
         (4)  Require the production of evidence relevant  to
    the  permanency  hearing  to be conducted.  That evidence
    may include, but need  not  be  limited  to  case  plans,
    social  histories, medical and psychological evaluations,
    child placement histories, visitation records, and  other
    documents and writings applicable to those items.
         (5)  Rule on the admissibility of evidence using the
    standard applied at a dispositional hearing under Section
    2-22 of this Act.
         (6)  When  necessary,  cause  notices  to  be issued
    requiring parties, the public agency that is custodian or
    guardian of the minor, or another agency responsible  for
    the  minor's  care  to  appear  either before the hearing
    officer or in court.
         (7)  Analyze the evidence presented to  the  hearing
    officer and prepare written recommended orders, including
    findings of fact, based on the evidence.
         (8)  Prior  to the hearing, conduct any pre-hearings
    that may be necessary.
         (9)  Conduct in camera interviews with children when
    requested by a child or the child's guardian ad litem.
In counties with a population of 3,000,000 or  more,  hearing
officers shall also be authorized to do the following:
         (i)  (1) (10)  Accept specific consents for adoption
    or  surrenders  of  parental  rights  from  a  parent  or
    parents.
         (ii) (2) (11)  Conduct hearings on the progress made
    toward the permanency goal set for the minor.
         (iii) (3) (12)  Perform other duties as assigned  by
    the court.
    (b)  The  hearing  officer  shall  consider  evidence and
conduct the permanency hearings as set forth  in  subsections
(2)  and  (3)  of  Section  2-28 or subsection (c) of Section
2-28.01 of this Act in  accordance  with  the  standards  set
forth  therein.   The  hearing  officer  shall  assure that a
verbatim record of the proceedings is made and retained for a
period of 12 months or until  the  next  permanency  hearing,
whichever date is later, and shall direct to the clerk of the
court all documents and evidence to be made part of the court
file.   The  hearing officer shall inform the participants of
their individual rights and  responsibilities.   The  hearing
officer  shall  identify  the  issues  to  be  reviewed under
subsection (2) of Section 2-28 or subsection (c)  of  Section
2-28.01,  consider all relevant facts, and receive or request
any additional information necessary to make  recommendations
to the court.
    If  a  party  fails to appear at the hearing, the hearing
officer may  proceed  to  the  permanency  hearing  with  the
parties  present  at  the hearing.  The hearing officer shall
specifically note for the court the absence of  any  parties.
If all parties are present at the permanency hearing, and the
parties  and the Department are in agreement that the service
plan and permanency goal are appropriate or are in  agreement
that the permanency goal for the child has been achieved, the
hearing  officer shall prepare a recommended order, including
findings of fact, to be  submitted  to  the  court,  and  all
parties  and  the Department shall sign the recommended order
at the time of the hearing.  The recommended order will  then
be submitted to the court for its immediate consideration and
the entry of an appropriate order.
    The   court  may  enter  an  order  consistent  with  the
recommended order without further hearing or  notice  to  the
parties,  may  refer  the  matter  to the hearing officer for
further proceedings, or may hold such additional hearings  as
the  court  deems  necessary.   All  parties  present  at the
hearing and the Department shall be tendered a  copy  of  the
court's order at the conclusion of the hearing.
    (c)  If  one  or  more  parties  are  not  present at the
permanency  hearing,  or  any  party  or  the  Department  of
Children and Family Services objects to the hearing officer's
recommended  order,  including  any  findings  of  fact,  the
hearing  officer  shall  set  the  matter  for   a   judicial
determination  within  30  days of the permanency hearing for
the entry of the recommended order  or  for  receipt  of  the
parties'  objections.  Any objections shall be in writing and
identify the specific findings or  recommendations  that  are
contested,  the basis for the objections, and the evidence or
applicable law supporting  the  objection.   The  recommended
order  and  its contents may not be disclosed to anyone other
than the parties and the Department or  other  agency  unless
otherwise specifically ordered by a judge of the court.
    Following  the receipt of objections consistent with this
subsection from any party or the Department of  Children  and
Family  Services to the hearing officer's recommended orders,
the court  shall  make  a  judicial  determination  of  those
portions  of  the  order  to  which objections were made, and
shall enter an appropriate order.  The court  may  refuse  to
review  any  objections that fail to meet the requirements of
this subsection.
    (d)  The following are judicial functions  and  shall  be
performed only by a circuit judge or associate judge:
         (1)  Review of the recommended orders of the hearing
    officer and entry of orders the court deems appropriate.
         (2)  Conduct of judicial hearings on all pre-hearing
    motions  and other matters that require a court order and
    entry of orders as the court deems appropriate.
         (3)  Conduct  of  judicial  determinations  on   all
    matters  in  which  the  parties  or  the  Department  of
    Children  and  Family  Services disagree with the hearing
    officer's recommended orders under subsection (3).
         (4)  Issuance of rules to  show  cause,  conduct  of
    contempt   proceedings,  and  imposition  of  appropriate
    sanctions or relief.
(Source: P.A. 89-17, eff. 5-31-95; 90-27, eff. 1-1-98; 90-28,
eff. 1-1-98; 90-87, eff. 9-1-97; revised 11-12-97.)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-29) (from Ch. 37, par. 802-29)
    Sec. 2-29.  Adoption; appointment of guardian with  power
to consent.
    (1)  With  leave of the court, a minor who is the subject
of an abuse, neglect, or dependency petition under  this  Act
may  be  the  subject  of  a  petition for adoption under the
Adoption Act.
    (1.1)  The parent or parents of a child in whose interest
a petition under Section 2-13 of this Act is pending may,  in
the manner required by the Adoption Act, (a) surrender him or
her  for adoption to an agency legally authorized or licensed
to place children for adoption, (b) consent  to  his  or  her
adoption,  or  (c)  consent  to  his  or  her  adoption  by a
specified person or persons. Nothing in this Section requires
that the parent or parents execute the surrender, consent, or
consent to adoption by a specified person in open court.
    (2)  If a petition or motion alleges and the court  finds
that  it  is  in the best interest of the minor that parental
rights be terminated and the petition or motion requests that
a guardian of the  person  be  appointed  and  authorized  to
consent  to  the  adoption  of the minor, the court, with the
consent of the parents, if living, or  after  finding,  based
upon clear and convincing evidence, that a parent is an unfit
person  as  defined  in  Section  1  of the Adoption Act, may
terminate parental rights and empower  the  guardian  of  the
person  of  the  minor, in the order appointing him or her as
such guardian, to appear in court where any  proceedings  for
the  adoption  of the minor may at any time be pending and to
consent to  the  adoption.  Such  consent  is  sufficient  to
authorize  the  court  in the adoption proceedings to enter a
proper order or judgment of adoption without  further  notice
to,  or  consent  by,  the  parents of the minor. An order so
empowering the guardian to consent to adoption  deprives  the
parents  of  the  minor  of  all legal rights as respects the
minor and relieves them of all  parental  responsibility  for
him  or  her,  and  frees  the  minor from all obligations of
maintenance and obedience to his or her natural parents.
    If the minor is over 14 years of age, the court  may,  in
its   discretion,   consider  the  wishes  of  the  minor  in
determining whether the best interests of the minor would  be
promoted  by the finding of the unfitness of a non-consenting
parent.
    (2.1)  Notice to a parent who has appeared or been served
with summons personally or by certified mail, and for whom an
order of  default  has  been  entered  on  the  petition  for
wardship  and  has  not  been  set aside shall be provided in
accordance with Supreme Court Rule 11.  Notice  to  a  parent
who  was  served  by  publication  and  for  whom an order of
default has been entered on the petition for wardship and has
not been set aside  shall  be  provided  in  accordance  with
Sections 2-15 and 2-16.
    (3)  Parental  consent  to the order terminating parental
rights and authorizing the guardian of the person to  consent
to adoption of the minor shall be made in open court whenever
possible  and  otherwise must be in writing and signed in the
form  provided  in  the  Adoption  Act,  but  no   names   of
petitioners for adoption need be included.
    (4)  A  finding of the unfitness of a parent must be made
in compliance with the Adoption Act, without  regard  to  the
likelihood that the child will be placed for adoption, and be
based  upon clear and convincing evidence.  Provisions of the
Adoption Act relating to minor parents and to mentally ill or
mentally deficient parents apply to  proceedings  under  this
Section  and  any findings with respect to such parents shall
be based upon clear and convincing evidence.
(Source: P.A. 89-704, eff. 8-16-97 (changed  from  1-1-98  by
P.A. 90-443); 90-28, eff. 1-1-98; 90-443, eff. 8-16-97.)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-31) (from Ch. 37, par. 802-31)
    Sec.   2-31.   Duration  of  wardship  and  discharge  of
proceedings.
    (1)  All proceedings under this Act  in  respect  of  any
minor  for whom a petition was filed after the effective date
of this amendatory Act of 1991 automatically  terminate  upon
his  attaining  the  age of 19 years, except that a court may
continue the wardship of a minor until age 21 for good  cause
when  there  is  satisfactory evidence presented to the court
and the court makes written factual findings that the health,
safety, and best interest of the minor and the public require
the continuation of the wardship.
    (2)  Whenever the court  determines,  and  makes  written
factual findings, that health, safety, and the best interests
of the minor and the public no longer require the wardship of
the  court, the court shall order the wardship terminated and
all proceedings under this Act respecting that minor  finally
closed  and  discharged.   The  court  may  at  the same time
continue  or  terminate  any  custodianship  or  guardianship
theretofore ordered but  the  termination  must  be  made  in
compliance   with  Section  2-28  or  2-28.01,  whichever  is
applicable.
    (3)  The wardship of the minor and any  custodianship  or
guardianship  respecting  the  minor  for whom a petition was
filed after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1991
automatically terminates when he attains the age of 19  years
except  as  set forth in subsection (1) of this Section.  The
clerk of the court shall at that time record all  proceedings
under  this  Act  as  finally  closed and discharged for that
reason.
(Source: P.A. 90-28, eff. 1-1-98; revised 11-12-97.)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-32)
    Sec.  2-32.  Time  limit  for  relief  from  final  order
pursuant to a petition under Section 2-1401 of  the  Code  of
Civil  Procedure.   A  petition for relief from a final order
entered in a proceeding under this Act, after  30  days  from
the  entry  thereof under the provisions of Section 2-1401 of
the Code of Civil Procedure or otherwise, must be  filed  not
later than one year after the entry of the order or judgment.
(Source: P.A. 90-27, eff. 1-1-98.)

    (705 ILCS 405/2-33 new)
    Sec. 2-33. Supplemental petition to reinstate wardship.
    (1)  Any  time prior to a minor's 18th birthday, pursuant
to a supplemental petition  filed  under  this  Section,  the
court  may  reinstate  wardship  and open a previously closed
case when:
         (a)  wardship and guardianship  under  the  Juvenile
    Court  Act  of  1987  was vacated in conjunction with the
    appointment of a private guardian under the  Probate  Act
    of 1975;
         (b)  the  minor is not presently a ward of the court
    under Article II of this Act nor is there a petition  for
    adjudication  of wardship pending on behalf of the minor;
    and
         (c)  it  is  in  the  minor's  best  interest   that
    wardship be reinstated.
    (2)  The  supplemental petition must be filed in the same
proceeding in  which  the  original  adjudication  order  was
entered.   Unless  excused by court for good cause shown, the
petitioner shall give notice of the time  and  place  of  the
hearing  on  the supplemental petition, in person or by mail,
to the minor, if the minor is 14 years of age or  older,  and
to  the  parties  to  the  juvenile court proceeding.  Notice
shall be provided at least 3 court days  in  advance  of  the
hearing date.

    (705 ILCS 405/2-28.01 rep.)
    Section 32.  The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is amended by
repealing Section 2-28.01.

    Section   35.    The   Mental  Health  and  Developmental
Disabilities  Confidentiality  Act  is  amended  by  changing
Sections 7.1 and 10 as follows:

    (740 ILCS 110/7.1)
    Sec. 7.1.  Interagency disclosures.
    (a)  Nothing in this Act shall be  construed  to  prevent
the  interagency  disclosure  of  the  name,  social security
number,  and  information   concerning   services   rendered,
currently   being   rendered,  or  proposed  to  be  rendered
regarding a recipient of services.  This  disclosure  may  be
made  only  between  agencies  or  departments  of  the State
including, but not limited to: (i) the  Department  of  Human
Services,  (ii)  the  Department  of  Public  Aid,  (iii) the
Department of Public Health, and  (iv)  the  State  Board  of
Education,  and  (v)  the  Department  of Children and Family
Services for the purpose of a diligent search for  a  missing
parent  pursuant  to  Sections  2-15 and 2-16 of the Juvenile
Court Act of 1987 if the Department of  Children  and  Family
Services  has  reason  to believe the parent is residing in a
mental  health  facility,  when  one  or  more  agencies   or
departments   of   the   State  have  entered  into  a  prior
interagency  agreement,  memorandum  of   understanding,   or
similar  agreement  to  jointly  provide  or cooperate in the
provision of or funding of  mental  health  or  developmental
disabilities services.
    The  Department of Children and Family Services shall not
redisclose the information received under this Section  other
than  for  purposes  of service provision or as necessary for
proceedings under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
    (b)  This Section applies to,  but  is  not  limited  to,
interagency  disclosures under interagency agreements entered
into in  compliance  with  the  Early  Intervention  Services
System Act.
    (c)  Information  disclosed  under  this Section shall be
for the limited purpose  of  coordinating  State  efforts  in
providing  efficient interagency service systems and avoiding
duplication of interagency services.
    (d)  Information disclosed under this  Section  shall  be
limited  to  the  recipient's  name, address, social security
number or other individually assigned identifying number,  or
information  generally descriptive of services rendered or to
be  rendered.   The  disclosure  of  individual  clinical  or
treatment records or other confidential  information  is  not
authorized by this Section.
(Source: P.A. 88-484; 89-507, eff. 7-1-97.)

    (740 ILCS 110/10) (from Ch. 91 1/2, par. 810)
    (Text  of  Section  WITH  the  changes made by P.A. 89-7,
which has been held unconstitutional)
    Sec.  10.  Disclosure  in  civil,  criminal,  and   other
proceedings.
    (a)  Except  as  provided herein, in any civil, criminal,
administrative,  or  legislative  proceeding,   or   in   any
proceeding  preliminary thereto, a recipient, and a therapist
on behalf and  in  the  interest  of  a  recipient,  has  the
privilege to refuse to disclose and to prevent the disclosure
of the recipient's record or communications.
         (1)  Records  and communications may be disclosed in
    a civil, criminal or administrative proceeding  in  which
    the  recipient  introduces  his  mental  condition or any
    aspect of his services received for such condition as  an
    element  of  his  claim  or  defense,  if and only to the
    extent the court  in  which  the  proceedings  have  been
    brought, or, in the case of an administrative proceeding,
    the  court  to which an appeal or other action for review
    of an administrative determination may be  taken,  finds,
    after   in  camera  examination  of  testimony  or  other
    evidence, that it  is  relevant,  probative,  not  unduly
    prejudicial   or   inflammatory,  and  otherwise  clearly
    admissible;   that   other   satisfactory   evidence   is
    demonstrably unsatisfactory  as  evidence  of  the  facts
    sought  to  be  established  by  such  evidence; and that
    disclosure  is  more  important  to  the   interests   of
    substantial  justice  than  protection from injury to the
    therapist-recipient relationship or to the  recipient  or
    other  whom  disclosure  is  likely to harm.  Except in a
    criminal  proceeding  in  which  the  recipient,  who  is
    accused  in  that  proceeding,  raises  the  defense   of
    insanity,  no record or communication between a therapist
    and a recipient shall be deemed relevant for purposes  of
    this  subsection,  except the fact of treatment, the cost
    of services and the ultimate diagnosis unless  the  party
    seeking   disclosure   of   the   communication   clearly
    establishes  in the trial court a compelling need for its
    production.  However, for purposes of this  Act,  in  any
    action  brought  or  defended under the Illinois Marriage
    and Dissolution of Marriage Act,  or  in  any  action  in
    which  pain  and  suffering  is  an element of the claim,
    mental condition shall not be  deemed  to  be  introduced
    merely  by  making  such  claim and shall be deemed to be
    introduced only if the recipient  or  a  witness  on  his
    behalf   first   testifies   concerning   the  record  or
    communication.
         (2)  Records or communications may be disclosed in a
    civil proceeding after the  recipient's  death  when  the
    recipient's   physical   or  mental  condition  has  been
    introduced as an element of a claim  or  defense  by  any
    party  claiming  or defending through or as a beneficiary
    of the recipient, provided  the  court  finds,  after  in
    camera  examination of the evidence, that it is relevant,
    probative, and otherwise clearly admissible;  that  other
    satisfactory  evidence  is  not  available  regarding the
    facts sought to be established by such evidence; and that
    disclosure  is  more  important  to  the   interests   of
    substantial justice than protection from any injury which
    disclosure is likely to cause.
         (3)  In the event of a claim made or an action filed
    by  a  recipient, or, following the recipient's death, by
    any party claiming as a beneficiary of the recipient  for
    injury caused in the course of providing services to that
    recipient,  the  therapist  may  testify  as to pertinent
    records or communications in any administrative, judicial
    or discovery proceeding for the purpose of preparing  and
    presenting a defense against the claim or action.
         (3.1)  A  therapist  has the right to communicate at
    any time and in any fashion with his or her  own  counsel
    or  professional  liability  insurance  carrier, or both,
    concerning any care or treatment he or she  provided,  or
    assisted in providing, to any patient.
         (3.2)  A  therapist  has the right to communicate at
    any time and in any fashion with his or  her  present  or
    former   employer,   principal,   partner,   professional
    corporation, or professional liability insurance carrier,
    or counsel for any of those entities, concerning any care
    or   treatment   he  or  she  provided,  or  assisted  in
    providing, to any patient within the scope of his or  her
    employment,   affiliation,   or  other  agency  with  the
    employer,    principal,    partner,    or    professional
    corporation.
         (4)  Records and communications  made  to  or  by  a
    therapist in the course of examination ordered by a court
    for  good  cause  shown  may,  if  otherwise relevant and
    admissible,  be  disclosed  in  a  civil,  criminal,   or
    administrative  proceeding  in  which  the recipient is a
    party or in appropriate  pretrial  proceedings,  provided
    such  court  has  found  that  the  recipient has been as
    adequately and as effectively as possible informed before
    submitting to such  examination  that  such  records  and
    communications  would  not  be considered confidential or
    privileged.  Such records  and  communications  shall  be
    admissible  only  as  to issues involving the recipient's
    physical or mental condition and only to the extent  that
    these are germane to such proceedings.
         (5)  Records  and communications may be disclosed in
    a proceeding under the Probate Act of 1975, to  determine
    a   recipient's  competency  or  need  for  guardianship,
    provided that the disclosure is made only with respect to
    that issue.
         (6)  Records and  communications  may  be  disclosed
    when  such  are made during treatment which the recipient
    is ordered to undergo to render him fit to stand trial on
    a criminal charge, provided that the disclosure  is  made
    only with respect to the issue of fitness to stand trial.
         (7)  Records and communications of the recipient may
    be  disclosed  in  any civil or administrative proceeding
    involving the validity  of  or  benefits  under  a  life,
    accident,   health  or  disability  insurance  policy  or
    certificate,  or  Health  Care  Service  Plan   Contract,
    insuring  the  recipient,  but  only if and to the extent
    that the recipient's mental condition,  or  treatment  or
    services  in  connection therewith, is a material element
    of any claim or  defense  of  any  party,  provided  that
    information  sought or disclosed shall not be redisclosed
    except  in  connection  with  the  proceeding  in   which
    disclosure is made.
         (8)  Records or communications may be disclosed when
    such  are  relevant  to  a  matter in issue in any action
    brought  under  this  Act  and  proceedings   preliminary
    thereto, provided that any information so disclosed shall
    not  be utilized for any other purpose nor be redisclosed
    except in connection  with  such  action  or  preliminary
    proceedings.
         (9)  Records and communications of the recipient may
    be disclosed in investigations of and trials for homicide
    when  the  disclosure  relates  directly  to  the fact or
    immediate circumstances of the homicide.
         (10)  Records  and  communications  of  a   deceased
    recipient  may  be  disclosed  to  a coroner conducting a
    preliminary  investigation  into  the  recipient's  death
    under Section 3-3013  of  the  Counties  Code.   However,
    records  and  communications  of  the  deceased recipient
    disclosed in an investigation shall be limited solely  to
    the   deceased  recipient's  records  and  communications
    relating to the factual  circumstances  of  the  incident
    being investigated in a mental health facility.
         (11)  Records  and  communications  of  a  recipient
    shall  be  disclosed  in a proceeding where a petition or
    motion is filed under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987  and
    the  recipient  is  named as a parent, guardian, or legal
    custodian of a minor who is the subject of a petition for
    wardship as described in Section 2-3 of  that  Act  or  a
    minor  who  is  the subject of a petition for wardship as
    described in Section 2-4 of that Act alleging  the  minor
    is  abused,  neglected,  or dependent or the recipient is
    named as a parent of a child who  is  the  subject  of  a
    petition,  supplemental  petition, or motion to appoint a
    guardian with the power  to  consent  to  adoption  under
    Section 2-29 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
    (b)  Before  a  disclosure  is made under subsection (a),
any party to the proceeding or any  other  interested  person
may   request   an   in   camera  review  of  the  record  or
communications  to  be  disclosed.   The  court   or   agency
conducting the proceeding may hold an in camera review on its
own  motion,  except  that  this  provision does not apply to
paragraph (3.1) of subsection  (a)  (regarding  consultations
between   a   therapist   and  his  or  her  own  counsel  or
professional liability insurance carrier) or paragraph  (3.2)
of   subsection   (a)   (regarding  consultations  between  a
therapist  and  his  or  her  employer,  principal,  partner,
professional corporation, or professional liability insurance
carrier, or counsel  for  any  of  those  entities).    When,
contrary  to the express wish of the recipient, the therapist
asserts a privilege on  behalf  and  in  the  interest  of  a
recipient, the court may require that the therapist, in an in
camera  hearing, establish that disclosure is not in the best
interest of the recipient.  The court or agency  may  prevent
disclosure  or  limit  disclosure  to  the  extent that other
admissible evidence is sufficient to establish the  facts  in
issue,   except  that  a  court  may  not  prevent  or  limit
disclosures between a therapist and his or her own counsel or
between a therapist  and  his  or  her  employer,  principal,
partner,  professional corporation, or professional liability
insurance carrier, or counsel for any of those entities.  The
court or agency may enter such orders as may be necessary  in
order  to protect the confidentiality, privacy, and safety of
the recipient or of other persons.  Any order to disclose  or
to  not  disclose  shall  be  considered  a  final  order for
purposes of appeal and  shall  be  subject  to  interlocutory
appeal.
    (c)  A  recipient's  records  and  communications  may be
disclosed to  a  duly  authorized  committee,  commission  or
subcommittee of the General Assembly which possesses subpoena
and  hearing  powers,  upon  a  written request approved by a
majority vote of the committee,  commission  or  subcommittee
members.   The  committee,  commission  or  subcommittee  may
request  records  only  for  the purposes of investigating or
studying  possible  violations  of  recipient  rights.    The
request  shall  state  the  purpose  for  which disclosure is
sought.
    The facility shall notify the recipient, or his guardian,
and therapist in writing of any disclosure request under this
subsection within 5 business days after such  request.   Such
notification  shall  also  inform the recipient, or guardian,
and therapist of their right  to  object  to  the  disclosure
within 10 business days after receipt of the notification and
shall  include  the name, address and telephone number of the
committee, commission or subcommittee member or staff  person
with  whom  an objection shall be filed.  If no objection has
been filed within 15 business  days  after  the  request  for
disclosure,  the  facility  shall  disclose  the  records and
communications to the committee, commission or  subcommittee.
If  an objection has been filed within 15 business days after
the request for disclosure, the facility shall  disclose  the
records   and   communications   only  after  the  committee,
commission  or  subcommittee  has  permitted  the  recipient,
guardian or therapist to  present  his  objection  in  person
before  it  and  has  renewed its request for disclosure by a
majority vote of its members.
    Disclosure under this subsection shall  not  occur  until
all   personally  identifiable  data  of  the  recipient  and
provider are removed from  the  records  and  communications.
Disclosure  under  this  subsection  shall  not  occur in any
public proceeding.
    (d)  No  party  to   any   proceeding   described   under
paragraphs  (1), (2), (3), (4), (7), or (8) of subsection (a)
of this Section, nor his  or  her  attorney,  shall  serve  a
subpoena   seeking   to   obtain   access   to   records   or
communications   under   this  Act  unless  the  subpoena  is
accompanied by a written order issued by a judge, authorizing
the  disclosure  of  the  records  or  the  issuance  of  the
subpoena. No person shall comply with a subpoena for  records
or  communications  under  this  Act,  unless the subpoena is
accompanied by a written order authorizing  the  issuance  of
the subpoena or the disclosure of the records.
    This  amendatory  Act of 1995 applies to causes of action
filed on or after its effective date.
(Source: P.A. 89-7, eff. 3-9-95.)

    (Text of Section WITHOUT the changes made by  P.A.  89-7,
which has been held unconstitutional)
    Sec.  10.   (a)  Except as provided herein, in any civil,
criminal, administrative, or legislative  proceeding,  or  in
any  proceeding  preliminary  thereto,  a  recipient,  and  a
therapist  on  behalf and in the interest of a recipient, has
the privilege to  refuse  to  disclose  and  to  prevent  the
disclosure of the recipient's record or communications.
         (1)  Records  and communications may be disclosed in
    a civil, criminal or administrative proceeding  in  which
    the  recipient  introduces  his  mental  condition or any
    aspect of his services received for such condition as  an
    element  of  his  claim  or  defense,  if and only to the
    extent the court  in  which  the  proceedings  have  been
    brought, or, in the case of an administrative proceeding,
    the  court  to which an appeal or other action for review
    of an administrative determination may be  taken,  finds,
    after   in  camera  examination  of  testimony  or  other
    evidence, that it  is  relevant,  probative,  not  unduly
    prejudicial   or   inflammatory,  and  otherwise  clearly
    admissible;   that   other   satisfactory   evidence   is
    demonstrably unsatisfactory  as  evidence  of  the  facts
    sought  to  be  established  by  such  evidence; and that
    disclosure  is  more  important  to  the   interests   of
    substantial  justice  than  protection from injury to the
    therapist-recipient relationship or to the  recipient  or
    other  whom  disclosure  is  likely to harm.  Except in a
    criminal  proceeding  in  which  the  recipient,  who  is
    accused  in  that  proceeding,  raises  the  defense   of
    insanity,  no record or communication between a therapist
    and a recipient shall be deemed relevant for purposes  of
    this  subsection,  except the fact of treatment, the cost
    of services and the ultimate diagnosis unless  the  party
    seeking   disclosure   of   the   communication   clearly
    establishes  in the trial court a compelling need for its
    production.  However, for purposes of this  Act,  in  any
    action  brought  or  defended under the Illinois Marriage
    and Dissolution of Marriage Act,  or  in  any  action  in
    which  pain  and  suffering  is  an element of the claim,
    mental condition shall not be  deemed  to  be  introduced
    merely  by  making  such  claim and shall be deemed to be
    introduced only if the recipient  or  a  witness  on  his
    behalf   first   testifies   concerning   the  record  or
    communication.
         (2)  Records or communications may be disclosed in a
    civil proceeding after the  recipient's  death  when  the
    recipient's   physical   or  mental  condition  has  been
    introduced as an element of a claim  or  defense  by  any
    party  claiming  or defending through or as a beneficiary
    of the recipient, provided  the  court  finds,  after  in
    camera  examination of the evidence, that it is relevant,
    probative, and otherwise clearly admissible;  that  other
    satisfactory  evidence  is  not  available  regarding the
    facts sought to be established by such evidence; and that
    disclosure  is  more  important  to  the   interests   of
    substantial justice than protection from any injury which
    disclosure is likely to cause.
         (3)  In the event of a claim made or an action filed
    by  a  recipient, or, following the recipient's death, by
    any party claiming as a beneficiary of the recipient  for
    injury caused in the course of providing services to such
    recipient,  the therapist and other persons whose actions
    are alleged to have been the cause of injury may disclose
    pertinent records and communications to  an  attorney  or
    attorneys  engaged  to render advice about and to provide
    representation in connection  with  such  matter  and  to
    persons working under the supervision of such attorney or
    attorneys,   and  may  testify  as  to  such  records  or
    communication  in   any   administrative,   judicial   or
    discovery  proceeding  for  the  purpose of preparing and
    presenting a defense against such claim or action.
         (4)  Records and communications  made  to  or  by  a
    therapist in the course of examination ordered by a court
    for  good  cause  shown  may,  if  otherwise relevant and
    admissible,  be  disclosed  in  a  civil,  criminal,   or
    administrative  proceeding  in  which  the recipient is a
    party or in appropriate  pretrial  proceedings,  provided
    such  court  has  found  that  the  recipient has been as
    adequately and as effectively as possible informed before
    submitting to such  examination  that  such  records  and
    communications  would  not  be considered confidential or
    privileged.  Such records  and  communications  shall  be
    admissible  only  as  to issues involving the recipient's
    physical or mental condition and only to the extent  that
    these are germane to such proceedings.
         (5)  Records  and communications may be disclosed in
    a proceeding under the Probate Act of 1975, to  determine
    a   recipient's  competency  or  need  for  guardianship,
    provided that the disclosure is made only with respect to
    that issue.
         (6)  Records and  communications  may  be  disclosed
    when  such  are made during treatment which the recipient
    is ordered to undergo to render him fit to stand trial on
    a criminal charge, provided that the disclosure  is  made
    only with respect to the issue of fitness to stand trial.
         (7)  Records and communications of the recipient may
    be  disclosed  in  any civil or administrative proceeding
    involving the validity  of  or  benefits  under  a  life,
    accident,   health  or  disability  insurance  policy  or
    certificate,  or  Health  Care  Service  Plan   Contract,
    insuring  the  recipient,  but  only if and to the extent
    that the recipient's mental condition,  or  treatment  or
    services  in  connection therewith, is a material element
    of any claim or  defense  of  any  party,  provided  that
    information  sought or disclosed shall not be redisclosed
    except  in  connection  with  the  proceeding  in   which
    disclosure is made.
         (8)  Records or communications may be disclosed when
    such  are  relevant  to  a  matter in issue in any action
    brought  under  this  Act  and  proceedings   preliminary
    thereto, provided that any information so disclosed shall
    not  be utilized for any other purpose nor be redisclosed
    except in connection  with  such  action  or  preliminary
    proceedings.
         (9)  Records and communications of the recipient may
    be disclosed in investigations of and trials for homicide
    when  the  disclosure  relates  directly  to  the fact or
    immediate circumstances of the homicide.
         (10)  Records  and  communications  of  a   deceased
    recipient  may  be  disclosed  to  a coroner conducting a
    preliminary  investigation  into  the  recipient's  death
    under Section 3-3013  of  the  Counties  Code.   However,
    records  and  communications  of  the  deceased recipient
    disclosed in an investigation shall be limited solely  to
    the   deceased  recipient's  records  and  communications
    relating to the factual  circumstances  of  the  incident
    being investigated in a mental health facility.
         (11)  Records  and  communications  of  a  recipient
    shall  be  disclosed  in a proceeding where a petition or
    motion is filed under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987  and
    the  recipient  is  named as a parent, guardian, or legal
    custodian of a minor who is the subject of a petition for
    wardship as described in Section 2-3 of  that  Act  or  a
    minor  who  is  the subject of a petition for wardship as
    described in Section 2-4 of that Act alleging  the  minor
    is  abused,  neglected,  or dependent or the recipient is
    named as a parent of a child who  is  the  subject  of  a
    petition,  supplemental  petition, or motion to appoint a
    guardian with the power  to  consent  to  adoption  under
    Section 2-29 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
    (b)  Before  a  disclosure  is made under subsection (a),
any party to the proceeding or any  other  interested  person
may   request   an   in   camera  review  of  the  record  or
communications  to  be  disclosed.   The  court   or   agency
conducting the proceeding may hold an in camera review on its
own  motion.    When,  contrary  to  the  express wish of the
recipient, the therapist asserts a privilege on behalf and in
the interest of a recipient, the court may require  that  the
therapist, in an in camera hearing, establish that disclosure
is  not  in the best interest of the recipient.  The court or
agency may prevent disclosure  or  limit  disclosure  to  the
extent  that  other  admissible  evidence  is  sufficient  to
establish  the facts in issue.  The court or agency may enter
such orders as may be  necessary  in  order  to  protect  the
confidentiality,  privacy,  and safety of the recipient or of
other persons.  Any order to  disclose  or  to  not  disclose
shall  be considered a final order for purposes of appeal and
shall be subject to interlocutory appeal.
    (c)  A recipient's  records  and  communications  may  be
disclosed  to  a  duly  authorized  committee,  commission or
subcommittee of the General Assembly which possesses subpoena
and hearing powers, upon a  written  request  approved  by  a
majority  vote  of  the committee, commission or subcommittee
members.   The  committee,  commission  or  subcommittee  may
request records only for the  purposes  of  investigating  or
studying   possible  violations  of  recipient  rights.   The
request shall state  the  purpose  for  which  disclosure  is
sought.
    The facility shall notify the recipient, or his guardian,
and therapist in writing of any disclosure request under this
subsection  within  5 business days after such request.  Such
notification shall also inform the  recipient,  or  guardian,
and  therapist  of  their  right  to object to the disclosure
within 10 business days after receipt of the notification and
shall include the name, address and telephone number  of  the
committee,  commission or subcommittee member or staff person
with whom an objection shall be filed.  If no  objection  has
been  filed  within  15  business  days after the request for
disclosure, the  facility  shall  disclose  the  records  and
communications  to the committee, commission or subcommittee.
If an objection has been filed within 15 business days  after
the  request  for disclosure, the facility shall disclose the
records  and  communications  only   after   the   committee,
commission  or  subcommittee  has  permitted  the  recipient,
guardian  or  therapist  to  present  his objection in person
before it and has renewed its request  for  disclosure  by  a
majority vote of its members.
    Disclosure  under  this  subsection shall not occur until
all  personally  identifiable  data  of  the  recipient   and
provider  are  removed  from  the records and communications.
Disclosure under this  subsection  shall  not  occur  in  any
public proceeding.
    (d)  No   party   to   any   proceeding  described  under
paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), (7), or (8) of subsection  (a)
of  this  Section,  nor  his  or  her attorney, shall serve a
subpoena   seeking   to   obtain   access   to   records   or
communications  under  this  Act  unless  the   subpoena   is
accompanied by a written order issued by a judge, authorizing
the  disclosure  of  the  records  or  the  issuance  of  the
subpoena.  No person shall comply with a subpoena for records
or communications under this  Act,  unless  the  subpoena  is
accompanied  by  a  written order authorizing the issuance of
the subpoena or the disclosure of the records.
(Source: P.A. 86-1417; 87-124; 87-556; 87-895.)

    Section 40.  The Adoption  Act  is  amended  by  changing
Sections 1, 2, 10, and 15.1 as follows:

    (750 ILCS 50/1) (from Ch. 40, par. 1501)
    Sec.  1.  Definitions.  When used in this Act, unless the
context otherwise requires:
    A.  "Child" means a person under  legal  age  subject  to
adoption under this Act.
    B.  "Related  child"  means  a  child subject to adoption
where either or both of the adopting parents stands in any of
the  following  relationships  to  the  child  by  blood   or
marriage: parent, grand-parent, brother, sister, step-parent,
step-grandparent,  step-brother,  step-sister,  uncle,  aunt,
great-uncle,  great-aunt, or cousin of first degree.  A child
whose parent has executed  a  final  irrevocable  consent  to
adoption  or  a  final  irrevocable surrender for purposes of
adoption, or whose parent has had his or her parental  rights
terminated, is not a related child to that person, unless the
consent  is  determined  to  be  void  or is void pursuant to
subsection O of Section 10.
    C.  "Agency" for the purpose of this Act means  a  public
child welfare agency or a licensed child welfare agency.
    D.  "Unfit  person" means any person whom the court shall
find to be unfit to have  a  child,  without  regard  to  the
likelihood  that  the child will be placed for adoption.  The
grounds of unfitness are any one or more of the following:
         (a)  Abandonment of the child.
         (a-1)  Abandonment  of  a  newborn   infant   in   a
    hospital.
         (a-2)  Abandonment   of  a  newborn  infant  in  any
    setting where  the  evidence  suggests  that  the  parent
    intended to relinquish his or her parental rights.
         (b)  Failure  to  maintain  a  reasonable  degree of
    interest, concern or responsibility  as  to  the  child's
    welfare.
         (c)  Desertion  of  the child for more than 3 months
    next  preceding  the   commencement   of   the   Adoption
    proceeding.
         (d)  Substantial  neglect of the child if continuous
    or repeated.
         (d-1)  Substantial   neglect,   if   continuous   or
    repeated, of any child residing in  the  household  which
    resulted in the death of that child.
         (e)  Extreme or repeated cruelty to the child.
         (f)  Two  or  more findings of physical abuse to any
    children under Section 4-8 of the Juvenile Court  Act  or
    Section  2-21 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, the most
    recent of which was  determined  by  the  juvenile  court
    hearing   the   matter  to  be  supported  by  clear  and
    convincing evidence; a criminal conviction or  a  finding
    of  not  guilty  by reason of insanity resulting from the
    death of any child by physical child abuse; or a  finding
    of  physical  child abuse resulting from the death of any
    child under Section 4-8 of  the  Juvenile  Court  Act  or
    Section 2-21 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
         (g)  Failure  to  protect  the child from conditions
    within his environment injurious to the child's welfare.
         (h)  Other neglect  of,  or  misconduct  toward  the
    child; provided that in making a finding of unfitness the
    court  hearing the adoption proceeding shall not be bound
    by any previous finding, order or judgment  affecting  or
    determining  the  rights  of the parents toward the child
    sought to be adopted in any other proceeding except  such
    proceedings  terminating  parental rights as shall be had
    under either this Act, the  Juvenile  Court  Act  or  the
    Juvenile Court Act of 1987.
         (i)  Depravity.    Conviction  of  any  one  of  the
    following crimes shall create a presumption that a parent
    is depraved which can  be  overcome  only  by  clear  and
    convincing evidence: (1) first degree murder in violation
    of  paragraph  1 or 2 of subsection (a) of Section 9-1 of
    the Criminal Code of 1961 or conviction of second  degree
    murder  in  violation of subsection (a) of Section 9-2 of
    the Criminal Code of 1961 of a parent of the child to  be
    adopted;  (2) first degree murder or second degree murder
    of any child in violation of the Criminal Code  of  1961;
    (3)  attempt  or conspiracy to commit first degree murder
    or second degree murder of any child in violation of  the
    Criminal  Code of 1961; (4) solicitation to commit murder
    of any child, solicitation to commit murder of any  child
    for  hire, or solicitation to commit second degree murder
    of any child in violation of the Criminal Code  of  1961;
    or (5) aggravated criminal sexual assault in violation of
    Section 12-14(b)(1) of the Criminal Code of 1961.
         There  is  a rebuttable presumption that a parent is
    depraved if the parent has been criminally  convicted  of
    at  least  3 felonies under the laws of this State or any
    other state, or under federal law, or the  criminal  laws
    of any United States territory; and at least one of these
    convictions  took  place  within 5 years of the filing of
    the petition or motion seeking  termination  of  parental
    rights.
         There  is  a rebuttable presumption that a parent is
    depraved if that parent has been criminally convicted  of
    either  first  or  second  degree murder of any person as
    defined in the Criminal Code of 1961 within 10  years  of
    the  filing  date  of the petition or motion to terminate
    parental rights.
         (j)  Open and notorious adultery or fornication.
         (j-1)  (Blank).  Conviction  of  any  one   of   the
    following  crimes shall create a presumption of unfitness
    that  may  be  overcome  only  by  clear  and  convincing
    evidence:  (1)  first  degree  murder  in  violation   of
    paragraph  1 or 2 of subsection (a) of Section 9-1 of the
    Criminal Code of 1961  or  conviction  of  second  degree
    murder  in  violation of subsection (a) of Section 9-2 of
    the Criminal Code of 1961 of a parent of the child to  be
    adopted; (2) a criminal conviction of first degree murder
    or  second degree murder of any child in violation of the
    Criminal Code of  1961;  (3)  a  criminal  conviction  of
    attempt  or  conspiracy  to commit first degree murder or
    second degree murder of any child  in  violation  of  the
    Criminal  Code  of  1961;  (4)  a  criminal conviction of
    solicitation to commit murder of any child,  solicitation
    to  commit  murder of any child for hire, or solicitation
    to commit second degree murder of any child in  violation
    of  the  Criminal Code of 1961; (5) a criminal conviction
    of accountability for the first or second  degree  murder
    of  any  child in violation of the Criminal Code of 1961;
    or (6)  a  criminal  conviction  of  aggravated  criminal
    sexual assault in violation of Section 12-14(b)(1) of the
    Criminal Code of 1961.
         (k)  Habitual  drunkenness  or  addiction  to drugs,
    other than those prescribed by a physician, for at  least
    one  year  immediately  prior  to the commencement of the
    unfitness proceeding.
         There is a rebuttable presumption that a  parent  is
    unfit  under this subsection with respect to any child to
    which that parent gives birth where there is a  confirmed
    test  result  that  at birth the child's blood, urine, or
    meconium contained any amount of a  controlled  substance
    as  defined  in  subsection  (f)  of  Section  102 of the
    Illinois Controlled Substances Act or metabolites of such
    substances, the presence of which in the  newborn  infant
    was  not  the result of medical treatment administered to
    the mother or the  newborn  infant;  and  the  biological
    mother of this child is the biological mother of at least
    one  other  child  who  was adjudicated a neglected minor
    under subsection (c) of Section 2-3 of the Juvenile Court
    Act of 1987.
         (l)  Failure to demonstrate a reasonable  degree  of
    interest,  concern or responsibility as to the welfare of
    a new born child during  the  first  30  days  after  its
    birth.
         (m)  Failure  by a parent to make reasonable efforts
    to correct the conditions that were  the  basis  for  the
    removal  of  the  child  from  the  parent,  or  to  make
    reasonable progress toward the return of the child to the
    parent within 9 months after an adjudication of neglected
    or  abused  minor under Section 2-3 of the Juvenile Court
    Act of 1987 or dependent minor under Section 2-4 of  that
    Act.   If a service plan has been established as required
    under Section 8.2  of  the  Abused  and  Neglected  Child
    Reporting  Act  to  correct  the conditions that were the
    basis for the removal of the child from the parent and if
    those services were available, then, for purposes of this
    Act, "failure to  make  reasonable  progress  toward  the
    return  of the child to the parent" includes the parent's
    failure to substantially fulfill his or  her  obligations
    under  the  service  plan and correct the conditions that
    brought the child into care within  9  months  after  the
    adjudication  under  Section  2-3  or 2-4 of the Juvenile
    Court Act of 1987.
         (m-1)  Pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, a
    child has been in foster care for 15 months out of any 22
    month period which begins on or after the effective  date
    of  this amendatory Act of 1998 unless the child's parent
    can prove by a preponderance of the evidence that  it  is
    more  likely  than  not  that  it  will  be  in  the best
    interests of the child  to  be  returned  to  the  parent
    within  6  months  of  the  date  on which a petition for
    termination  of  parental  rights  is  filed  under   the
    Juvenile  Court  Act of 1987.  The 15 month time limit is
    tolled during any period  for  which  there  is  a  court
    finding  that  the appointed custodian or guardian failed
    to make reasonable efforts to reunify the child with  his
    or  her  family,  provided  that  (i)  the  finding of no
    reasonable efforts is made within 60 days of  the  period
    when  reasonable efforts were not made or (ii) the parent
    filed a motion requesting  a  finding  of  no  reasonable
    efforts  within  60  days  of  the period when reasonable
    efforts were not made.  For purposes of this  subdivision
    (m-1),  the  date  of entering foster care is the earlier
    of: (i) the date of a judicial finding at an adjudicatory
    hearing that  the  child  is  an  abused,  neglected,  or
    dependent  minor; or (ii) 60 days after the date on which
    the child is removed from his or her parent, guardian, or
    legal custodian.
         (n)  Evidence  of  intent  to  forego  his  or   her
    parental  rights,  whether  or not the child is a ward of
    the court, (1) as manifested by his or her failure for  a
    period  of  12  months:  (i)  to visit the child, (ii) to
    communicate with the child or agency, although able to do
    so and not prevented from doing so by  an  agency  or  by
    court  order,  or  (iii) to maintain contact with or plan
    for the future of the child, although physically able  to
    do  so,  or  (2)  as  manifested by the father's failure,
    where he and the mother of the child  were  unmarried  to
    each  other  at  the  time  of  the child's birth, (i) to
    commence legal proceedings  to  establish  his  paternity
    under  the  Illinois  Parentage Act of 1984 or the law of
    the jurisdiction of the child's birth within 30  days  of
    being informed, pursuant to Section 12a of this Act, that
    he  is  the  father or the likely father of the child or,
    after being so informed where the child is not yet  born,
    within  30  days  of the child's birth, or (ii) to make a
    good faith effort to  pay  a  reasonable  amount  of  the
    expenses related to the birth of the child and to provide
    a  reasonable  amount  for  the  financial support of the
    child, the court to consider  in  its  determination  all
    relevant circumstances, including the financial condition
    of both parents; provided that the ground for termination
    provided  in  this  subparagraph (n)(2)(ii) shall only be
    available where the petition is brought by the mother  or
    the husband of the mother.
         Contact or communication by a parent with his or her
    child  that  does  not  demonstrate affection and concern
    does not constitute reasonable contact and planning under
    subdivision (n).  In  the  absence  of  evidence  to  the
    contrary,  the  ability  to  visit, communicate, maintain
    contact, pay expenses and plan for the  future  shall  be
    presumed.   The  subjective intent of the parent, whether
    expressed or otherwise, unsupported by  evidence  of  the
    foregoing  parental  acts  manifesting that intent, shall
    not preclude a determination that the parent has intended
    to forego his or her parental  rights.   In  making  this
    determination,  the  court  may  consider  but  shall not
    require a showing of diligent efforts  by  an  authorized
    agency  to  encourage  the  parent  to  perform  the acts
    specified in subdivision (n).
         It shall be an affirmative defense to any allegation
    under paragraph (2) of this subsection that the  father's
    failure was due to circumstances beyond his control or to
    impediments  created  by  the  mother or any other person
    having legal custody.  Proof of that fact need only be by
    a preponderance of the evidence.
         (o)  Repeated or continuous failure by the  parents,
    although  physically and financially able, to provide the
    child with adequate food, clothing, or shelter.
         (p)  Inability      to      discharge       parental
    responsibilities  supported  by competent evidence from a
    psychiatrist,  licensed  clinical   social   worker,   or
    clinical   psychologist   of  mental  impairment,  mental
    illness or mental retardation as defined in Section 1-116
    of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code,
    or developmental disability as defined in  Section  1-106
    of  that  Code,  and there is sufficient justification to
    believe  that  the  inability   to   discharge   parental
    responsibilities  shall  extend  beyond a reasonable time
    period.  However,  this  subdivision  (p)  shall  not  be
    construed  so  as  to  permit  a licensed clinical social
    worker to conduct  any  medical  diagnosis  to  determine
    mental illness or mental impairment.
         (q)  The  parent  has  been  criminally convicted of
    aggravated battery, heinous battery, or attempted  murder
    of  any  child  A  finding of physical abuse of the child
    under Section 4-8 of the Juvenile Court  Act  or  Section
    2-21  of  the  Juvenile  Court Act of 1987 and a criminal
    conviction of aggravated battery of the child.
         (r)  The  child  is  in  the  temporary  custody  or
    guardianship of the Department  of  Children  and  Family
    Services,  the  parent  is  incarcerated  as  a result of
    criminal conviction at the time the  petition  or  motion
    for  termination  of  parental  rights is filed, prior to
    incarceration the parent had little or  no  contact  with
    the child or provided little or no support for the child,
    and  the  parent's  incarceration will prevent the parent
    from discharging his or her parental responsibilities for
    the child for a period in excess of  2  years  after  the
    filing  of  the  petition  or  motion  for termination of
    parental rights.
         (s)  The  child  is  in  the  temporary  custody  or
    guardianship of the Department  of  Children  and  Family
    Services,  the  parent  is  incarcerated  at the time the
    petition or motion for termination of parental rights  is
    filed,  the  parent has been repeatedly incarcerated as a
    result of criminal convictions, and the parent's repeated
    incarceration has prevented the parent  from  discharging
    his or her parental responsibilities for the child.
         (t) (r)  A  finding that at birth the child's blood,
    or  urine,  or  meconium  contained  any  amount   of   a
    controlled  substance  as  defined  in  subsection (f) of
    Section 102 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, or
    a  metabolite  of  a  controlled  substance,   with   the
    exception of controlled substances or metabolites of such
    substances,  the  presence of which in the newborn infant
    was the result of medical treatment administered  to  the
    mother  or  the  newborn  infant, and that the biological
    mother of this child is the biological mother of at least
    one other child who was  adjudicated  a  neglected  minor
    under subsection (c) of Section 2-3 of the Juvenile Court
    Act  of  1987,  after which the biological mother had the
    opportunity to enroll in and participate in a  clinically
    appropriate  substance  abuse drug counseling, treatment,
    and rehabilitation program.
    E.  "Parent" means the father or mother of  a  legitimate
or illegitimate child.  For the purpose of this Act, a person
who  has executed a final and irrevocable consent to adoption
or  a  final  and  irrevocable  surrender  for  purposes   of
adoption,  or whose parental rights have been terminated by a
court, is not a parent of the child who was  the  subject  of
the consent or surrender, unless the consent is void pursuant
to subsection O of Section 10.
    F.  A  person  is  available for adoption when the person
is:
         (a)  a child who has been surrendered  for  adoption
    to  an  agency  and  to  whose  adoption  the  agency has
    thereafter consented;
         (b)  a child to whose adoption a  person  authorized
    by  law,  other  than  his  parents, has consented, or to
    whose adoption no consent is required pursuant to Section
    8 of this Act;
         (c)  a child who is in the custody  of  persons  who
    intend  to  adopt  him  through  placement  made  by  his
    parents;
         (c-1)  a  child  for  whom  a  parent  has  signed a
    specific consent pursuant to subsection O of Section  10;
    or
         (d)  an  adult who meets the conditions set forth in
    Section 3 of this Act.
    A person who would otherwise be  available  for  adoption
shall not be deemed unavailable for adoption solely by reason
of his or her death.
    G.  The  singular  includes  the  plural  and  the plural
includes the singular and the "male" includes  the  "female",
as the context of this Act may require.
    H.  "Adoption   disruption"   occurs   when  an  adoptive
placement does not prove successful and it becomes  necessary
for  the  child  to  be  removed  from  placement  before the
adoption is finalized.
    I.  "Foreign placing agency" is an agency  or  individual
operating in a country or territory outside the United States
that  is  authorized  by  its  country  to place children for
adoption either directly with families in the  United  States
or through United States based international agencies.
    J.  "Immediate  relatives"  means the biological parents,
the parents of the biological parents  and  siblings  of  the
biological parents.
    K.  "Intercountry adoption" is a process by which a child
from a country other than the United States is adopted.
    L.  "Intercountry Adoption Coordinator" is a staff person
of  the  Department of Children and Family Services appointed
by the Director to coordinate the provision  of  services  by
the  public  and  private  sector  to  prospective parents of
foreign-born children.
    M.  "Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children"  is
a  law enacted by most states for the purpose of establishing
uniform procedures for handling the interstate  placement  of
children in foster homes, adoptive homes, or other child care
facilities.
    N.  "Non-Compact  state"  means  a  state  that  has  not
enacted the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children.
    O.  "Preadoption   requirements"   are   any   conditions
established  by  the  laws  or  regulations  of  the  Federal
Government  or  of  each  state that must be met prior to the
placement of a child in an adoptive home.
    P.  "Abused  child"  means  a  child  whose   parent   or
immediate  family  member,  or any person responsible for the
child's welfare,  or any individual residing in the same home
as the child, or a paramour of the child's parent:
         (a)  inflicts, causes to be inflicted, or allows  to
    be  inflicted  upon  the  child physical injury, by other
    than accidental means, that causes death,  disfigurement,
    impairment  of  physical  or emotional health, or loss or
    impairment of any bodily function;
         (b)  creates a substantial risk of  physical  injury
    to  the  child by other than accidental means which would
    be likely to cause death,  disfigurement,  impairment  of
    physical  or  emotional  health, or loss or impairment of
    any bodily function;
         (c)  commits or  allows  to  be  committed  any  sex
    offense against the child, as sex offenses are defined in
    the Criminal Code of 1961 and extending those definitions
    of  sex  offenses  to  include children under 18 years of
    age;
         (d)  commits or allows to be  committed  an  act  or
    acts of torture upon the child; or
         (e)  inflicts excessive corporal punishment.
    Q.  "Neglected  child"  means  any  child whose parent or
other person responsible for the child's welfare withholds or
denies nourishment or medically indicated treatment including
food or care denied solely on the basis  of  the  present  or
anticipated  mental or physical impairment as determined by a
physician  acting  alone  or  in  consultation   with   other
physicians  or  otherwise  does  not  provide  the  proper or
necessary support, education as required by law,  or  medical
or   other  remedial  care  recognized  under  State  law  as
necessary for a child's well-being, or other  care  necessary
for  his or her well-being, including adequate food, clothing
and shelter; or who is abandoned by his  or  her  parents  or
other person responsible for the child's welfare.
    A  child  shall not be considered neglected or abused for
the sole reason that  the  child's  parent  or  other  person
responsible  for  his  or  her welfare depends upon spiritual
means through prayer alone  for  the  treatment  or  cure  of
disease  or  remedial care as provided under Section 4 of the
Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.
    R.  "Putative father" means a man who may  be  a  child's
father,  but  who (1) is not married to the child's mother on
or before the date that the child was or is to  be  born  and
(2)  has  not  established  paternity of the child in a court
proceeding before the filing of a petition for  the  adoption
of  the  child.  The term includes a male who is less than 18
years of age.  "Putative father" does not mean a man  who  is
the  child's  father  as a result of criminal sexual abuse or
assault as defined under Article 12 of the Criminal  Code  of
1961.
(Source: P.A.  89-235,  eff.  8-4-95;  89-704,  eff.  8-16-97
(changed  from  1-1-98  by P.A. 90-443); 90-13, eff. 6-13-97;
90-15, eff. 6-13-97; 90-27, eff. 1-1-98 except subdiv. (D)(m)
eff. 6-25-97; 90-28, eff. 1-1-98 except subdiv.  (D)(m)  eff.
6-25-97; 90-443, eff. 8-16-97; revised 11-26-97.)

    (750 ILCS 50/2) (from Ch. 40, par. 1502)
    Sec.  2. Who may adopt a child.  A.  Any of the following
persons,  who  is  under  no  legal  disability  (except  the
minority specified in sub-paragraph (b) and who  has  resided
in  the  State  of  Illinois  continuously for a period of at
least 6 months immediately preceding the commencement  of  an
adoption proceeding, or any member of the armed forces of the
United States who has been domiciled in the State of Illinois
for 90 days, may institute such proceeding:
    (a)  A  reputable  person of legal age and of either sex,
provided that if such person is  married  and  has  not  been
living  separate  and  apart  from  his  or her spouse for 12
months or longer, his or her spouse shall be a party  to  the
adoption  proceeding, including a husband or wife desiring to
adopt a child of the other spouse, in all of which cases  the
adoption shall be by both spouses jointly;
    (b)  A minor, by leave of court upon good cause shown.
    B.  The residence requirement specified in paragraph A of
this  Section  shall  not  apply  to an adoption of a related
child or to an adoption of a child placed by an agency.
(Source: P.A. 83-62.)

    (750 ILCS 50/10) (from Ch. 40, par. 1512)
    Sec. 10.  Forms of consent and surrender;  execution  and
acknowledgment thereof.)
    A.  The  form  of  consent required for the adoption of a
born child shall be substantially as follows:
          FINAL AND IRREVOCABLE CONSENT TO ADOPTION
    I, ...., (relationship, e.g., mother,  father,  relative,
guardian) of ...., a ..male child, state:
    That such child was born on .... at ....
    That I reside at ...., County of ....  and State of ....
    That I am of the age of .... years.
    That  I hereby enter my appearance in this proceeding and
waive service of summons on me.
    That I do hereby consent and agree  to  the  adoption  of
such child.
    That  I  wish  to  and  understand  that  by signing this
consent I do irrevocably and permanently give up all  custody
and other parental rights I have to such child.
    That  I understand such child will be placed for adoption
and that I cannot under any circumstances, after signing this
document, change my mind and revoke or cancel this consent or
obtain or recover custody  or  any  other  rights  over  such
child.   That  I  have read and understand the above and I am
signing it as my free and voluntary act.
    Dated this ....  day of ...., 19....
    If under Section 8 the consent of more than one person is
required, then each such  person  shall  execute  a  separate
consent.
    B.  The  form  of consent required for the adoption of an
unborn child shall be substantially as follows:
             CONSENT TO ADOPTION OF UNBORN CHILD
    I, ...., state:
    That I am the father of a child expected to be born on or
about .... to ....  (name of mother).
    That I reside at ....  County of ...., and State of .....
    That I am of the age of .... years.
    That I  hereby  enter  my  appearance  in  such  adoption
proceeding and waive service of summons on me.
    That  I  do  hereby  consent and agree to the adoption of
such child, and that I have not previously executed a consent
or surrender with respect to such child.
    That I wish to and do understand  that  by  signing  this
consent  I do irrevocably and permanently give up all custody
and other parental rights I have to such child, except that I
have the right to  revoke  this  consent  by  giving  written
notice  of  my  revocation  not later than 72 hours after the
birth of the child.
    That I understand such child will be placed for  adoption
and  that, except as hereinabove provided, I cannot under any
circumstances, after signing this document,  change  my  mind
and  revoke  or  cancel  this  consent  or  obtain or recover
custody or any other rights over such child.
    That I have read  and  understand  the  above  and  I  am
signing it as my free and voluntary act.
    Dated this ....  day of ...., 19...
........................
    C.  The form of surrender to any agency given by a parent
of a born child who is to be subsequently placed for adoption
shall  be  substantially  as  follows  and shall contain such
other facts and statements as  the  particular  agency  shall
require.
               FINAL AND IRREVOCABLE SURRENDER
                  FOR PURPOSES OF ADOPTION
    I,  ....   (relationship, e.g., mother, father, relative,
guardian) of ...., a ..male child, state:
    That such child was born on ...., at .....
    That I reside at ...., County of ...., and State of .....
    That I am of the age of .... years.
    That I do hereby surrender and entrust the entire custody
and control of such child to  the  ....   (the  "Agency"),  a
(public)  (licensed)  child welfare agency with its principal
office in the City of ...., County of .... and State of ....,
for the purpose of enabling it to care for and supervise  the
care  of  such child, to place such child for adoption and to
consent to the legal adoption of such child.
    That  I  hereby  grant  to  the  Agency  full  power  and
authority to place such child with any person or  persons  it
may  in  its  sole  discretion  select to become the adopting
parent or parents and to consent to  the  legal  adoption  of
such child by such person or persons; and to take any and all
measures which, in the judgment of the Agency, may be for the
best  interests of such child, including authorizing medical,
surgical and dental care and treatment including  inoculation
and anaesthesia for such child.
    That  I  wish  to  and  understand  that  by signing this
surrender I  do  irrevocably  and  permanently  give  up  all
custody and other parental rights I have to such child.
    That I understand I cannot under any circumstances, after
signing  this  surrender, change my mind and revoke or cancel
this surrender or obtain or  recover  custody  or  any  other
rights over such child.
    That  I  have  read  and  understand  the  above and I am
signing it as my free and voluntary act.
    Dated this ....  day of ...., 19...
........................
    D.  The form of surrender to an agency given by a  parent
of  an  unborn  child  who  is  to be subsequently placed for
adoption shall be substantially as follows and shall  contain
such  other  facts  and  statements  as the particular agency
shall require.
                SURRENDER OF UNBORN CHILD FOR
                    PURPOSES OF ADOPTION
    I, ....  (father), state:
    That I am the father of a child expected to be born on or
about .... to ....  (name of mother).
    That I reside at ...., County of ...., and State of .....
    That I am of the age of .... years.
    That I do hereby surrender and entrust the entire custody
and control of such child to  the  ....   (the  "Agency"),  a
(public)  (licensed)  child welfare agency with its principal
office in the City of ...., County  of  ....   and  State  of
....,  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  it  to  care  for and
supervise the care of such child, to  place  such  child  for
adoption  and to consent to the legal adoption of such child,
and  that  I  have  not  previously  executed  a  consent  or
surrender with respect to such child.
    That  I  hereby  grant  to  the  Agency  full  power  and
authority to place such child with any person or  persons  it
may  in  its  sole  discretion  select to become the adopting
parent or parents and to consent to  the  legal  adoption  of
such child by such person or persons; and to take any and all
measures which, in the judgment of the Agency, may be for the
best  interests of such child, including authorizing medical,
surgical and dental care and treatment, including inoculation
and anaesthesia for such child.
    That I wish  to  and  understand  that  by  signing  this
surrender  I  do  irrevocably  and  permanently  give  up all
custody and other parental rights I have to such child.
    That I understand I cannot under any circumstances, after
signing this surrender, change my mind and revoke  or  cancel
this  surrender  or  obtain  or  recover custody or any other
rights over such child, except  that  I  have  the  right  to
revoke   this  surrender  by  giving  written  notice  of  my
revocation not later than 72 hours after the  birth  of  such
child.
    That  I  have  read  and  understand  the  above and I am
signing it as my free and voluntary act.
    Dated this .... day of ...., 19...
........................
    E.  The form of consent required from the parents for the
adoption of an adult, when such adult elects to  obtain  such
consent, shall be substantially as follows:
                           CONSENT
    I, ...., (father) (mother) of ...., an adult, state:
    That I reside at ...., County of ....  and State of .....
    That  I  do  hereby  consent and agree to the adoption of
such adult by .... and .....
    Dated this ....  day of .......... 19
    F.  The form of consent required for the  adoption  of  a
child  of  the age of 14 years or upwards, or of an adult, to
be given by such person, shall be substantially as follows:
                           CONSENT
    I, ...., state:
    That I reside at ...., County of ....  and State of .....
That I am of the age of ....   years.   That  I  consent  and
agree to my adoption by .... and .....
    Dated this ....  day of ......., 19...
........................
    G.  The  form  of  consent  given  by  an  agency  to the
adoption  by  specified  persons  of   a   child   previously
surrendered  to  it  shall  set forth that the agency has the
authority to execute such consent.  The form of consent given
by a guardian of the person of a child sought to be  adopted,
appointed  by  a  court  of competent jurisdiction, shall set
forth the facts of such appointment and the authority of  the
guardian to execute such consent.
    H.  A  consent  (other  than  that given by an agency, or
guardian of the person of the  child  sought  to  be  adopted
appointed  by  a  court  of  competent jurisdiction) shall be
acknowledged by a parent before the presiding  judge  of  the
court  in  which the petition for adoption has been, or is to
be filed  or  before  any  other  judge  or  hearing  officer
designated  or  subsequently  approved  by  the court, or the
circuit clerk if so authorized by  the  presiding  judge  or,
except   as   otherwise   provided  in  this  Act,  before  a
representative of  the  Department  of  Children  and  Family
Services or a licensed child welfare agency, or before social
service  personnel  under  the  jurisdiction  of  a  court of
competent jurisdiction, or before social service personnel of
the Cook County Department of Supportive Services  designated
by the presiding judge.
    I.  A  surrender,  or  any other document equivalent to a
surrender, by which a child is surrendered to an agency shall
be acknowledged by the  person  signing  such  surrender,  or
other  document,  before  a  judge  or hearing officer or the
clerk of any court of record, either in  this  State  or  any
other  state of the United States, or before a representative
of an  agency  or  before  any  other  person  designated  or
approved  by  the  presiding  judge of the court in which the
petition for adoption has been, or is to be, filed.
    J.  The form of the certificate of acknowledgment  for  a
consent,  a  surrender, or any other document equivalent to a
surrender, shall be substantially as follows:
STATE OF ....)
             ) SS.
COUNTY OF ...)
    I, .... (Name of judge or other person),  ....  (official
title,  name  and  location of court or status or position of
other person), certify that ...., personally known to  me  to
be  the same person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing
(consent) (surrender), appeared before me this day in  person
and  acknowledged  that  (she) (he) signed and delivered such
(consent) (surrender) as (her) (his) free and voluntary  act,
for the specified purpose.
    I  have  fully  explained  that by signing such (consent)
(surrender)  (she)  (he)  is  irrevocably  relinquishing  all
parental rights to such child or adult  and  (she)  (he)  has
stated that such is (her) (his) intention and desire.
    Dated            19
    Signature
    K.  When  the  execution  of  a consent or a surrender is
acknowledged before someone other than a judge or  the  clerk
of  a  court  of  record,  such  other  person shall have his
signature on the certificate  acknowledged  before  a  notary
public, in form substantially as follows:
STATE OF ....)
             ) SS.
COUNTY OF ...)
    I,  a  Notary Public, in and for the County of ......, in
the State of ......, certify that ...., personally  known  to
me  to  be  the  same  person whose name is subscribed to the
foregoing certificate of acknowledgment, appeared  before  me
in  person  and  acknowledged  that  (she)  (he)  signed such
certificate as (her) (his) free and voluntary  act  and  that
the statements made in the certificate are true.
    Dated ......... 19...
               Signature ...................... Notary Public
                                              (official seal)
    There  shall  be attached a certificate of magistracy, or
other  comparable  proof  of  office  of  the  notary  public
satisfactory  to  the  court,  to  a   consent   signed   and
acknowledged in another state.
    L.  A  surrender  or  consent  executed  and acknowledged
outside of this State, either in accordance with the  law  of
this  State  or in accordance with the law of the place where
executed, is valid.
    M.  Where a consent or a surrender is signed in a foreign
country, the execution of such consent shall be  acknowledged
or  affirmed in a manner conformable to the law and procedure
of such country.
    N.  If the person signing a consent or  surrender  is  in
the  military  service of the United States, the execution of
such consent  or  surrender  may  be  acknowledged  before  a
commissioned  officer  and  the  signature of such officer on
such certificate shall be verified or acknowledged  before  a
notary public or by such other procedure as is then in effect
for such division or branch of the armed forces.
    O.  (1) The  parent  or  parents  of  a  child  in  whose
interests a petition under Section 2-13 of the Juvenile Court
Act  of  1987  is  pending  may,  with  the  approval  of the
designated representative of the Department of  Children  and
Family Services, execute a consent to adoption by a specified
person or persons:
         (a)  in whose physical custody the child has resided
    for at least one year; or
         (b)  in  whose physical custody at least one sibling
    of the child who is  the  subject  of  this  consent  has
    resided  for  at least one year, and the child who is the
    subject of this consent is  currently  residing  in  this
    foster home; or
         (c)  in  whose  physical  custody  a child under one
    year of age has resided for at least 3 months.

A consent under this subsection O shall be acknowledged by  a
parent  pursuant  to  subsection  H  and subsection K of this
Section.
    (2)  The consent to adoption by  a  specified  person  or
persons  shall have the caption of the proceeding in which it
is to be filed and shall be substantially as follows:
        FINAL AND IRREVOCABLE CONSENT TO ADOPTION BY
                A SPECIFIED PERSON OR PERSONS
    I,      ......................................,       the
..................  (mother  or  father) of a ....male child,
state:
         1.  My child ............................  (name  of
    child)   was  born  on  (date)  ............,  ......  at
    .................... Hospital in ................ County,
    State of .............. .
         2.  I reside at  ......................,  County  of
    ............. and State of ............. .
         3.  I,  ...........................,  am  .... years
    old.
         4.  I enter my appearance in this action to adopt my
    child by the person or persons specified herein by me and
    waive service of summons on me in this action only.
         5.  I  consent  to  the  adoption  of  my  child  by
    .............................   (specified   person    or
    persons) only.
         6.  I  wish  to  sign  this consent and I understand
    that  by  signing  this   consent   I   irrevocably   and
    permanently  give  up  all  parental  rights I have to my
    child     if     my     child     is      adopted      by
    .............................    (specified   person   or
    persons).
         7.  I  understand  my  child  will  be  adopted   by
    .............................      (specified  person  or
    persons) only and that I cannot under any  circumstances,
    after signing this document, change my mind and revoke or
    cancel  this  consent or obtain or recover custody or any
    other      rights      over       my       child       if
    ............................    (specified    person   or
    persons) adopt my child.
         8.  I understand that this consent  to  adoption  is
    valid  only  if the petition to adopt is filed within one
    year  from  the  date  that  I  sign  it  and   that   if
    .......................  (specified  person  or persons),
    for any reason, cannot or will not  file  a  petition  to
    adopt  my  child  within that one year period or if their
    adoption petition is denied, then this  consent  will  be
    void.  I have the right to notice of any other proceeding
    that could affect my  parental  rights,  except  for  the
    proceeding   for   .............   (specified  person  or
    persons) to adopt my child.
         9.  I have read and understand the above  and  I  am
    signing it as my free and voluntary act.
         Dated this ..... day of ....., .......
         .............................................
         Signature of parent
    (3)  If the parent consents to an adoption by 2 specified
persons,  then the form shall contain 2 additional paragraphs
in substantially the following form:
         10.  If ............... (specified  persons)  get  a
    divorce before the petition to adopt my child is granted,
    then  .......... (specified person) shall adopt my child.
    I understand that I cannot change my mind and revoke this
    consent or obtain or recover custody  over  my  child  if
    .............    (specified    persons)    divorce    and
    .............  (specified  person)  adopts  my  child.  I
    understand that I cannot change my mind and  revoke  this
    consent  or  obtain  or  recover custody over my child if
    ................. (specified persons) divorce  after  the
    adoption  is  final.   I  understand that this consent to
    adoption has no effect on who  will  get  custody  of  my
    child if they divorce after the adoption is final.
         11.  I  understand  that  if  either ...............
    (specified persons) dies before the petition to adopt  my
    child  is granted, then the surviving person can adopt my
    child.  I understand that I cannot  change  my  mind  and
    revoke  this consent or obtain or recover custody over my
    child if the surviving person adopts my child.
    A consent to adoption by specified persons on  this  form
shall have no effect on a court's determination of custody or
visitation  under  the  Illinois  Marriage and Dissolution of
Marriage Act if the marriage  of  the  specified  persons  is
dissolved after the adoption is final.
    (4)  The form of the certificate of acknowledgement for a
Final  and  Irrevocable  Consent  for Adoption by a Specified
Person or Persons shall be substantially as follows:

STATE OF..............)
                       ) SS.
COUNTY OF.............)

    I, .................... (Name of Judge or other  person),
.....................  (official  title,  name, and address),
certify that ............., personally known to me to be  the
same  person  whose name is subscribed to the foregoing Final
and Irrevocable Consent for Adoption by a Specified Person or
Persons,  appeared  before  me  this  day   in   person   and
acknowledged  that (she)(he) signed and delivered the consent
as (her)(his) free  and  voluntary  act,  for  the  specified
purpose.
    I  have  fully explained that this consent to adoption is
valid only if the petition to adopt is filed within one  year
from  the  date  that it is signed, and that if the specified
person or persons, for any reason, cannot or will  not  adopt
the  child  or  if the adoption petition is denied, then this
consent will be void.  I have fully  explained  that  if  the
specified  person or persons adopt the child, by signing this
consent   (she)(he)   is    irrevocably    and    permanently
relinquishing all parental rights to the child, and (she)(he)
has stated that such is (her)(his) intention and desire.
    Dated ............., ........
    ...............................
    Signature
    (5)  If  a  consent  to adoption by a specified person or
persons is executed in this form,  the  following  provisions
shall  apply.   The  consent  shall  be  valid  only  if that
specified person or persons adopt  the  child.   The  consent
shall be void if:
         (a)  the  specified  person or persons do not file a
    petition to adopt the child within  one  year  after  the
    consent is signed; or
         (b)  a court denies the adoption petition; or
         (c)  the  Department of Children and Family Services
    Guardianship Administrator determines that the  specified
    person  or  persons  will  not  or  cannot  complete  the
    adoption,  or  in  the best interests of the child should
    not adopt the child.
    Within  30  days  of  the  consent  becoming  void,   the
Department  of  Children  and  Family  Services  Guardianship
Administrator  shall  make  good faith attempts to notify the
parent in writing and shall give written notice to the  court
and  all  additional parties in writing that the adoption has
not occurred or will not occur and that the consent is  void.
If  the  adoption  by  a specified person or persons does not
occur, no proceeding for termination of parental rights shall
be brought unless the  biological  parent  who  executed  the
consent to adoption by a specified person or persons has been
notified  of the proceeding pursuant to Section 7 of this Act
or subsection (4) of Section 2-13 of the Juvenile  Court  Act
of 1987.  The parent shall not need to take further action to
revoke  the consent if the specified adoption does not occur,
notwithstanding the provisions of Section 11 of this Act.
    (6)  The Department of Children and  Family  Services  is
authorized  to  promulgate  rules necessary to implement this
subsection O.
    (7)  The  Department  shall  collect  and  maintain  data
concerning the efficacy  of  specific  consents.   This  data
shall  include  the  number of specific consents executed and
their outcomes, including but not limited to  the  number  of
children  adopted  pursuant  to  the  consents, the number of
children for whom adoptions are not completed, and the reason
or reasons why the adoptions are not completed.
(Source: P.A. 89-704, eff. 8-16-97 (changed  from  1-1-98  by
P.A. 90-443); revised 12-18-97.)

    (750 ILCS 50/15.1) (from Ch. 40, par. 1519.1)
    Sec.  15.1.  (a)  Any  person over the age of 18, who has
cared for a child for a continuous period of one year or more
as a foster parent licensed under the Child Care Act of  1969
to  operate  a  foster  family home, may apply to the child's
guardian with the power to  consent  to  adoption,  for  such
guardian's consent.
    (b)  Such   guardian  shall  give  preference  and  first
consideration to that application over all other applications
for adoption of the child but the guardian's  final  decision
shall be based on the welfare and best interest of the child.
In arriving at this decision, the guardian shall consider all
relevant factors including but not limited to:
         (1)  the wishes of the child;
         (2)  the  interaction  and  interrelationship of the
    child with the applicant to adopt the child;
         (3)  the child's need for stability  and  continuity
    of relationship with parent figures;
         (4)  the  wishes  of the child's parent as expressed
    in writing prior to that parent's execution of a  consent
    or surrender for adoption;
         (5)  the  child's  adjustment  to  his present home,
    school and community;
         (6)  the  mental  and   physical   health   of   all
    individuals involved;
         (7)  the  family  ties  between  the  child  and the
    applicant to adopt the child and the value of  preserving
    family  ties between the child and the child's relatives,
    including siblings;
         (8)  the   background,   race,   ethnic    heritage,
    behavior, age and living arrangements of the applicant to
    adopt the child;
         (9)  the  criminal background check report presented
    to the court as part of the investigation required  under
    Section 6 of this Act.
    (c)  The  final  determination  of  the  propriety of the
adoption shall be within the sole discretion  of  the  court,
which  shall  base  its  decision  on  the  welfare  and best
interest of the child.  In arriving  at  this  decision,  the
court  shall  consider all relevant factors including but not
limited to the factors in subsection (b).
    (d)  If the court specifically finds  that  the  guardian
has  abused  his  discretion  by  withholding  consent  to an
adoption  in  violation  of  the  child's  welfare  and  best
interests, then the court may grant an adoption, after all of
the other provisions of this Act  have  been  complied  with,
with  or  without  the  consent of the guardian with power to
consent to adoption.  If the court  specifically  finds  that
the guardian has abused his discretion by granting consent to
an  adoption  in  violation  of  the child's welfare and best
interests, then the court may deny an  adoption  even  though
the  guardian with power to consent to adoption has consented
to it.
(Source: P.A. 87-1129.)

    Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
becoming law.

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