Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
FFY 2011 Annual Progress and Services Report
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household member is named as the perpetrator, or because the licensee has demonstrated in
other ways that he or she cannot ensure the best interests of children in care.)
Quality and Effectiveness of the State’s Standards
Generally, Department licensing standards are believed to be of good quality and are effective
in ensuring the health, safety and welfare of children. In FY2010 Illinois developed a uniform,
adoption standardized home study assessment process. A Home Study Committee was
established and charged with the task of creating minimum standards regarding the content and
format for international adoption home studies and time spent in-person with the adoptive
families to develop templates for international and interstate adoptions and to make
recommendations regarding enforcement of post-adoption/placement monitoring of both the
agencies and the families they serve. The uniform adoption home study is the required format
for all Illinois inter-country adoptions in FY11.
Background Checks
The purpose of Background checks is to ensure the safety and well-being of children cared for
in any facility subject to licensure requiring that the operators of the child care facilities and
other persons subject to background check are screened for a history of child abuse or child
neglect, prior criminal convictions and or pending criminal charges. The authority to conduct
Background Checks and implementing them is authorized by the Child Care Act of 1969 [225
ILCS 10]; Section 5(a) (3) (A) and (F) and (v) of the Children and Family Services Act [20
ILCS 505/5(a) (3) (A) and (F) and (v)]; and Section 55a (34) of the Civil Administrative Code
[20 ILCS 2605/55a (34)].
Background Check Components include criminal history check via electronic fingerprints of
persons age 17 and over that are submitted to the Illinois State Police and Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) for comparison to their criminal history records, as appropriate; and a check
of the Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System (CANTS/SACWIS). Other state child
protection systems are checked, as appropriate, to determine whether an individual is currently
alleged or has been indicated as a perpetrator of child abuse or neglect. Additionally the
background check contains a check of the Illinois State Police (ISP) Sex Offender Registry.
In addition, each applicant and all members of the household age 13 and over are checked
against the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS), the Illinois
Sex Offender Registry, and, if an individual indicates that this individual lived outside the State
of Illinois during the last 5 years, similar background checks are done in that state, as well.
Individuals subject to the background check include:
The operators of the child care facility;
All current and conditional employees of the child care facility;
Any person who is used to replace or supplement staff;
Any person who has access to child as defined in this section; and,
Any person who provides services that allow unsupervised access to children if the
requirement for background checks is a condition of contract or agreement or is
required otherwise under 89 ILL. Adm. Code 357, Purchase of Service.
