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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | 10-20.59 and 34-18.52 as follows:
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6 | (105 ILCS 5/10-20.59) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Sec. 10-20.59. DCFS liaison. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | (a) Each school board shall may appoint at least one | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | employee to act as a liaison to facilitate the enrollment and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | transfer of records of students in the legal custody of the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Department of Children and Family Services when enrolling in or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | changing schools. The school board may appoint any employee of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | the school district who is licensed under Article 21B of this | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Code to act as a liaison; however, employees who meet any of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | the following criteria must be prioritized for appointment: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | (1) Employees who have worked with mobile student | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | populations or students in foster care. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | (2) Employees who are familiar with enrollment, record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | transfers, existing community services, and student | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | support services. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | (3) Employees who serve as a high-level administrator. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | (4) Employees who are counselors or have experience | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | with student counseling. |
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1 | (5) Employees who are knowledgeable on child welfare | ||||||
2 | policies. | ||||||
3 | (6) Employees who serve as a school social worker. | ||||||
4 | (b) Liaisons under this Section are encouraged to build | ||||||
5 | capacity and infrastructure within their school district to | ||||||
6 | support students in the legal custody of the Department of | ||||||
7 | Children and Family Services. Liaison responsibilities may | ||||||
8 | include the following: | ||||||
9 | (1) streamlining the enrollment processes for students | ||||||
10 | in foster care; | ||||||
11 | (2) implementing student data tracking and monitoring | ||||||
12 | mechanisms; | ||||||
13 | (3) ensuring that students in the legal custody of the | ||||||
14 | Department of Children and Family Services receive all | ||||||
15 | school nutrition and meal programs available; | ||||||
16 | (4) coordinating student withdrawal from a school, | ||||||
17 | record transfers, and credit recovery; | ||||||
18 | (5) becoming experts on the foster care system and | ||||||
19 | State laws and policies in place that support children | ||||||
20 | under the legal custody of the Department of Children and | ||||||
21 | Family Services; | ||||||
22 | (6) coordinating with child welfare partners; | ||||||
23 | (7) providing foster care-related information and | ||||||
24 | training to the school district; | ||||||
25 | (8) working with the Department of Children and Family | ||||||
26 | Services to help students maintain their school placement, |
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1 | if appropriate; | ||||||
2 | (9) reviewing student schedules to ensure that | ||||||
3 | students are on track to graduate; | ||||||
4 | (10) encouraging a successful transition into | ||||||
5 | adulthood and post-secondary opportunities; | ||||||
6 | (11) encouraging involvement in extracurricular | ||||||
7 | activities; and | ||||||
8 | (12) knowing what support is available within the | ||||||
9 | school district and community for students in the legal | ||||||
10 | custody of the Department of Children and Family Services. | ||||||
11 | (c) (Blank). A school district is encouraged to designate a | ||||||
12 | liaison by the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year. | ||||||
13 | (d) Individuals licensed under Article 21B of this Code | ||||||
14 | acting as a liaison under this Section shall perform the duties | ||||||
15 | of a liaison in addition to existing contractual obligations.
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16 | (Source: P.A. 99-781, eff. 8-12-16; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17.)
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17 | (105 ILCS 5/34-18.52) | ||||||
18 | Sec. 34-18.52. DCFS liaison. | ||||||
19 | (a) The board shall may appoint at least one employee to | ||||||
20 | act as a liaison to facilitate the enrollment and transfer of | ||||||
21 | records of students in the legal custody of the Department of | ||||||
22 | Children and Family Services when enrolling in or changing | ||||||
23 | schools. The board may appoint any employee of the school | ||||||
24 | district who is licensed under Article 21B of this Code to act | ||||||
25 | as a liaison; however, employees who meet any of the following |
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1 | criteria must be prioritized for appointment: | ||||||
2 | (1) Employees who have worked with mobile student | ||||||
3 | populations or students in foster care. | ||||||
4 | (2) Employees who are familiar with enrollment, record | ||||||
5 | transfers, existing community services, and student | ||||||
6 | support services. | ||||||
7 | (3) Employees who serve as a high-level administrator. | ||||||
8 | (4) Employees who are counselors or have experience | ||||||
9 | with student counseling. | ||||||
10 | (5) Employees who are knowledgeable on child welfare | ||||||
11 | policies. | ||||||
12 | (6) Employees who serve as a school social worker. | ||||||
13 | (b) Liaisons under this Section are encouraged to build | ||||||
14 | capacity and infrastructure within the school district to | ||||||
15 | support students in the legal custody of the Department of | ||||||
16 | Children and Family Services. Liaison responsibilities may | ||||||
17 | include the following: | ||||||
18 | (1) streamlining the enrollment processes for students | ||||||
19 | in foster care; | ||||||
20 | (2) implementing student data tracking and monitoring | ||||||
21 | mechanisms; | ||||||
22 | (3) ensuring that students in the legal custody of the | ||||||
23 | Department of Children and Family Services receive all | ||||||
24 | school nutrition and meal programs available; | ||||||
25 | (4) coordinating student withdrawal from a school, | ||||||
26 | record transfers, and credit recovery; |
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1 | (5) becoming experts on the foster care system and | ||||||
2 | State laws and policies in place that support children | ||||||
3 | under the legal custody of the Department of Children and | ||||||
4 | Family Services; | ||||||
5 | (6) coordinating with child welfare partners; | ||||||
6 | (7) providing foster care-related information and | ||||||
7 | training to the school district; | ||||||
8 | (8) working with the Department of Children and Family | ||||||
9 | Services to help students maintain their school placement, | ||||||
10 | if appropriate; | ||||||
11 | (9) reviewing student schedules to ensure that | ||||||
12 | students are on track to graduate; | ||||||
13 | (10) encouraging a successful transition into | ||||||
14 | adulthood and post-secondary opportunities; | ||||||
15 | (11) encouraging involvement in extracurricular | ||||||
16 | activities; and | ||||||
17 | (12) knowing what support is available within the | ||||||
18 | school district and community for students in the legal | ||||||
19 | custody of the Department of Children and Family Services. | ||||||
20 | (c) (Blank). The school district is encouraged to designate | ||||||
21 | a liaison by the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year. | ||||||
22 | (d) Individuals licensed under Article 21B of this Code | ||||||
23 | acting as a liaison under this Section shall perform the duties | ||||||
24 | of a liaison in addition to existing contractual obligations.
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25 | (Source: P.A. 99-781, eff. 8-12-16; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17.)
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