This study suggests that court procedures in Illinois must improve to assure that more children are placed in permanent homes in a timely way. The University of Chicago's Chapin Hall Center for Children examined the timeliness of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois' Child Protection Division in completing the sequence of hearings and…

This case study details a problematic adoption. The study briefly describes the requirements of constitutional and Illinois law that set the framework for the ChildLaw Center's internal debate on the case, presents the competing considerations confronted in the case, and the decision made and the implications of the appellate court ruling in the…

Discusses development of indicators for the safety of children in out-of-home care using administrative data from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Reports rates of abuse and neglect from 1996 to 1999, and presents an alternative that accounts for the length of time children are exposed to abuse or neglect. (JPB)

Interviewed caregivers of related children who were in the custody of the state child welfare system, as the state implemented new federal and state policies encouraging caregivers to adopt or assume guardianship of the children in their care. Noted issues of concern and caregiver recommendations for the child welfare system. (Author)

This issue of WIN (Welfare Information Network) Issue Notes focuses on helping low-income mothers with criminal records achieve self-sufficiency. Section 1 offers background. Section 2 answers these policy questions: why states might want to focus on serving low-income mothers with criminal records; how states can encourage employers to hire…

Describes efforts in Illinois to improve permanency outcomes for children in formal kinship care: the state developed Delegated Relative Authority (DRA) status for children in stable family foster care with relatives while maintaining state support in situations where adoption was unlikely. Presents findings from 1,116 feasibility assessments. (SD)

This issue of WIN (Welfare Information Network) Issue Notes addresses what populations programs that provide services to incarcerated and released noncustodial parents should target, the support services that should be provided, and where and when these services can be most beneficial. Section 1 offers background. Section 2 answers these policy…

Proposed a conceptual framework for analyzing kinship care policy that uses five new permanency outcomes. Concluded that, in formulating their own policies, states must separate a caregiver's need for support (money and services) from a child's need for supervision (casework oversight). Concludes that states must proceed cautiously in altering…

Presents a case study of the development of kinship care policy in Illinois due to court decisions regarding the provision of financial support to relatives acting as foster parents. Compares recent reform of kinship care policies in Illinois with welfare reform efforts across the country and their national implications. (SD)