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Illinois Senate Bill SB1508

Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois Senate Bill SB1508 Compare Versions

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11 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB1508 Introduced 2/4/2025, by Sen. Sara Feigenholtz SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 20 ILCS 505/46 new Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to, no later than July 1, 2026, establish the Office of Alumni Support (Office) to provide assistance, guidance, and support to any former youth in care needing or requesting assistance, guidance, or support. Provides that the Office shall link former youth in care to existing supports, determine what additional supports are necessary to improve outcomes for former youth in care based upon identified needs, including researching existing evidence-based and evidence-informed practice models of providing assistance to former youth in care, and implement necessary changes to provide the additional supports. Provides that current and former youth in care shall provide input, guidance, and direction on the establishment and operation of the Office. Sets forth a list of stakeholders the Department shall engage with when developing the Office. Creates the Former Youth in Care Crisis Support Services Program for the purpose of providing former youth in care in crisis immediate funds to address urgent needs, including, but not limited to, emergency housing, healthcare, food, transportation, and items urgently needed to maintain the former youth in care in a work or educational setting. Provides that the Office of Alumni Support shall manage and operate the program. Requires the Department to submit quarterly progress reports to the General Assembly on the establishment of the Office. Requires the Auditor General to conduct a performance audit to determine if the Department is meeting the requirements of the amendatory Act. Provides that the performance audit shall be conducted 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately. LRB104 05807 KTG 15838 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB1508 Introduced 2/4/2025, by Sen. Sara Feigenholtz SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 20 ILCS 505/46 new 20 ILCS 505/46 new Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to, no later than July 1, 2026, establish the Office of Alumni Support (Office) to provide assistance, guidance, and support to any former youth in care needing or requesting assistance, guidance, or support. Provides that the Office shall link former youth in care to existing supports, determine what additional supports are necessary to improve outcomes for former youth in care based upon identified needs, including researching existing evidence-based and evidence-informed practice models of providing assistance to former youth in care, and implement necessary changes to provide the additional supports. Provides that current and former youth in care shall provide input, guidance, and direction on the establishment and operation of the Office. Sets forth a list of stakeholders the Department shall engage with when developing the Office. Creates the Former Youth in Care Crisis Support Services Program for the purpose of providing former youth in care in crisis immediate funds to address urgent needs, including, but not limited to, emergency housing, healthcare, food, transportation, and items urgently needed to maintain the former youth in care in a work or educational setting. Provides that the Office of Alumni Support shall manage and operate the program. Requires the Department to submit quarterly progress reports to the General Assembly on the establishment of the Office. Requires the Auditor General to conduct a performance audit to determine if the Department is meeting the requirements of the amendatory Act. Provides that the performance audit shall be conducted 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately. LRB104 05807 KTG 15838 b LRB104 05807 KTG 15838 b A BILL FOR
22 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB1508 Introduced 2/4/2025, by Sen. Sara Feigenholtz SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
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55 Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to, no later than July 1, 2026, establish the Office of Alumni Support (Office) to provide assistance, guidance, and support to any former youth in care needing or requesting assistance, guidance, or support. Provides that the Office shall link former youth in care to existing supports, determine what additional supports are necessary to improve outcomes for former youth in care based upon identified needs, including researching existing evidence-based and evidence-informed practice models of providing assistance to former youth in care, and implement necessary changes to provide the additional supports. Provides that current and former youth in care shall provide input, guidance, and direction on the establishment and operation of the Office. Sets forth a list of stakeholders the Department shall engage with when developing the Office. Creates the Former Youth in Care Crisis Support Services Program for the purpose of providing former youth in care in crisis immediate funds to address urgent needs, including, but not limited to, emergency housing, healthcare, food, transportation, and items urgently needed to maintain the former youth in care in a work or educational setting. Provides that the Office of Alumni Support shall manage and operate the program. Requires the Department to submit quarterly progress reports to the General Assembly on the establishment of the Office. Requires the Auditor General to conduct a performance audit to determine if the Department is meeting the requirements of the amendatory Act. Provides that the performance audit shall be conducted 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.
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1111 1 AN ACT concerning State government.
1212 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
1313 3 represented in the General Assembly:
1414 4 Section 5. The Children and Family Services Act is amended
1515 5 by adding Section 46 as follows:
1616 6 (20 ILCS 505/46 new)
1717 7 Sec. 46. Office of Alumni Support; Former Youth in Care
1818 8 Crisis Support Services Program.
1919 9 (a) Legislative findings and intent. The General Assembly
2020 10 finds that:
2121 11 (1) Youth in care experience multiple traumas prior to
2222 12 exiting care. They suffer abuse, neglect, or abandonment
2323 13 causing them to be placed in care, trauma from being
2424 14 removed from their families and communities, and many
2525 15 suffer additional trauma while in care, including multiple
2626 16 placement changes, delayed access to necessary treatment,
2727 17 and maltreatment while in care.
2828 18 (2) Research has shown that former youth in care
2929 19 statistically have worse outcomes than their peers in the
3030 20 general population across a broad range of measures of
3131 21 well-being, including housing, employment, and education.
3232 22 These outcomes lead to homelessness, unemployment,
3333 23 incarceration, and psychiatric hospitalization, causing
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4040 Amends the Children and Family Services Act. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to, no later than July 1, 2026, establish the Office of Alumni Support (Office) to provide assistance, guidance, and support to any former youth in care needing or requesting assistance, guidance, or support. Provides that the Office shall link former youth in care to existing supports, determine what additional supports are necessary to improve outcomes for former youth in care based upon identified needs, including researching existing evidence-based and evidence-informed practice models of providing assistance to former youth in care, and implement necessary changes to provide the additional supports. Provides that current and former youth in care shall provide input, guidance, and direction on the establishment and operation of the Office. Sets forth a list of stakeholders the Department shall engage with when developing the Office. Creates the Former Youth in Care Crisis Support Services Program for the purpose of providing former youth in care in crisis immediate funds to address urgent needs, including, but not limited to, emergency housing, healthcare, food, transportation, and items urgently needed to maintain the former youth in care in a work or educational setting. Provides that the Office of Alumni Support shall manage and operate the program. Requires the Department to submit quarterly progress reports to the General Assembly on the establishment of the Office. Requires the Auditor General to conduct a performance audit to determine if the Department is meeting the requirements of the amendatory Act. Provides that the performance audit shall be conducted 2 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Effective immediately.
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6868 1 former youth in care to utilize costly State-funded
6969 2 programs and social supports at higher rates than their
7070 3 peers.
7171 4 (3) According to U.S. Census Data from 2023,
7272 5 approximately 57% of men and 54% of women ages 18 to 24
7373 6 live in their family home with their parents. For former
7474 7 youth in care who were removed from their families, living
7575 8 with their parents is often not an available or stable
7676 9 option. When youth exit care, they are expected to live
7777 10 entirely independent from not only financial support from
7878 11 the State, but also from the guidance, encouragement, role
7979 12 modeling, and mentoring that they received from
8080 13 caseworkers, foster parents, child care staff, and other
8181 14 adults during their time in care.
8282 15 (4) Evidence-based programs have shown that assistance
8383 16 and support provided to former youth in care can improve
8484 17 outcomes in target areas, including leading to increases
8585 18 in employment and earnings, increased housing stability,
8686 19 increased economic well-being, and significant impacts on
8787 20 health and safety outcomes for the youth.
8888 21 (5) It is the intent of the General Assembly to direct
8989 22 the Department of Children of Family Services to create,
9090 23 with the guidance, direction, and involvement of current
9191 24 and former youth in care, an Office of Alumni Support to
9292 25 provide assistance and support to former youth in care by
9393 26 (i) helping former youth in care navigate existing
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104104 1 supports, (ii) determining what additional supports would
105105 2 be beneficial to former youth in care, including
106106 3 researching existing evidence-based and evidence-informed
107107 4 practice models of providing assistance to alumni of the
108108 5 child welfare system, and (iii) implementing any
109109 6 additional supports to improve outcomes for former youth
110110 7 in care.
111111 8 (b) Office of Alumni Support. No later than July 1, 2026,
112112 9 the Department shall establish the Office of Alumni Support to
113113 10 provide assistance, guidance, and support to any former youth
114114 11 in care needing or requesting assistance, guidance, or
115115 12 support.
116116 13 (c) The Office of Alumni Support shall link former youth
117117 14 in care to existing supports, determine what additional
118118 15 supports are necessary to improve outcomes for former youth in
119119 16 care based upon identified needs, including researching
120120 17 existing evidence-based and evidence-informed practice models
121121 18 of providing assistance to former youth in care, and implement
122122 19 necessary changes to provide the additional supports. The
123123 20 Office of Alumni Support shall be established and operated
124124 21 with the input, guidance, and direction of current and former
125125 22 youth in care and shall include such input and direction in all
126126 23 aspects of its work.
127127 24 (d) At a minimum, the Office of Alumni Support shall
128128 25 provide assistance to former youth in care by linking young
129129 26 adults to existing supports or providing additional supports
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140140 1 in all of the following areas:
141141 2 (1) Housing support, including, but not limited to,
142142 3 referrals to funded housing sources specifically targeted
143143 4 to former youth in care.
144144 5 (2) Educational support, including referrals for
145145 6 assistance accessing post-secondary education and
146146 7 financial aid available to former youth in care,
147147 8 including, but not limited to, assistance with housing
148148 9 during school breaks.
149149 10 (3) Vocational support, including referrals for job
150150 11 training programs and financial support.
151151 12 (4) Peer-mentoring from former youth in care to guide
152152 13 other youth through the transition to adulthood.
153153 14 (5) Connections to family support and relationships
154154 15 including assisting former youth in care with connecting
155155 16 with siblings and other family members.
156156 17 (6) Public benefits support, including assistance with
157157 18 qualifying and applying for federal and State benefits as
158158 19 the youth may be eligible.
159159 20 (7) Support for former youth in care who are
160160 21 parenting, including referrals for assistance for
161161 22 childcare and necessary infant and child safety items.
162162 23 (8) Medical and mental health coverage supports,
163163 24 including assistance with navigating insurance coverage
164164 25 and providers.
165165 26 (9) Emergency funds, through the Former Youth in Care
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176176 1 Crisis Support Services Program.
177177 2 (10) Technology services through a mobile application
178178 3 developed by a third-party vendor with expertise in
179179 4 developing mobile applications with the input from youth
180180 5 in care and former youth in care. The mobile application
181181 6 shall be designed to be downloaded by youth prior to
182182 7 exiting care to store documents necessary for adult living
183183 8 and other critical personal information in a secure
184184 9 cloud-based environment, provide linkage to resources as
185185 10 needed, and send notifications to youth about resources
186186 11 and opportunities.
187187 12 (e) To develop the Office of Alumni Support, the
188188 13 Department shall actively engage with stakeholders, including,
189189 14 but not limited to:
190190 15 (1) At least 4 representatives from the Statewide
191191 16 Youth Advisory Board, including at least one youth in care
192192 17 from every region.
193193 18 (2) At least 2 representatives from the Foster Care
194194 19 Alumni of America - Illinois Chapter.
195195 20 (3) Representatives from private sector service
196196 21 providers currently providing alumni services to former
197197 22 youth in care.
198198 23 (4) The Director of the Department of Children and
199199 24 Family Services, or the Director's designee.
200200 25 (5) The Cook County Public Guardian, or the Cook
201201 26 County Public Guardian's designee.
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212212 1 (6) Representatives from the managed care organization
213213 2 providing health care coverage to current and former youth
214214 3 in care.
215215 4 (f) The Former Youth in Care Crisis Support Services
216216 5 Program.
217217 6 (1) There is created within the Department the Former
218218 7 Youth in Care Crisis Support Services Program. The purpose
219219 8 of the Former Youth in Care Crisis Support Services
220220 9 Program is to provide immediate funds to address urgent
221221 10 needs to former youth in care in crisis.
222222 11 (2) Eligibility and application.
223223 12 (A) Former youth in care between the ages of 18 and
224224 13 30 may access immediate monetary funds to address
225225 14 urgent needs, including, but not limited to, emergency
226226 15 housing, healthcare, food, transportation, and items
227227 16 urgently needed to maintain the former youth in care
228228 17 in a work or educational setting.
229229 18 (B) The Department shall not require former youth
230230 19 in care to apply for funds through a single point of
231231 20 contact, but instead shall accept requests for
232232 21 monetary support made directly by the former youth in
233233 22 care or by a child welfare agency or other community
234234 23 services provider on behalf of the former youth in
235235 24 care.
236236 25 (C) The Department shall also consider
237237 26 reimbursement requests from child welfare agencies and
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248248 1 other community service providers who provided funds
249249 2 to address urgent needs of former youth in care prior
250250 3 to submitting an application on behalf of the former
251251 4 youth in care to prevent a crisis.
252252 5 (3) The Office of Alumni Support shall manage and
253253 6 operate the Former Youth in Care Crisis Support Services
254254 7 Program.
255255 8 (g) Reporting. The Department shall report to the General
256256 9 Assembly on the Department's progress in establishing the
257257 10 Office of Alumni Support on a quarterly basis for the first
258258 11 year with reports due on December 1, 2025, March 1, 2026, and
259259 12 June 1, 2026. At a minimum the report shall address:
260260 13 (1) how the Department is engaging current and former
261261 14 youth in care;
262262 15 (2) what evidence-based practices and
263263 16 evidence-informed practices the Department has identified
264264 17 as potential models for alumni support;
265265 18 (3) what supports are currently implemented in
266266 19 Illinois;
267267 20 (4) what is needed to overcome identified barriers;
268268 21 and
269269 22 (5) whether there is available federal funding for
270270 23 services and additional support to be provided.
271271 24 (h) Performance audits. Two years after the effective date
272272 25 of this Amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly, the
273273 26 Auditor General shall commence a performance audit of the
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284284 1 Department to determine whether the Department is meeting the
285285 2 requirements of this Section. Upon completion of each audit,
286286 3 the Auditor General shall report its findings to the General
287287 4 Assembly. The Auditor General's reports shall include any
288288 5 issues or deficiencies and recommendations. The audits
289289 6 required by this Section shall be in accordance with and
290290 7 subject to the Illinois State Auditing Act.
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