Earlier today, the Illinois Senate unanimously adopted House Bill 4781 (the KIND Act). The ACLU of Illinois responded to the passage of this legislation by the body. The following statement can be attributed to Nora Collins-Mandeville, Director of Systems Reform Policy at the ACLU of Illinois:
We are proud to stand with the leadership of DCFS and other advocates for children in Illinois to advance this bill. This is good step forward that, with House concurrence, will make life better for youth under the care of DCFS.
For too long, Illinois policy failed to recognize the valuable role played by relatives who step in to care for youth when DCFS removes these children from their parents. The KIND Act corrects that flaw, recognizing the positive role these relatives play in the lives of children – whose lives have been disrupted – and provides the same resources to care for the child made available to foster parents who may well be strangers.
Research shows that placing youth in the family regulation system with relatives, rather than strangers acting as foster parents, is good policy. Staying with a family member lessens trauma of family separation, reduces the number of times a child is moved, enhances permanency options if youth cannot be reunified, results in higher placement satisfaction for youth in care, and delivers better social, behavioral, mental health, and educational outcomes for youth than when they are placed in non-kin foster care.
We thank Senator Mattie Hunter for her stalwart leadership and relentless efforts to secure passage of the KIND Act. We urge the House of Representatives to act to concur with the Senate vote as soon as possible.