Sangamon Sun

Illinois State Representative Randy Frese (R) promoted new legislation aimed at supporting the state's youth in a Facebook post published on Friday.

"This week we introduced new legislation to help protect at-risk kids!" Frese wrote.

Frese is an Adams County resident who was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 2015. His legislative experience includes serving on the Health Care Licenses Committee and the Veterans Affairs Committee.

Frese is also a member of the Sustaining and Protecting At Risk Kids (S.P.A.R.K.) Working Group. On Thursday, the group introduced new bills meant to protect children under the state's care and under notice by the State Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The bills, if signed into law, would legalize the following: allowing local law enforcement to conduct their own abuse and neglect investigations and requiring DCFS to share their investigation reports with local County State’s Attorneys (HB 3471); creating an independent Ombudsperson to investigate complaints against DCFS, provide recommendations, and report to law enforcement when necessary (HB 3002); requiring the DCFS to establish a caseload tracking system that will monitor and evaluate the interrelationship between case plans, the Department’s case tracking system, and work responsibilities (HB 2935); providing that prior to final approval for placement of a child, the DCFS being able to request that the Illinois State Police conduct a criminal records background check of the prospective foster or adoptive parents (HB 3614); and requiring the DCFS to develop a plan to phase in mandatory intact family services for at-risk families who are in need of continuing assistance and monitoring following an abuse or neglect investigation (HB 3618).

"Protecting at-risk children isn’t a partisan issue, nor is it a regional issue," Frese said. "It is a concern in every one of the one hundred-two counties in Illinois. I believe members of the General Assembly can find common ground and pass needed reforms that can literally be life-saving."

HB 3471, as described in its synopsis, notes that, if signed into law, "nothing prohibits the office of the State's Attorney of the involved county from concurrently conducting an additional, independent investigation of the same incidents and allegations investigated by the Department. Provides that at the commencement of the State's Attorney's independent investigation, the State's Attorney, in his or her official capacity as a mandated reporter, shall notify the Department of the independent investigation by making a report by telephone to the Department's central register on the single, State-wide, toll-free telephone number established under the Act. Provides that upon completion of the independent investigation, the State's Attorney shall share his or her findings and determinations with the Department."

HB 3618 was introduced by State Representative Steven Reick (R) on February 17. The synopsis as introduced is as follows: "Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to develop a plan to phase in mandatory intact family services for at-risk families who are in need of continuing assistance and monitoring following a child abuse or neglect investigation. Provides that under the plan, if after conducting a child abuse or neglect investigation the Department determines that the family of the child who is the subject of the report qualifies for intact family services, the Department shall open an intact family services case for the child and enroll the family in the Department's Intact Family Services Program where the child and family shall be assigned to an intact family services provider contracted with the Department. Provides that the Department may adopt any rules necessary to implement the phase-in plan for mandatory intact family services."