Foster Parent Law Implementation Plan

In keeping with the vision of The Center for Youth and Family Solutions and the Foster Care Program, CYFS is invested in upholding the Foster Parent Law (Public Act 89.19).

Licensing staff take a copy of the Foster Parent Law Implementation Plan and the CYFS Grievance Policy to each foster home during the first monitoring visit of the calendar year. Both documents are reviewed with the foster caregiver and any questions or concerns are addressed. The caregiver then signs off that they have received a copy of the plan so the agency can document all foster caregivers receive a copy with an explanation each year.

The biggest change for 2017: On May 25, 2016, the General Assembly passed a bill promoting increased “normalcy” for youth in care. It was signed into law on August 19, 2016, and became effective June 1, 2017. This law allows foster caregivers to make decisions for youth in their care, according to the standard that any “reasonable and prudent parent” would make a decision regarding their own child.

This is significant to everyone on the child welfare team because we anticipate that, to the extent legally possible, the bill will eliminate some of the existing bureaucratic barriers to providing youth in care with normal childhood experiences. It will increase both the rights and the responsibilities of foster caregivers in some manner. However, as with other responsibilities, the entire CYFS foster care team will be there to guide and support caregivers in this newly- defined responsibility.

Comments or suggestions can be made by contacting the Director of Licensing and Adoption, Mary Kay Collins at 309-323-6651 or mkcollins@cyfsolutions.org.

To review the Foster Parent Law Implementation Plan, click here.

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