Section 403.2  Definitions

"Appropriate activities" means activities or items that are generally accepted as suitable for children of the same chronological age or developmental level of maturity.  Appropriateness is based on the development of cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral capacity that is typical for an age or age group, taking into account the individual child's cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral development.  [20 ILCS 505/7.3a]

"Background check" has the same meaning as that term is defined in 89 Ill. Adm. Code 385.

"Caregiver" means a person with whom the child is placed in out-of-home care or a designated official for child care facilities licensed by the Department as defined in the Child Care Act of 1969. [20 ILCS 505/7.3a]

"Child" means any person under 18 years of age. For purposes of admission to and residence in child care institutions, group homes, and maternity centers, the term also means any person under 21 years of age who is referred by a parent or guardian, including an agency having legal responsibility for the person pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Termination of care for such persons under 21 years of age shall occur no later than 90 days following completion of a public school secondary education programs or the individual's eligibility for such a program. [225 ILCS 10/2.01]

"Child care facility" means any person, group of persons, agency, association organization, corporation, institution, center, or group, whether established for gain or otherwise, who or which receives or arranges for care or placement of one or more children, unrelated to the operator of the facility, apart from the parents, with or without the transfer of the right of custody in any facility as defined in the Child Care Act of 1969, established and maintained for the care of children. [225 ILCS 10/2.05]

"Culturally competent hair care" for purposes of this Part, means the ability to understand and provide appropriate hair care for children based on knowledge of the norms, traditions, and experiences of a child's ethnic background. (See 89 Ill. Adm. Code 315.20 and 316.20)

"Department" means the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. [225 ILCS 10/2.02]

"Group home" means a child care facility which provides care for no more than 10 children placed by and under the supervision of a licensed child welfare agency with these homes being owned or rented, staffed, maintained and otherwise operated by the agency. [225 ILCS 10/2.16]

"Hair care" means all care and practices related to the maintenance, health, and expression of hair, including, but not limited to, the daily maintenance routine, cutting, styling, or dying of hair as well as culturally specific practices, products, and techniques that reflect and respect diverse identities of youth in care as well as promote dignity and self-worth. [20 ILCS 505/7.3b(b)(1)]

"License" means a document issued by the Department that authorizes child care facilities to operate in accordance with applicable standards and the provisions of the Child Care Act.

"Licensee" means those individuals, agencies or organizations who hold a license or permit issued by the Department.

"Licensing representative" means persons authorized by the Department under the Child Care Act of 1969 to examine facilities for licensure.

"Medical examination" means a physical examination conducted by a Medical Doctor or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine licensed to practice medicine in the State of Illinois, an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) or Physician Assistant (PA). The medical examination must be documented on forms prescribed by the Department and signed and dated by the examining practitioner.

"Normalcy parenting" means empowering a caregiver to approve or not approve a child's or youth's participation in appropriate extracurricular activities based on the caregiver's assessment using the reasonable and prudent parent standard, without prior approval of the Department, the permanency worker or the court.  The goal of normalcy parenting and the reasonable and prudent parent standard is to allow the child's participation in extracurricular, enrichment, cultural and social activities that are appropriate for the child's normal growth and development.

"Permit" means a one-time only document issued by the Department for a 6-month period to allow the individual, agency or organization to become eligible for a license.

"Reasonable and prudent parent standard" means the standard characterized by careful and sensible parental decisions that maintain the child's health, safety, and best interests while at the same time supporting the child's emotional and developmental growth that a caregiver shall use when determining whether to allow a child in out-of-home care to participate in extracurricular, enrichment, cultural, and social activities. [20 ILCS 505/7.3a(b)]

"Supervising agency", for the purpose of this Part, means a licensed child welfare agency, as defined in the Child Care Act of 1969, that supervises the operation of group homes.

(Source:  Amended at 50 Ill. Reg. 11900, effective July 28, 2026)