Section 415.95  Ongoing Family Finding and Relative Engagement

a)         The Department shall make ongoing diligent efforts, to the fullest extent consistent with the minor's best interest, to engage in ongoing family finding and engagement after placement for the purposes of:

1)         establishing and supporting lifelong connections for the minor by building a network of sustainable and supportive relationships that allow the minor to experience a sense of belonging through enduring, life-long relationships with family, extended family, and other caring adults; and

2)         for minors who are not in a placement likely to achieve permanency, identifying relatives who may be willing and able to care for the minor and provide permanency for the minor.

Efforts to identify, locate, and engage relatives to assist in supporting and establishing lifelong connections for the minor are required, consistent with the best interests of the minor, even if the minor is placed with a relative, recognizing it may be in the minor's best interest to maintain connections with different relatives, and a relative's capacity to provide connection and support, may change over time.

b)         The Department shall provide a report to the court, as part of the reporting requirement under Section 2-10.1 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, not later than 45 days after a minor is placed in the Department's custody, and with each case plan submitted to the court thereafter, describing the Department's efforts to identify, locate, and engage relatives in a manner consistent with the minor's best interest. The initial and subsequent reports shall include:

1)         a list of contacts made and the outcome of each contact;

2)         for minors requiring placement in a home environment or a home likely to achieve permanency, the report shall specify which identified relatives have been evaluated as placement options, including assessment as a certified relative caregiver home under Section 3.4 of the Child Care Act of 1969 [225 ILCS 10], and the diligent efforts the Department is undertaking to remove barriers to placement, if applicable, with one or more relatives or certified relative caregivers. If the Department determines placement with an identified relative willing to serve as a caregiver for the minor is not in the minor's best interest, the Department shall include its rationale in the report; and

3)         consistent with the minor's best interest, the manner in which the relative or person may be engaged with the minor. Engagement may include, but is not limited to, in person visitation, virtual visitation, telephone contact, supervising visits between the minor and a parent or sibling, assisting with transportation, providing respite care and providing placement. If the Department determines an identified relative's engagement with the minor is not in the minor's best interest, the Department shall include its rationale in the report. [705 ILCS 405/2-27.3]

c)         Unless the court grants an exception in accordance with Section 2-27.3 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 [705 ILCS 405], the Department shall continue to make diligent efforts to identify and locate relatives to act as resources for future placements, visitation, and family supports when it determines a youth in care needs placement away from a home environment. If the Department believes ongoing family finding and relative engagement efforts would be futile and no longer in the youth in care's best interest, the Department shall document the basis of its determination and inform the court of the reasons ongoing relative engagement efforts should cease.