Illinois Administrative Code › Title 89 - SOCIAL SERVICES › Part 300 - REPORTS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT › Section 300.45 - Five Year Demonstration of the Differential Response Program

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
a) Differential
			 Response recognizes that there are variations in the severity of reported
			 maltreatment and allows for an investigation or family assessment response to
			 reports of child neglect. Both responses focus on the safety and well-being of
			 the child; promote permanency within the family whenever possible; and
			 recognize the authority of child protection to make decisions about protective
			 custody and court involvement when necessary. An investigation response
			 involves gathering forensic evidence and requires a formal determination
			 regarding whether there is credible evidence that child maltreatment has
			 occurred. A family assessment response involves assessing the family's
			 strengths and needs and offering services to meet the family's needs and
			 support positive parenting.
b)
			 Differential Response Criteria
During the demonstration period, reports of neglect that meet
				all the following criteria may be assigned to an assessment pathway:
1) Identifying information for the family
			 members and their current address, if known at the time of the
			 report;
2) The alleged perpetrators
			 are birth or adoptive parents, legal guardians or responsible
			 relatives;
3) The family has no
			 pending or prior indicated reports of abuse and/or neglect or prior indicated
			 reports have been expunged within the timeframe or timeframes established by
			 the Department for the indicated allegation or allegations;
4) The alleged victims, or other siblings or
			 household members, are not currently in the care and custody of the Department
			 or wards of the court;
5)
			 Protective custody of the children has not been taken or required in the
			 current or any previous case; and
6) Allegations
A) The reported allegation or allegations
			 shall only include Mental and Emotional Impairment (neglect only), Inadequate
			 Supervision, Inadequate Food, Inadequate Shelter, Inadequate Clothing, Medical
			 Neglect, and Environmental Neglect. The following circumstances involving the
			 allegations of Mental and Emotional Impairment, Inadequate Supervision, and
			 Medical Neglect prohibit the report from being assigned to a family assessment
			 pathway.
i) Mental and Emotional Impairment
			 reports taken as abuse (Allegation #17) will be assigned an investigation
			 pathway.
ii) Inadequate Supervision
			 reports involving a child or children under the age of eight, or a child older
			 than eight years of age with a physical or mental disability that limits his or
			 her skills in the areas of communication, self-care, self-direction and safety
			 will be assigned an investigation pathway.
iii) Medical Neglect reports that involve a
			 child with a severe medical condition that could become serious enough to cause
			 long-term harm to the child if untreated will be assigned an investigation
			 pathway.
B) All other
			 allegations are considered to involve substantial child abuse and neglect, and
			 are ineligible for assignment to the assessment pathway.