ICPC State Pages

Illinois Home Studies (Adoption/Foster Care/Kinship/Parent/Relative)

Types of Home Studies

Illinois conducts the following types of home studies:

• Relative Care
• Foster Care
• Relative-Foster Care
• Parent Care
• Foster- Adopt
• Adoption

Illinois designates staff in each county/region to conduct home studies and/or process interstate placements:

• Other: Yes, Illinois purchases ICPC home studies from private child welfare agencies.

Illinois considers a home study as current/valid for:

• Public: 1 year
• Private: 1 year

Private Contract Services - Home Study

As the Sending State, Illinois will pay a contractor or private/independent agency in the Receiving State to conduct a home study:

• Yes

As the Receiving State, Illinois will permit a Sending state to pay a contractor or private/independent agency in the Receiving State to conduct a home study:

• Other: Yes, if it meets all of the standards and requirements of Illinois and only if the agency is an IL licensed Child Welfare agency.

As the Receiving State, Illinois will accept/update a home study that was not originally conducted by the receiving state or a private contractor acting on behalf of the Receiving State:

• Other: Will update and Accept. Only if original home study was prepared by IL Licensed Child Welfare agency in accordance with IL standards and requirements.

Adoptive Home Study

Home study for adoption conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

• Yes

Prospective adoptive parents permitted to pay for a pre-adoptive home study:

• Private Adoptions: Yes
• Independent Adoptions: Yes

DCPS contracts for Purchase of Services with private agencies in other states:

• Yes

Foster Care Home Study

Home study for foster care conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

• Yes

Parent Home Study

If child has been removed from the parent, Illinois requires a home study evaluation before reunification:

• Yes, but not always, depends on situation.

Non-Custodial Parents: Placements with non-custodial parents are not covered under the ICPC if:

• • A court does not have evidence before it that such parent is unfit;
  • Does not seek such evidence; and
  • Does not retain jurisdiction over the child after the court transfers the child.

Proof of Paternity is required:

• Yes: Determined by Sending State Court / placing agency

Relative/Kinship Home Study

Home study for relatives conducted prior to Termination of Parental Rights (TPR):

• Yes

Define Relative:

• "Relative", for purposes of placement of children for whom the Department is legally responsible, means any person, 21 years of age or over, other than the parent, who:

  • is currently related to the child in any of the following ways by blood or adoption: grandparent, sibling, great-grandparent, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, first cousin, first cousin once removed (children of one’s first cousin to oneself), second cousin (children of first cousins are second cousins to each other), godparent (as defined in this Section), great-uncle, or great-aunt, or
  • is the spouse of such a relative, or
  • is the child's step-father, step-mother, or adult step-brother or step-sister.

  Relative also includes a person related in any of the foregoing ways to a sibling of a child, even though the person is not related to the child, when the child and its sibling are placed together with that person. [20 ILCS 505/7(b)]

Relatives must be licensed:

• No

Proof of Paternity is required:

• Yes : Determined by Sending State Court / placing agency

Illinois considers the following types and degrees of relation as relative placements. Individuals related in the 1st degree, 2nd degree, 3rd degree and 4th degree (You may need to refer to your state's consanguinity chart or state statute to determine relations or relative status.):

• 1st Degree (mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter)
• 2nd Degree (grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, first cousin)
• 3rd Degree (great grandmother, great grandfather, great aunt, great uncle, grand-niece, grand nephew, second cousin)
• 4th Degree (great, great-grandmother, great, great-grandfather, great, great aunt, great, great aunt, great, great uncle, great grand-niece, great grand nephew, third cousin)
• Godmother, Godfather
• Other

Regulation 7 Priority Placement

Illinois performs priority placements:

• Yes

A court ordered Priority 7 conducted if the child is in a DCF shelter or foster home for substantial period of time.

Wait Time (ICPC Interstate Home Study) - Public

Average length of time to process and complete a home study with criminal background checks for an interstate placement (Not including completion of educational training):

• 60 days

Wait time to complete Home Study, only (without criminal records check):

• 60 days

Wait Time (ICPC Interstate Home Study) - Private

Average length of time to process and complete a home study with criminal background checks for an interstate placement (Not including completion of education training):

• 60 days

Wait time to complete Home Study, only (without criminal records check):

• 60 days

Illinois determines the "Date of Receipt" for an interstate home study as:

• Other

Method of requesting, sending, and/or reporting an interstate home study

Criminal Record Checks

Illinois requires criminal background checks for the following home studies:

• Foster Care
• Relative Care
• Relative-Foster Care
• Foster-Adopt
• Adoption
• Parent
• Other, specified below

LEADS name /social security/DOB based check except for adoption and foster licensure which also require fingerprint checks FBI and State Police.

Type of Checks (Crim. & Abuse Neglect Registry)

Illinois requires the following types of criminal background and perpetrator checks (Federal (F), State (S), Local (L), Abuse and Neglect Registry (ANR), Not Required (NR))

Wait Time for Criminal Records Results

Wait time for fingerprint results are:

Live Scan or other technology

• State: 4-7 days
• Local/County: 4-7 days

Manually - Fingerprint Card

• State: Not Offered
• Local/County: Not Offered