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House delays changes to Foster Care Citizens Review Board after members raise implementation concerns
Summary
Lawmakers debated Senate Bill 17 for more than an hour before voting to "circle" the measure for further review after members questioned whether the citizen review board has authority, whether its recommendations are followed by DCFS and judges, and why review timing would shift from 12 to 18 months.
Representative Mascaro, sponsor of Senate Bill 17, defended a set of changes to the Foster Care Citizens Review Board that would shift some reviews from a 12-month to an 18-month schedule so the board can focus on children who remain in custody longer than a year. "The change of this bill will allow the Foster Care Assistance Review Board to focus its attention on reviews on those children who remain in care longer than 12 months," Mascaro said, adding the board would still conduct reviews during the first year when appropriate.
Opponents and questioners pushed back on both the board's authority and the practical effect of the bill. Representative Tilton asked whether the board…
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