Slightly more than a decade ago, 52,000 children were in the custody of the State of Illinois.
Slightly more than a decade ago, 52,000 children were in the custody of the State of Illinois.
Over the years that number dropped considerably — to nearly 16,000 — due to relatives stepping up to keep families together. However, African-Americans still dominate the group, said a spokesman for the Department of Children and Family Services.
As of April 30, there were 15,912 children statewide in foster care. In Cook County, there were 6,816. Of that county total, 79 percent are African-American, according to DCFS spokesman Kendall Marlowe.
Foster care is the temporary placement of children outside their homes due to abuse, neglect or dependency. Wards of the state are either in non-relative foster homes, homes with a relative, or in group homes or centers.
“The ultimate goal is to return the child home once issues are resolved. When that’s not an option, the department advocates for subsidized guardianship or seeks adoption for the child,” Marlowe said.
In fiscal year 2007, DCFS returned 1,987 foster children to their birth parents and placed 1,682 in adoptive homes. Many others were released from the department’s custody to a legal guardian.
“When a relative is granted custody under legal guardianship, they are no longer wards of the state. The guardian becomes the legal person to make decisions in the best interest of the child, however, the birth parents’ parental rights haven’t been terminated,” Marlowe explained.
To be eligible for subsidized guardianship, a child of any age can be placed with a foster parent that is a relative. For non-relative foster parents, a child must be at least age 12. The child must also have been in DCFS custody for two years and is likely to remain a ward of the state, according to the department.
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Cook County, a non-profit organization that trains volunteers to work with foster children, said the children who interact closely with their advocates are less likely to spend time in long-term foster care.
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