 By Amie Little  EDU 644 Discussion 1 week 2

The mission of DCFS is to protect children who are reported to be abused or neglected and to increase their families’ capacity to safely care for them. Provide for the well-being of children in their care. Provide appropriate Permanent families as quickly as possible for those children who cannot safely return home. Support early intervention and child abuse prevention And child abuse prevention activities and work in partnerships with communities to fulfill this mission.

This act clarifies that the health and safety of children served by child welfare agencies must be their paramount concern and aims to more children in foster care more quickly into permanent homes. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services over the next five years will continue to focus on reshaping staff and stakeholder mindset regarding the need for timely permanency. They are continuing to work with Casey Family Programs in efforts to effectively message permanency in an aggressive and urgent way with a focus on the child’s sense of time. The “gold standard” for permanency highlights the three legally permanent forms: reunification, adoption and guardianship, with emphasis on the child’s sense of belonging for permanency.

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