Leader Ramirez Champions Child Welfare Bills

April 24, 2021 - SPRINGFIELD, Ill.

Leader Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago), member of the Adoption and Child Welfare Committee, continued her work to improve our child welfare systems by championing critical bills in the Illinois House of Representatives this week. Ramirez passed two bills, while one is still pending consideration:

The first, HB 3100, requires that mandated reporters - people trained and required to report instances of child abuse and neglect, including social services, medical and education personnel - complete implicit bias training. This training is designed to prevent racial and ethnic bias in childrens’ protection and reports of mistreatment, and avoid instances such as that of a black mother educator having child protective services called on her when late to pick up her child at InterAmerican Magnet School. The bill was passed and is now moving to the Senate.

Ramirez’s second bill, HB 3793, does away with the pandemic blanket ban on a parent’s ability to visit their children, instead requiring the state to deliberately act on specific evidence when obtaining a court order to terminate contact between a child and their parent or guardian. This bill also passed this week, and will move to the Senate for further consideration.

Ramirez’s final bill, HB 3787 - which is still being considered in the House - will make the Children of Incarcerated Parents Task Force a permanent commission with legislative authority to promote the wellbeing of children with incarcerated parents by executing the Task Force’s recommendations.

“Our greatest obligation; our most sacred responsibility, is to our children. They depend on us to legislate for their physical, mental, and emotional safety, opportunity, and well-being. These three bills are incremental steps to improve existing policy, prevent unnecessary trauma, and protect the rights of children and the adults charged with caring for them. While this pandemic has been hard on all of us, it has been hardest on our children lacking the proper support and connection essential to their age-appropriate development.” Said Ramirez. “This progress would not be possible without the vocal advocacy and input of children and families affected by these inequities in our child welfare systems. I am grateful for their partnership in this work.”

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