Senate Republicans have advanced legislation to ensure that children taken into Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) custody can attend school in the district where they previously resided.
Currently, when children are taken into DCFS custody, they often end up in a different home, outside of their school district.
Senate Bill 2824, filed by McClure, closes the loophole and ensures that all children who have been removed from their homes by DCFS are able to attend their original school district, if determined by DCFS to be in the best interest of the child. This includes situations where a student is moving from elementary to middle school, or from middle school to high school.
Senator Anderson said that allowing children to remain in their current schools provides a measure of stability and familiarity for children who desperately need it.
Senate Bill 2824 passed the Senate and now awaits action in the Illinois House.