(20 ILCS 301/35-10)
Sec. 35-10. Adolescent Family Life Program.
(a) The General Assembly finds and declares the following:
(1) In Illinois, a substantial number of babies are
born each year to adolescent mothers between 12 and 19 years of age.
(2) A substantial percentage of pregnant adolescents
either abuse substances by experimenting with alcohol and drugs or live in an environment in which substance abuse occurs and thus are at risk of exposing their infants to dangerous and harmful substances.
(3) It is difficult to provide substance abuse
counseling for adolescents in settings designed to serve adults.
(b) To address the findings set forth in subsection (a), the Department of Human Services as successor to the Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse may establish a 3-year demonstration program in Cook County to be known as the Adolescent Family Life Program. The program shall be designed specifically to meet the developmental, social, and educational needs of high-risk pregnant adolescents and shall do the following:
(1) To the maximum extent feasible and appropriate,
utilize existing programs and funding rather than create new, duplicative programs and services.
(2) Include plans for coordination and collaboration
with existing perinatal substance abuse programs.
(3) Include goals and objectives for reducing the
incidence of high-risk pregnant adolescents.
(4) Be culturally and linguistically appropriate to
the population being served.
(5) Include staff development training by substance
abuse counselors.
As used in this Section, "high-risk pregnant adolescent" means a person at least 12 but not more than 18 years of age who uses alcohol to excess, is addicted to a controlled substance, or habitually uses cannabis and is pregnant.
(c) If the Department establishes a program under this Section, the Department shall report the following to the General Assembly on or before the first day of the thirty-first month following the month in which the program is initiated:
(1) An accounting of the incidence of high-risk
pregnant adolescents who are abusing alcohol or drugs or a combination of alcohol and drugs.
(2) An accounting of the health outcomes of infants
of high-risk pregnant adolescents, including infant morbidity, rehospitalization, low birth weight, premature birth, developmental delay, and other related areas.
(3) An accounting of school enrollment among
high-risk pregnant adolescents.
(4) An assessment of the effectiveness of the
counseling services in reducing the incidence of high-risk pregnant adolescents who are abusing alcohol or drugs or a combination of alcohol and drugs.
(5) The effectiveness of the component of other
health programs aimed at reducing substance use among pregnant adolescents.
(6) The need for an availability of substance abuse
treatment programs in the program areas that are appropriate, acceptable, and accessible to adolescents.
(Source: P.A. 90-238, eff. 1-1-98.)
Last modified: February 18, 2015