(325 ILCS 5/11.1) (from Ch. 23, par. 2061.1)
Sec. 11.1. Access to records.
(a) A person shall have access to the records described in Section 11 only in furtherance of purposes directly connected with the administration of this Act or the Intergovernmental Missing Child Recovery Act of 1984. Those persons and purposes for access include:
(1) Department staff in the furtherance of their
responsibilities under this Act, or for the purpose of completing background investigations on persons or agencies licensed by the Department or with whom the Department contracts for the provision of child welfare services.
(2) A law enforcement agency investigating known or
suspected child abuse or neglect, known or suspected involvement with child pornography, known or suspected criminal sexual assault, known or suspected criminal sexual abuse, or any other sexual offense when a child is alleged to be involved.
(3) The Department of State Police when administering
the provisions of the Intergovernmental Missing Child Recovery Act of 1984.
(4) A physician who has before him a child whom he
reasonably suspects may be abused or neglected.
(5) A person authorized under Section 5 of this Act
to place a child in temporary protective custody when such person requires the information in the report or record to determine whether to place the child in temporary protective custody.
(6) A person having the legal responsibility or
authorization to care for, treat, or supervise a child, or a parent, prospective adoptive parent, foster parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the child's welfare, who is the subject of a report.
(7) Except in regard to harmful or detrimental
information as provided in Section 7.19, any subject of the report, and if the subject of the report is a minor, his guardian or guardian ad litem.
(8) A court, upon its finding that access to such
records may be necessary for the determination of an issue before such court; however, such access shall be limited to in camera inspection, unless the court determines that public disclosure of the information contained therein is necessary for the resolution of an issue then pending before it.
(8.1) A probation officer or other authorized
representative of a probation or court services department conducting an investigation ordered by a court under the Juvenile Court Act of l987.
(9) A grand jury, upon its determination that access
to such records is necessary in the conduct of its official business.
(10) Any person authorized by the Director, in
writing, for audit or bona fide research purposes.
(11) Law enforcement agencies, coroners or medical
examiners, physicians, courts, school superintendents and child welfare agencies in other states who are responsible for child abuse or neglect investigations or background investigations.
(12) The Department of Professional Regulation, the
State Board of Education and school superintendents in Illinois, who may use or disclose information from the records as they deem necessary to conduct investigations or take disciplinary action, as provided by law.
(13) A coroner or medical examiner who has reason to
believe that a child has died as the result of abuse or neglect.
(14) The Director of a State-operated facility when
an employee of that facility is the perpetrator in an indicated report.
(15) The operator of a licensed child care facility
or a facility licensed by the Department of Human Services (as successor to the Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse) in which children reside when a current or prospective employee of that facility is the perpetrator in an indicated child abuse or neglect report, pursuant to Section 4.3 of the Child Care Act of 1969.
(16) Members of a multidisciplinary team in the
furtherance of its responsibilities under subsection (b) of Section 7.1. All reports concerning child abuse and neglect made available to members of such multidisciplinary teams and all records generated as a result of such reports shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed, except as specifically authorized by this Act or other applicable law. It is a Class A misdemeanor to permit, assist or encourage the unauthorized release of any information contained in such reports or records. Nothing contained in this Section prevents the sharing of reports or records relating or pertaining to the death of a minor under the care of or receiving services from the Department of Children and Family Services and under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court with the juvenile court, the State's Attorney, and the minor's attorney.
(17) The Department of Human Services, as provided in
Section 17 of the Disabled Persons Rehabilitation Act.
(18) Any other agency or investigative body,
including the Department of Public Health and a local board of health, authorized by State law to conduct an investigation into the quality of care provided to children in hospitals and other State regulated care facilities. The access to and release of information from such records shall be subject to the approval of the Director of the Department or his designee.
(19) The person appointed, under Section 2-17 of the
Juvenile Court Act of 1987, as the guardian ad litem of a minor who is the subject of a report or records under this Act.
(20) The Department of Human Services, as provided in
Section 10 of the Early Intervention Services System Act, and the operator of a facility providing early intervention services pursuant to that Act, for the purpose of determining whether a current or prospective employee who provides or may provide direct services under that Act is the perpetrator in an indicated report of child abuse or neglect filed under this Act.
(b) Nothing contained in this Act prevents the sharing or disclosure of information or records relating or pertaining to juveniles subject to the provisions of the Serious Habitual Offender Comprehensive Action Program when that information is used to assist in the early identification and treatment of habitual juvenile offenders.
(c) To the extent that persons or agencies are given access to information pursuant to this Section, those persons or agencies may give this information to and receive this information from each other in order to facilitate an investigation conducted by those persons or agencies.
(Source: P.A. 93-147, eff. 1-1-04; 94-1010, eff. 10-1-06.)
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Last modified: February 18, 2015