Pictured: The interior rotunda of the Illinois State Capitol building in Springfield. [Matt Turner / CC BY 2.0]

With unanimous bipartisan support, a bill that would require the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to notify relatives within 30 days of a child’s entry into foster care – now heads back to the state House of Representatives for concurrence on a Senate committee amendment to the proposition.

One-hundred thirteen Illinois House members and 56 state Senate members all voted “yes” last week on House Bill 4781, known as the Kinship in Demand Act. The proposed bill is meant to provide better outcomes for children in foster care by placing them with safe family members, without the red tape the family members would otherwise face to become licensed foster parents.