Senate Republicans have advanced legislation to ensure that children taken into Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) custody don’t have to change schools.

Currently, when a child is taken into DCFS custody, they often end up in a new home outside of their school district. Senate Bill 2824, filed by Senator Steve McClure, ensures that all children who have been removed from their homes by DCFS can stay in the same school if the agency determines it 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 within a school district.

Senate Bill 2824 passed the Senate and now awaits action in the Illinois House.