‘They deserve their story’: Bill aims to open foster care files

(The Center Square) – Illinois lawmakers are moving to ensure families adopting children from the state’s foster care system receive complete information about a child’s history, including medical, educational, and counseling records, at least 30 days before an adoption is finalized.

The bill, recently introduced by state Sen. Darby Hills, R-Barrington Hills, also guarantees former foster youth aged 18 and older can access their records for free.

Hills’ legislation would require the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to provide a complete, unredacted copy of the child’s full case record, while maintaining compliance with federal and state privacy laws.

Hills said the bill responds to concerns from adoptive parents who often face significant barriers in understanding a child’s history after adoption.

“We’ve had constituents tell us that they adopted children who never lived with their biological p...