HB 1715 Passes IL Senate Unanimously, Keeps DCFS Focused on Protecting Children, Not Policing Them

NASW-IL Staff
May 21
2 min read

NASW-Illinois Chapter membership helps us to push for legislation that benefit Illinois social workers and the clients they serve. As the largest membership association in Illinois advocating on behalf of social workers, consider adding your voice to our efforts and join/renew your NASW membership today.

SPRINGFIELD—House Bill 1715 (HB1715) has passed the Illinois Senate unanimously today, 58–0! We are especially grateful to State Senator Robert Peters, who served as the senate sponsor, and to all the legislators who stood with us in protecting the integrity of child welfare services in Illinois.

This critical legislation, an initiative of the NASW-Illinois Chapter, removes outdated statutory language that gave the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) unused police authority. With your advocacy support, we ensured DCFS remains focused on what it does best—supporting families and protecting children, not policing them.

This win is a testament to the power of organized, professional advocacy-and to each of you who took action along the way. Thank you for standing up for social work values and for helping us keep DCFS focused on families.

For more advocacy-related news from the NASW-Illinois Chapter, visit the "Advocacy" sub-tab on our "News" page. Or check out our Bill Tracker which shows all of the bills the NASW-Illinois Chapter is tracking for the current Illinois legislative session.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with over 120,000 members. The NASW-Illinois Chapter is one of the association's largest chapters representing over 20,000 licensed Illinois social workers and school social workers, with over 5,000 active members. NASW strives to advance social work careers, grow social work businesses, and protect the profession.