The Department also supports a wide variety of adoption reform efforts. The B.H. Consent Decree Reform Panel convened in April 1993 to perform a thorough review of adoption policies and procedures. Its final recommendations on 10 major areas of adoption reform were presented in December 1993. These areas included:

(1) the early identification of children for adoption;

(2) the preparation of children for adoption;

(3) the screening of prospective adoptive families to assess their suitability;

(4) the screening of prospective adoptive parents who wish to adopt children with special needs;

(5) transracial and transcultural placements;

(6) the preparation of adoptive homes;

(7) training programs for adoptive parents;

(8) legal risk placements;

(9) providing information regarding the child to adoptive parents; and

(10) the establishment of a two-tier process for adoption referrals. Much attention was focused on streamlining the process of formally terminating parental rights in court, a necessary step before a child can be placed for adoption.

Beginning in early 1994, caseloads involving children waiting to be adopted were transferred to follow-up adoption teams who specialize in these cases. Cases scheduled for adoption screening that appear to be appropriate for adoption services will be reviewed at the same time for transfer into the adoption teams.

Many reforms in the adoption process over the past several years were the result of work performed by the volunteer committee, Project HEART (Helping to Ease Adoption Red Tape).  The final report of Project HEART at a February 1993 press conference. Accomplishments listed in the report included a reduction in the time required to process fingerprints for prospective adoptive families, the establishment of two new courtrooms in Cook County to hear cases involving the termination of parental rights, the issuing of medical assistance cards annually instead of monthly, greater public awareness about children waiting to be adopted generated by a media campaign, the creation of a statewide newsletter devoted to adoption recruitment, and the commission of a study to determine the effectiveness of post-adoption services. In September 1993, Project HEART distributed a resource book for adoptive families in Illinois. The resource book was given to adoptive parent organizations, child welfare agencies and callers to the Adoption Information Center of Illinois. Project HEART was underwritten by Aon of Chicago, Fel-Pro Inc. of Skokie, Household International of Prospect Heights and WGN-TV in Chicago.

Reforms have also included improvements in training programs. Once reforms are in place statewide, all potential adoptive parents will receive at least 75 hours of training under the Foster Pride/Adopt Pride training program, plus an additional 12 hours of specialized training in the Department's adoption certification curriculum. Field testing for the Foster Pride/Adopt Pride curriculum was conducted in July 1994. Forty-three of the original 51 families completed the program. Staff training began in early August. And in late 1994, staff from the National Adoption Resource Center field tested the adoption certification curriculum, called "Making the Commitment to Adoption."